Kirkcaldy Cycling Festival 2022

Our Senior Development Worker Craig Leitch shares the success of this year’s Kirkcaldy Cycling Festival, which took place between 3rd and 11th September.

The festival kicked off with a Family Fun Day at the Beveridge Park, which attracted around 150 people. Despite mixed weather on the day, families had a great time taking part in cycling, craft and play activities.

The more active participants flew around the bike track with its testing humps and bumps and challenged each other to a race on the bike- powered Scalextric track. The Lang Toun Cycles team were also on hand with Dr Bike, offering free maintenance to all who travelled to the park on two wheels. The face painting, cycling quiz and play tents were busy too.

The Fuel Your Ride Cooking Class at the Lang Spoon Community Kitchen, a new event for this year, was a great success. A group of cycling and cooking enthusiasts discovered some amazing protein-packed dishes which will give them the energy to power up even the steepest hill!

On the menu were savory puffed rolls, energy bites and carrot cake overnight oats. Participants told us they enjoyed the laid back feel of the class and were impressed by the range of alternative recipes that were suggested.

Our screening of The Flying Scotsman was another popular event. This film celebrates the life and career of Scottish amateur cyclist Graeme Obree. It covers the period of Obree’s life that saw him take, lose, and then retake the world one-hour distance record. One attendee told us: “It was a great film, fun to watch with others, good to chat with others before and after. Loved the popcorn! And it was free :).”

The Fix a Flat workshop took place at Lang Toun Cycles and did exactly what it said on the tin! This is a vital skill for regular cyclist, helping them to stay on the road and keep their bike working. Feedback from the sessions suggests we achieved our aims:

“I’m feeling much more confident about actually having to fix a puncture or change the inner tube, it was something which was always in the back of my mind on a bike ride.”

“It was great to have the opportunity to put the theory into practice, this was really important to me, and everything was very clearly explained and demonstrated.”

Our led ride during the week (sadly the second ride we had planned was the victim of bad weather!) saw a small group enjoy a leisurely tour of two of Kirkcaldy’s most popular attractions – the Esplanade and Beveridge Park. Not only is this a beautiful route, but it is a great one for building up cycling confidence.

Cycle ride leader Alan said: “It was a great ride today! Perfect cycling weather and good banter. Afterwards, the participants said that they really enjoyed the cycle and they intend to come on more rides in the future.”

Huge thanks go to all the organisations, Greener Kirkcaldy staff and volunteers who helped make this year’s festival a great success. Thanks too to the funders of our cycling activities – Paths for All’s Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Fund and Fife Council’s Crown Estate fund.

Craig Leitch, Senior Development Worker

Find out how you can get involved in Greener Kirkcaldy’s cycling activities