Three peaks to two seats: Scot’s longest ride with Greg James

Jacci on March 16, 2026

The first time Scot supported BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James on a charity fundraiser was in 2018 during the Pedal to the Peaks challenge, a gruelling ride that linked climbs of Scafell Pike, Snowdon and Ben Nevis.

Last Friday 13 March he was reunited with Greg for another cycling challenge in aid of Comic Relief 2026.

A man in orange cycling jacket and shoes stands with his bicycle in front of Weymouth Pavillion. In the foreground he can be seen on the screen of a BBC cameraman's camera. In the background are crowds ready to cheer on Greg James as he sets off on his Longest Ride fundraiser for Comic Relief 2026.

BBC Radio 1’s Longest Ride

Greg’s Longest Ride challenge started at Weymouth Pavillion on the south coast of England. This cycling challenge is a 1,000 km (630 miles) ride on a tandem across the UK over eight days, arriving in Edinburgh on Red Nose Day.

Different celebrities are joining Greg throughout the journey. Whilst they pedal behind Greg on the tandem for one hour each day, Scot is riding alongside him for the entire route every day as his chaperone.

A man in orange cycling gear cycles alongside Greg James of Radio 1 dressed in black. Some Longest Ride support vehicles are in convoy behind them. Everyone is heading uphill.

Keeping the wheels turning

Scot’s number one priority is Greg’s safety, well-being and motivation so, whilst chatting away to him, he is in covert comms with the lead vehicle, the medic car and the mechanic vehicle.

However, he also liaises with the production team and the camera tracking car so that he can guide Greg into position for footage and commentary that the team requires.

It’s a demanding undertaking, made more intense by its public nature and the scale of the production surrounding it. Not to mention the early starts and late finishes after the daily full-crew brief at 9 pm.

But for Scot, it isn’t unfamiliar territory.

The unassuming right-hand man

Since 2018, Scot’s worked alongside a wide range of celebrity riders on similar fundraising events, building a reputation for being someone organisers trust when things matter.

That trust doesn’t come from big gestures or loud motivation. Scot’s role is never about coaching or cheering from the sidelines. It’s about being present, attentive and responsive. He notices small changes and takes action before they become problems, keeping everything moving calmly, and supporting his riders in a way that feels natural and unforced.

A graphic of the Longest Ride route from Weymouth to Edinburgh.

Experience and dedication across the board

This year, Scot’s also been responsible for planning the route itself. It’s a role that draws heavily on experience: understanding how a day will feel as well as how it looks on a map, where fatigue is likely to build, and how to balance challenge with sustainability over multiple days.

It’s the same thinking that underpins our supported cycling trips in Scotland. Good guiding isn’t just about knowing the roads: it’s about judgement, empathy and timing. It’s about creating the conditions for others to succeed, often without them ever needing to think about how or why things are working.

We’re incredibly proud to see those skills recognised beyond our day-to-day work. Whether it’s a week-long tour or a nationally broadcast charity challenge such as the Longest Ride, the principles remain the same: care, professionalism, and a deep respect for the people we’re supporting.

If you fancy a cycling holiday with the same expert support Scot gives our celebrities time and time again, discover our itineraries here and start planning your adventure!

And if you haven’t yet thrown any coins in the jar for Comic Relief 2026, please consider making a donation – every penny helps.

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Charity cycling events: Scot’s unexpected 13-year journey behind the scenes

Jacci on February 26, 2026

With Red Nose Day 2026 just a few weeks away, we thought it would be a good time to look back at how Scot got started working in charity cycling events. Because, yes, he is supporting Greg James (again!) on Radio 1’s Longest Ride for Red Nose Day challenge.

A leap into the unknown

Scot’s work in charity events started with a phone call to a friend of a friend who was looking for a driver. The brief was vague, and Scot didn’t quite know what he was agreeing to. He said yes anyway.

He turned up at Holyrood in Edinburgh one lunchtime to meet a team of people he’d never met before. Two minutes later, he was driving away as part of a charity event team. The previous driver got out of the support vehicle, Scot got in, and the job began.

Scot Tares from Skinny Tyres and Steve Marson from Veloforte about to cycle through the Channel Tunnel whist supporting the BBC television Children in Need Rickshaw Challenge for the TV programme The One Show.

Learning on the job

With no prior experience of such an event, Scot quickly learned the ropes, drawing on the skills and judgment he had developed as a guide.

The event was a multi-day charity run for the Leonard Cheshire Foundation. RAF pilots were running from the headquarters of the historic Dambusters, RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. Scot’s role was to drive the event director, following runners at little more than walking pace for hours at a time. Long days and total focus.

When the event was over, he went home, got paid, and assumed that was that.

It wasn’t.

The wheels get set in motion for supporting charity cycling events

A week later, an email arrived from the same event director, asking if he’d like to cycle from the Giant’s Causeway to London. The details were hazy, but the answer was easy: yes. Scot and a friend took turns covering 60 miles a day on a route reconnaissance, riding and assessing every mile for risk. Only later did they realise that they’d been preparing the Rickshaw Challenge for BBC Children in Need.

Scot Tares from Skinny Tyres and Olympic Gold Medal Cyclist, Sir Chris Hoy, both on bicycles, chat during filming of a BBC documentary of one of the BBC's charity cycling events for Children in Need. In the photo is Paul Collin, wearing a high viz vest and carrying a radio stands beside them. A boom microphone can be seen in the top left corner of the picture.

The indispensable behind-the-scenes guy

Over subsequent years, Scot became involved in both preparatory work and live televised charity cycling events – initially for the Rickshaw Challenge and later for other events including Sport Relief and Comic Relief.

Sometimes he was on the bike every day. Sometimes he wasn’t. Sometimes his role was visible; often it wasn’t. But regardless of his changing responsibilities, Scot always knuckled down and got the job done.

As the years went by, he continued to be asked back to support different events. Being characteristically self-effacing, he was never quite sure why. However, Scot’s cool, composed demeanour while working is hard to miss. Even when things don’t go to plan, he remains unflustered and focuses on getting the job done.

And calm, it turns out, is contagious.

In addition to being unflappable, Scot is entirely dependable and has been trusted with a wide range of roles within various teams: from driver to route planner, chaperone to team-leader, and occasionally the late-night laundry elf.

None of them glamorous. All of them indispensable.

A mantra for life

Looking back to that first job, Scot says it felt like a leap into the unknown.

Thirteen years on, he feels he knows exactly what he’s doing. But, in typical Scot fashion, he’s quick to qualify that.

“One of my mantras for life is to always question what you are doing,” he once told me. “Because the moment you stop questioning what you’re doing is the moment you get it wrong.”

He has a point. And perhaps that’s why he continues to be asked back to support these events: not because he assumes he’s good at what he does, but because he never stops trying to do it better.