Grey Melbourne’s recently launched ‘Bike with MS’ tackles MS Melbourne Cycle event

The debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis have been hidden inside a bike in a campaign developed by Grey Melbourne to raise awareness of the disease ahead of the 10th annual MS Melbourne Cycle, which took place today.

The bike features a buckled frame and deliberately bent wheels, constantly changing gears and ball bearings taped to the handle bars to provide the most difficult, erratic and uncomfortable ride a rider can experience.

To mark the occasion, Carol Cooke, Gold Medal Paralympian cyclist, led a team of bike builders, neurologists and people living with multiple sclerosis to design ‘This Bike has MS’ – a bike that replicates the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Olympian Shane Kelly, OAM and 2015 Elite Men’s Pursuit World Champ, Alex Morgan rode the ‘Bike with MS’ during today’s MS Melbourne Cycle event.

Says Kelly: “The pain of this bike is indescribable, it’s a different feeling altogether. But I shouldn’t complain. I’ll be OK tomorrow. I’m feeling it in my quads most. The sudden fatigue of the heavy bike frame and wobbly wheels took their toll but the less I worried about the problems with the bike, the better it rode.”

Adds Morgan: “My hands started off tingling but now they’re numb and there’s pain in my back. The bike took my confidence away. Zero confidence the whole time, constant work.”

Over 3,000 cyclists took to the streets and raised over $300,000 to support those living with multiple sclerosis.

thisbikehasms.com