With a way beyond target total of over £15,000 raised for charity and with the phenomenal support of our volunteer crews and everyone else involved that made the event what it was, this is the feedback we have received…. and a facebook post 6 months ago right at the start to remind us how it all began;-

 

“Thanks for organising the amazing event at the weekend. You really went out of your way to make it all run really very smoothly. All 12 of us from Glasgow Green had an absolute blast. I very much hope that there will be a repeat at some point in the future.

I have just added my own donation and have counted a further £110 from supporters not including riders. There will undoubtedly be more from other members supporters - I will try to get that info to you at some point.”

“Many, many happy memories. The support vans were all brilliant”

Kenny Blair, Glasgow Green CC

 

“When I leave this world, think only this of me: that in some corner of Scotland there will always be a cycling haven: hallowed, heroic and happy. Audaciously-organised, excellently-executed and righteously-rewarding. Will never be forgotten.”

Andy Moore, Veloeye

 

“Nipper, A fantastic event and really well organised. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and great to meet you and others. I’ve neglected Dumfries and Galloway and forgot how beautiful it is there so I intend to go back and see more of it in daylight. I’ve raised £780 so far for the Scottish Association of Mental Health - which I wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for you. A charity that is particularly important to me. Many thanks”

Andrew Oldfield

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"Total for my sponsorship for sw300 now stands at £4,059."

"Thank's for all the organising. It was a brutally brilliant route"

Alastair Scoular, Steam Packet Inn & 5 Kingdoms Brewery (Donor of our free, specially brewed beers)

 

“Nipper, Just a quick note to say well done on organising that ride. You were getting pulled left and right last night as some people were getting fatigued in the early hours but you coordinated and controlled the event exceptionally in my opinion. I had a fantastic experience which judging by the state of my arse, I’m unlikely to repeat in a hurry!

Just want to say thanks a lot because that’s an experience that I will never forget and it was simply down to your endeavours to get it off the ground in the first place. You should feel very proud! All the best!”

“‘Some success’ it was fekn brilliant Nipper! Cheers”

Graham MacLeod, Ayr Roads CC

 

“We did it! 300 miles on the bike and an adventure not to be forgotten.

Thanks to Nipper for organising such a great event, wingman Lee for his support, and all the other riders and support crew for the craic and motivation.

Thank you for all your messages of support and to those who came out to cheer us on - thousands have been raised for CHAS and CRUK!”

“A week on from that mammoth event and thinking back on how much fun it was (downed my beer tonight). Just wanted to say a big thank you for all the effort that you put in before, during and after the SW300. Never thought I could cover such a distance and the experience of riding it with so many others was fantastic. Your hard work and dedication to the cause is what got us all to the finish and shows in the truly immense sum raised for charity.”

David-Mark Howard

 

“Huge thanks for the weekend Nipper. You and the volunteers did a sterling job. Hats off to everyone. And it looks like a big total that's been raised.” 

Many many thanks”

JP Baxter, Ayr Burners

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“Hi Nipper, just wanted to pass on my huge thanks and respect for pulling together so many riders & volunteers to create the most unforgettable event!

It’s great that we’ve all raised so much for so many worthwhile causes and I feel really proud to have been a part of it. My family, friends & work colleagues have donated £800 for CHAS on my JustGiving page and I hope there’s still more to come…..”

David Lawson, Midlothian Velo

 

“Well done Nipper. Excellent effort from you and all the volunteers. Been hugely impressed by all the support from local cafes and businesses. Brilliant route and a fantastic challenge. Kudos from Team Crofts on the vintage steel.”

Sara Crofts, St. Albans (our furthest travelled rider)

 

“Well done to all who took part in the SW300, what an amazing event! Big thank you to Nipper who put a lot of time into organising it all.

Cheers to Mark, Sofia, Jason and Des - you guys were great company for the whole 24 hours. Fantastic achievement!

Well done to the support crew: Sam, Ailsa, Chris and Robert for staying awake and giving us plenty of abuse the whole way round”

Ben White, The Breakpad

 

“Bloody brilliant event! Well done Nipper, never gonna forget this one! The five gallon of chamois cream Sam Hill sold me certainly did the trick. 

Brilliant route too, couldn’t be better”

“Cheers Nipper, great event and I’m still buzzing! (5 days later) Def needs done next year again”

Mark Vance

 

“Tremendous experience and well organised. Well done Nipper and all who helped.”

“You made a tremendous effort to put it all together and well done on the monies raised for Charity. I was speaking with a colleague who completed it; he was equally impressed with the planning. Hope to see you on some other epic cycling event and well done, again.”

