info@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk   8 East Fergus Place, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1XT   01592 858 458

Greener Kirkcaldy

Going Greener Together

transport

Fix-it Friday – Check-ups and Chain Care

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Photo by Caroline Trotter

We’ll take you through the anatomy of your bike and show you how to ensure it is safe to use. We will show you where to look for things that may be wearing out, how to check the condition of your chain and how to keep it clean and lubricated.

What is covered?

  • Identifying a bike’s components
  • Performing a pre-ride safety check
  • Identifying common wear and tear items
  • Checking chain wear
  • Cleaning and re-lubricating a chain

Ideally you should bring along your own, clean bike if you like, or use one of our provided bikes. We will provide the required tools, protective equipment and work stands.

Booking Info

This event is free to attend, but booking is required.

If you have any problems booking, or any questions, please phone 01592 858458 or email info@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk.

Accessibility Info

There are public parking bays available outside the shop on the High Street with level access into the building and throughout. There is also an accessible toilet.

If you have any other accessibility questions or would like the resources at the event to be in large print please phone 01592 858458 or email info@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk.

Techy Tuesday – Introduction to Wheel Truing

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Photo by Caroline Trotter

An introduction to approaches to wheel truing and tensioning. Learning how to keeping a wheel straight and evenly-tensioned will help you to keep on top of one of the most important components on your bike. Delivered by Lang Toun Cycles’ experienced cycle mechanics, anyone can register for this course. It is free and no previous experience necessary.

  • Components of a Wheel and How They Work Together
  • Wheel Truing Tools and Equipment
  •  Assessing the wheel and truing radially and laterally
  •  Checking dish and spoke tension

You can bring along your own, clean wheel if you like, or use one of our provided wheels. We will provide the required tools, protective equipment and work stands.

Booking Info

This event is free to attend, but booking is required.

If you have any problems booking, or any questions, please phone 01592 858458 or email info@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk.

Accessibility Info

There are public parking bays available outside the shop on the High Street with level access into the building and throughout. There is also an accessible toilet.

If you have any other accessibility questions or would like the resources at the event to be in large print please phone 01592 858458 or email info@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk.

Greener Kirkcaldy Annual Report 2020 – 2021

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2020 – 2021 was an eventful period for Greener Kirkcaldy, learning to adapt and change like many organisations had to in 2020. We also opened our community bike shop Lang Toun Cycles and launched the Climate Action Fife partnership project. We were able to provide Emergency food and energy support for vulnerable people during lockdown. Our Community Meals became the Community Meals To Go – a weekly takeaway meal that served over 10,000 meals in one year. The Cosy Kingdom team went out on 356 handy service visits, installing measures like thermal curtains and LED bulbs.

We were still able to hold events, with 800 people taking part in 70 events both in-person and online. We also welcomed almost 1,000 new people to our social media community. This was a key place for us to keep in touch with people when we were closed during lockdown.

Read our highlights in our 2020 – 2021 Annual Report 

Blue Sky Thinking: Fresh ideas to encourage us to fly less

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Flying less is a quick way to significantly reduce your carbon footprint, but it seems that giving up our regular flight for some overseas sunshine is a difficult ask for many of us – even getting the conversation going is a challenge!

At this event, we will hear from two speakers who have been attempting to do just that, and who are trying to empower individuals and businesses to change the way we holiday and help us overcome our collective addiction to flying. We will hear about their campaigns, find out how to get involved and learn from their experiences of encouraging others to reduce their air-travel.

Anna Hughes, Director of Flight Free UK, will be sharing her experiences of encouraging individuals to stay grounded for a year by signing their flight free pledge. The organisation began life in February 2019 inspired by the Swedish Flygfritt (flight free) movement, which asks people to stay grounded for a year in order to reduce their carbon footprint, re-discover the joys of overland travel, and begin to shift the social norm away from aviation.

Our second speaker, Emma Kemp, is Campaigns Manager for Possible, who work across the UK supporting people and groups to do bold, beautiful things to tackle climate change. She will be sharing the story of their Climate Perks initiative, which supports climate-conscious employers to offer paid ‘journey days’ to staff who travel on holiday by train, coach or boat instead of flying – empowering them to act on their values.

We will finish with a group discussion on flight reduction, how to encourage behaviour change and will consider what will happen as Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted. You will also have a chance to put your questions to our speakers.

Booking Information

The event is free but booking is required as places are limited.

The event will take place online, via Zoom. We’ll send out a joining link the day before the event.

If you have any problems booking or any questions, please phone 01592 858458 or email craig@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk

About our speakers

Anna Hughes is Director of Flight Free UK. Anna has worked in the sustainable transport sector since 2008, mainly focusing on increasing cycling levels with children and families. A lifelong environmentalist, she made the decision to stop flying ten years ago and hopes the #FlightFree2021 campaign will inspire others to do the same.

 

 

Emma Kemp is Campaigns Manager at Possible, climate change charity focusing on positive, practical action. She has 7+ years experience in the sector, in 2019 was selected as one of the British Science Association’s ‘New Voices’, and has previously appeared on Channel 4 News and Sky News. She currently heads up Possible’s Climate Perks initiative, featured in publications including Harper’s Bazaar, the Guardian, and the Financial Times. There are a growing number of Climate Perks certified employers based in sectors ranging from food to finance to digital.

