THE BOOK THAT HELPED INSPIRE THE WILD RIDE

NO HANDS: The Rise and Fall of the Schwinn Bicycle Company, An American Institution, by journalists Judith Crown and Glenn Coleman, grew out of their reporting on Schwinn and became an important inspiration in the journey toward the documentary. Available in print and as an updated e-book edition, the book traces the rise and fall of the Chicago-based family company founded in 1895, from an era when the Schwinn name was virtually synonymous with the American bicycle to its collapse and bankruptcy nearly a century later.

At its height, Schwinn helped define what generations imagined a bicycle could be, from the Black Phantom and balloon tires to high-rise handlebars, banana seats and the dealer network that helped make the company a dominant force in American cycling. The book also explores the business decisions and changing industry forces that contributed to Schwinn missing major shifts such as BMX, mountain biking and global manufacturing before its 1992 collapse. Executive Producer Jim Packer discovered the book while investigating the unanswered questions surrounding that fall, helping open the door to the film.

The documentary ultimately travels far beyond the book through original interviews, participation from the Schwinn family, cycling pioneers, industry leaders, collectors, historians and more than a century of archival material. While Crown and Coleman’s reporting provided an important point of departure, NO HANDS: The Wild Ride of the Schwinn Bicycle Company became its own cinematic journey through childhood freedom, American manufacturing, innovation, pop culture and the evolution of cycling itself.

The newly released edition of the book also includes a new chapter with original reporting by Crown and Coleman examining Schwinn’s continuing story in the decades since its 1992 collapse.