I Ride with MS Program at Bike MS

Making a Difference

June 6, 2025

Marcella Durand

A Bike MS® program celebrates cyclists with multiple sclerosis

Four cyclists, including a woman in the middle who raises two fingers while smiling, ride together. — Marleigh Brown, center, started participating in Bike MS events after she was diagnosed in 2009. The I Ride with MS program is an additional opportunity to spread awareness about MS, she says. Photo courtesy of Marleigh Brown.

Bike MS events do so to support family members, friends or co-workers who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. But legions of other participants live—and ride—with the disease.The I Ride with MS (IRWMS) program celebrates and recognizes the resilience of Bike MS cyclists who live with MS. IRWMS program participants enjoy special day-of-event benefits and a complimentary “I Ride with MS” jersey from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society program’s sponsor, Primal, with special front pockets for recumbent bicycle riders.At Bike MS, people living with MS, other riders, volunteers and staff come together for a memorable event, says Kris Rauh, Society associate vice president for Bike MS experience. Cyclists of all levels can choose different routes that let them challenge themselves and enjoy the journey at their own pace. At rest stops every 8 to 18 miles, participants find nutritious snacks, drinks, accessible restrooms and shady spots to recharge and rest. Along the way, Support and Gear (SAG) vehicles offer mechanical and medical assistance." c-nmssatomrichtext_nmssatomrichtext-host="">

This article was original published in May 2014. It was updated in June 2025.Some people who participate in Bike MS events do so to support family members, friends or co-workers who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. But legions of other participants live—and ride—with the disease.The I Ride with MS (IRWMS) program celebrates and recognizes the resilience of Bike MS cyclists who live with MS. IRWMS program participants enjoy special day-of-event benefits and a complimentary “I Ride with MS” jersey from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society program’s sponsor, Primal, with special front pockets for recumbent bicycle riders.At Bike MS, people living with MS, other riders, volunteers and staff come together for a memorable event, says Kris Rauh, Society associate vice president for Bike MS experience. Cyclists of all levels can choose different routes that let them challenge themselves and enjoy the journey at their own pace. At rest stops every 8 to 18 miles, participants find nutritious snacks, drinks, accessible restrooms and shady spots to recharge and rest. Along the way, Support and Gear (SAG) vehicles offer mechanical and medical assistance.

At Her Own Pace

training. Remember to take care of yourself when MS or other issues get in the way. Also, to ease into training, make sure you tap all available Society resources. Consider using technology, such as VeloPro*, to create a custom training plan that fits your needs. If you use the indoor cycling Zwift app, join the Bike MS® Zwift ClubBike MS® Zwift Club." c-nmssatomrichtext_nmssatomrichtext-host="">

“Bike MS was something I never considered,” says New Jersey science teacher Rosemary Sieber, who was diagnosed with MS at age 19. Encouraged by her uncle, she began participating a year later.“It was scary,” she remembers. “I was still figuring out how my body responded to different things, but I bought a decent bike and just started training 10 miles at a time. I probably never would have gotten involved if not for my uncle.”Sieber also consulted with her doctor before beginning training, as people with MS should do when considering any new physical activity. “He had the same perspective I did,” she remembers. “He told me to listen to my body’s warning signs and to be smart about it.”Before you start your training regime, a physical therapist may also help you identify your strengths and suggest exercises to improve your function.Experts recommend pacing yourself during training. Remember to take care of yourself when MS or other issues get in the way. Also, to ease into training, make sure you tap all available Society resources. Consider using technology, such as VeloPro*, to create a custom training plan that fits your needs. If you use the indoor cycling Zwift app, join the Bike MS® Zwift ClubBike MS® Zwift Club.

Two women in bike helmets and jerseys smile in a parking lot at night. — Rosemary Sieber (right), shown with her friend Melissa Love, first participated in the I Ride with MS program in 2013. Photo courtesy of Rosemary Sieber.

A Connection With Roots

I Ride with MS, it was an additional opportunity to spread awareness about MS,” she says.

Facing the Challenges

Brown and Sieber face obstacles to cycling but have found strategies to manage them. To deal with heat, they time their rides for cooler parts of the day. “Our team is the first out in the morning,” says Brown.Both women rely on keeping their muscles limber, as well. Sieber notes that she stretches not just after rides but often during them. Brown says she is a “huge fan” of yoga. “The stretches, especially in the hips, are very helpful for cycling,” says Brown, who had to learn to manage MS-related hip and leg issues in order to ride." c-nmssatomrichtext_nmssatomrichtext-host="">

Biking has long been a favorite activity for Marleigh Brown of Wrentham, Massachusetts. “Since I was a young teen, my bike was my freedom, my mode of transportation. My brothers and I were always riding together,” Brown says. She recalls that after she was diagnosed with MS at age 36, “my brothers were the first ones to say, ‘We are still going to ride together.’”Brown and her siblings began recruiting a Bike MS team almost immediately after her diagnosis in 2009, and her brothers’ support gave her the confidence to complete the event. “When I learned about I Ride with MS, it was an additional opportunity to spread awareness about MS,” she says.

Facing the Challenges

A man and a woman in cycling jerseys hug while standing next to others. — The I Ride with MS program is a great opportunity to spread awareness about MS, says Marleigh Brown, shown here hugging her husband, Tim. Photo courtesy of Marleigh Brown.

I Ride with MS, it was an additional opportunity to spread awareness about MS,” she says.

Facing the Challenges

Now she trains year-round, thanks to a bike trainer. A bike trainer or indoor cycling trainer is a stand she places her bike on during winters so she can continue to train indoors. “It creates a stationary bike out of your bicycle,” she says.

Marcella Durand

Marcella Durand is a freelance writer in New York City.

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