Scott Ballantyne

 

“Thank’s a million Nipper and your team of volunteers for putting on the ride.

The craic was guid and all the footsteps were spot on.

Finished off with a local beer.

Magic, day to remember”

Gary Currie, Ayr Burners

 

“Fantastic event. Awesome 24hrs. Plenty of laughs and plenty of chamois cream ;-) We made it!”

Sofia Christiansen

 

“It was a privilege to be part of a mind blowing event!!!

You did a fantastic job organising and holding it all together. 

Good times with great folk.”

Ailsa Kennedy, Support Crew

 

Nipper’s Facebook Post, 22nd December 2017

“WELCOME TO NIPPER WORLD

A few weeks ago I had a vague passing thought. I very much doubt it lasted more than 3 1/2 seconds and I’m not really sure where it came from. It certainly wasn’t at all thought through to anything resembling a conclusion. It was, after all, just a vague passing thought of “I could...” and nothing more. 

A few minutes later I found myself in a bike shop. I had vaguely known the people in there to say “Hello” to for a couple of years, and they vaguely knew of me. I found myself in their shop because I was passing just after I had had my vague thought and I vaguely considered these folk to be really good eggs, the sort likely to be more amenable to my vague idea than anyone who knew me better or had any sense.

I said that I was thinking of doing a 24 hour 300 mile cycle event and that maybe some folk would want to join me and raise money for charity and asked would they be interested in supporting it in some vague way I wasn’t quite sure. I half expected to be laughed at (not for the 1st time in my life). Sam, the owner, asked what support did I have in mind. I stuttered a little as I couldn’t think of anything specific and then, thinking on my feet, I spoke with the authority that conveyed I had it all worked out. I said, in that cheeky way I do when I know I’m chancing my arm, that what she could really help me with was to be a volunteer support mechanic. “I can do that” she replied before firing half a dozen complicated questions at me I didn’t know the answer to like “when is it?”. She had understandably confused “I was thinking of” with “I am going to be doing” and I didn’t have the bottle to put her right so gave firm, specific answers that just popped into my head. Ben the mechanic said “I’ll ride it” and Sam added “I’ll give 10% off anything bought for this event”. I fell out the shop door thinking “S**t, I’ve done it now. There’s no forgetting this vague idea without looking an even bigger tit than I am already. That’s me committed!”

Just one month later and I’ve not only got up my first ever Facebook Community and Event pages and even a proper website (the first time I have ever made one), complete with logo, route and general waffle, but they’ve actually brought results. This vague idea of mine was for an event that is above and beyond the abilities or desires of most, an event much more extreme than the usual Sprotive and so would appeal only to a small handful of the slightly unhinged and very capable. I was thinking maybe one or two dozen riders.

To my amazement the response had been phenomenal. Not only have hundreds of folk shown an interest but over 100 riders have actually signed up to enter. The vast majority of whom I don’t know from Adam. Within a couple of weeks. Six months before the event. And in doing so, for the majority, committing themselves to six months of dedicated and hard training to achieve something way beyond what they have ever done before. The ride is fully booked weeks after a vague initial thought and six months before it happens. Crazy. How much money manages to get raised for charity I don’t begin to know. Hopefully a fair bit, but anything is a bonus.

Nearly everyone I have approached for support has given it, from Multinational Stenaline bringing riders across from Northern Ireland for next to nothing, to Cycle Law Scotland putting up funds to run the event, the aforementioned Breakpad Bike Shop, the Mull of Galloway Trust giving us a big welcome at the lighthouse with fog horn, beacon and church ladies feeding us etc., all the cafes giving discounts or opening specially, individuals volunteering to drive everyone’s stuff around in a lead car or provide massages purely for charity donation and the Bruce Hotel giving us a special discounted rate for any riders. I’m currently about to talk to a silver band volunteering their services, Rostrum Sportswear for branding jerseys, Roan’s Dairy to donate milk and I have a list of people to approach for energy bars. Two people I have only ever made contact with through this event have both invited celebrity cyclists and BBC Scotland Adventure show has it on their shortlist of possible events to cover. It has taken my breath away appreciating the huge amount genuine goodwill and real enthusiasm nearly all have shown me. My faith in humanity is much restored, albeit this event has also attracted unwanted attention I felt a duty to report.

So here am I thinking “S**T, I'VE DONE IT NOW. THERE'S NO FORGETTING THIS VAGUE IDEA WITHOUT LOOKING AN EVEN BIGGER TIT THAN I AM ALREADY. THAT'S ME COMMITTED!". I have not merely volunteered, but instigated, putting my neck truly on the line big style to make something from nothing and it makes me feel alive. As I said at the start, welcome to Nipper World.”