 

Main Image: Flower photo created by jannoon028 – www.freepik.com

Working towards a Low-Car Kirkcaldy

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Our Active Travel Development Worker Susan writes about working towards a low-car Kirkcaldy in her latest blog. 

Kirkcaldy Car-Free Week sparked lots of interest and some fascinating discussion.

It was great to see so many people engage with this concept, and interesting to hear a variety of views. Local residents highlighted different issues in their neighbourhoods – from busy roads outside schools to local rat runs where traffic doesn’t stick to the 20mph speed limit. Other issues highlighted were pavement parking and wheelie bins – both of which make walking on the pavement difficult, particularly if you have a pushchair or mobility aid. It is clear that reducing the amount of traffic on Kirkcaldy’s roads and prioritising pedestrians and cyclists would offer benefits to a wide range of people, but what needs to happen to realise this vision?

parked van - working towards a low car kirkcaldy

Some of this is a question of infrastructure – more traffic-free bike paths could encourage more people to cycle, whilst wider pavements would help address issues such as wheelie bins. Someone commented that they often drive to the park to go for a walk because the route to the park isn’t pleasant to walk along – can streetscapes be made greener and more scenic, thus encouraging more people to walk locally? And can public transport be improved so that journeys around Fife (e.g. Kirkcaldy to Dunfermline) are quicker, and therefore more practical?

However, the ball is not completely in the council’s court – there is a lot that we can all do as individuals. A lot of people in Kirkcaldy already walk for local trips, but a significant proportion of people drive these. What can be done to encourage people out of their cars more, so that the amount of both traffic and parking can be reduced in Kirkcaldy?

Walking and cycling instead of driving offer many benefits – not just for those doing them, but for society in general – quieter neighbourhoods, better air quality, safer streets…. As Anna Richardson, a Glasgow councillor, recently noted, walking and cycling for day-to-day journeys can be seen as a social act of kindness. But what is needed in order for people to think like that?

Our events during Kirkcaldy Car-Free Week asked people to imagine what Kirkcaldy could look like if more areas were car-free, and what this space could be used for instead. A wide variety of suggestions came back – from play areas and contemplation gardens on residential streets to more markets and events and outdoor seating for cafes on the High Street.

I think this vision of quieter, greener streets with more space to play and socialise is fantastic, and something worth working towards. So why not think about if there are any journeys you currently drive that you could walk or cycle instead? And if the council suggests measures to promote walking and cycling over driving, why not voice your support?

 

Benefits of Walking and Cycling

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Media Volunteer Bryan discusses the benefits of walking and cycling in his latest blog. 

Walking and cycling have always been a pastime but Covid-19 has given it a renewed sense of purpose. In the early days of lockdown, when exercise was limited. people got the chance to discover new places that would be unexplored in another reality.

Walking doesn’t seem like an exciting concept on paper, and cycling may appear daunting to novices. However, it has many benefits. Think of it as a hobby in the same vein as reading a book or watching the telly. Still not sure? Here are some things to consider…

It’s good for you

 

Walking regularly can reduce your risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

NHS advise taking a brisk walk 30 minutes a day at a pace that increases your heart rate and breathing. To get a better idea of what a brisk walk feels like, imagine you’re late for work, or that you can’t comfortably sing the words to your favourite song.

It also improves your mood and can help people suffering from depression. It is also regarded as an extremely effective mode of meditation.

Similarly, cycling can reduce the risk of serious illnesses, plus it is easier on your joints than running. A steady cycle helps burn 300 calories an hour!

It’s good for the planet

It would be slightly remiss of Greener Kirkcaldy not to mention the environmental benefits of walking and cycling. If we left our cars behind for one journey a week and walked instead, car traffic levels would drop by at least 10%. If you took a bike, this would save a third of road space and cut car congestion.

It would also the drop the amount of carbon dioxide. If you switched five-car journeys of under 2km a week for alternative transport, you could reduce your carbon footprint by 86kg a year. Pollution levels are also 2 to 3 times higher with car users.

Even access to public transport can be improved by better pedestrian links, which in turns reduces the amount of cars on the road as people are encouraged to take the bus rather than a private vehicle.

As the pandemic changes the way we live, the Scottish government have invested £10 million to help produce pop-up walking and cycling routes that enables physical distancing.

Due to less traffic on the road during lockdown, this has arguably made an impact on emissions. In a post-Covid society or ‘new normal’, it’d be interesting to see how walking and cycling will evolve.

You can make friends, contribute to the community, plus it’s fun!

If you’re alone, walking is a cathartic way of taking in the world and reflecting on your own thoughts. It also gives you the chance to meet new people and join community walking events.

Charities such as Marie Curie and Cancer Research UK have their own sponsored walks, so there’s plenty of choice to hand if you want to make a difference to people’s lives whilst enjoying the activity of walking. There are also cycling charity events to get involved in.

As well as the Kirkcaldy Walking Festival, Fifers have excellent routes and facilities at their disposal all year round. The Fife Coastal Path stretches 117 miles and shows the beauty of Fife, while there are great tools at your disposal if you want to explore the Kingdom such as Walk Fife.

Greener Kirkcaldy are launching a fantastic new community bike shop called Lang Toun Cycles, plus there’s a Kirkcaldy Cycling Festival starting in September, so it’s a great opportunity to get involved with others.