# Collection of Hard Core Double Century Patches from So Cal - circa 1980s



## bikemonkey (Dec 7, 2021)

I acquired this collection a few years ago and thought I would share some photos. I also have a snippet of history included on two people whose names appear on several of the patches. I am hoping it will be of interest to you folks on the west coast - so jealous of all of the bicycle culture out there.

I am posting it in here as I did not see a better forum - I would suppose these folks were riding "lightweights'" on these rides.🙂

From the interwebs on Ruth Barnes:

_"We first met Ruth on a Wheelmen ride in 1971. From the beginning, it was obvious that Ruth was an exceptional rider and held her own with the very best of the men riders. She was always in the lead and was incredibly competitive. She wanted to be the best women rider around. Those were the days when women were never taken seriously. Ruth would prove everyone wrong....We think that in terms of Ruth’s cycling life, her greatest achievement was the fact that Ruth was the first woman to ride our club’s Grand Tour Triple Century. In 1973 she achieved the unthinkable and showed everyone that women are strong and can do whatever they set their minds to..."_

And this on Jim Watrous:

_"When nearly 200 cyclists signed up to participate in the Hemet Double Century and Century cycling events on Saturday, Jim Watrous was there before dawn to see that the ride was as smooth as could be. As director for 26 of the event’s 47-year history, Watrous spent countless hours preparing the courses and securing volunteers to help..."_


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## jimbo53 (Dec 7, 2021)

WOW-those patches represent a committment to long distance riding I cannot personally imagine. In awe... Thanks for sharing


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## cyclingday (Dec 17, 2021)

Yeah, that’s a neat collection.
I did the ride on the first patch.
Rosarito-Ensenada 50 miler 1982.
Those Mexico rides in the 80’s were a blast.
My favorite one, was the Tecate-Ensenada 75 miler.
Never attempted a Double Century.
That sounds like a torture test now. Lol!
The one I always wanted to do, but never did, was the Mojave by Moonlight ride.
I believe it was a Century Ride held on a full moon night out in the desert.


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