Joe Breeze

Long before the mountain bike entered our global consciousness, the cycling enthusiasts of Northern California's Marin County rode modified pre-WWII bicycles down the slopes of Mount Tamalpais. They developed their bikes through rigorous field-testing, often risking life and limb to do so. Some of these cyclists were Category-1 road racers looking for a new way to train during the off-season. Others were simply fun-loving hippies looking for a new way to commune with nature. Their early bikes were scavenged from dumpsters and junkyards. It was from these humble beginnings that a multi-billion dollar industry, a form of recreation for the masses, and an Olympic event, were born. These hefty steeds were affectionately known as Klunkerz.

Founded in Chicago in 1895, Schwinn grew into an American icon, giving generations of kids their first taste of freedom on two wheels. Narrated by Lance Armstrong, No Hands traces the company’s extraordinary rise, innovations and mysterious collapse while exploring its influence on childhood, BMX, mountain biking and American culture. Through family members, cycling pioneers, collectors and industry leaders, the film reveals a story not simply about a bicycle company, but about memory, family, reinvention and what a first bike came to mean in American life.

Photographer Wende Cragg has been a pillar of the cycling community since she began documenting road, cyclocross, and the early days of mountain biking in Marin County, California, and throughout the United States over 50 years ago.