Lance Armstrong has narrated a new documentary on the history of the legendary American company, Schwinn Bicycles.
The documentary, called No Hands: The Wild Ride of the Schwinn Bicycle Company, is said to tell the complete story of the company from its founding in the late 1800s to its eventual bankruptcy in the 1990s.
It will explore Schwinn’s history from its classic Sting-Ray bicycle to its influence in BMX and early mountain biking, through the accounts of fans, collectors and the Schwinn family.
“Few brands have provided childhood memories and impacted American culture more than Schwinn Bicycles,” reads an official press release published today. “From its founding as Arnold, Schwinn & Company in Chicago in 1895, to the introduction of the Paramount in 1938 to the Sting-Ray in the ‘60s, Schwinn provided people, especially kids, with a freewheeling freedom like they had never had before.”
No Hands, from the team behind The Lego Brickumentary and Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk, seeks to answer the questions that remain over how Schwinn fell from being one of the biggest companies in the USA.
“Part love letter to a brand we grew up with, part riveting true story of an iconic American brand filled with mystery, No Hands is a passion project for this team,” says producer David Brookwell.
“Through unique accounts from the Schwinn family and a who’s who in cycling – including Lance Armstrong, whose life was certainly impacted by his first Schwinn – the full story behind this legacy can finally be told,” Brookwell adds.
Lance Armstrong says: “My first bike was a Schwinn Mag Scrambler, which was the beginning of everything for me. I have always been curious with Schwinn and its history, and this documentary captures the essence of the iconic brand in a truly compelling way.”
No Hands is said to use “AI-enhanced visual storytelling” to track Schwinn's 100-year history, alongside archival stills and material from private collections that have never been made public.
The film is the first from new documentary studio Unfeatured Films, founded by filmmaker Daniel Clarke.
“At its peak, Schwinn stood alongside Coca-Cola and McDonald’s – not just as a brand, but as a fixture of American life that gave generations their first sense of freedom,” says Clarke. “This film is about honoring that legacy, and spotlighting the intrigue of the company’s rise and fall, using both classic storytelling and modern AI technology to resurrect the story of a brand with unfathomable cultural impact.”
No Hands will debut at film festivals in early 2026.
