About The Brand

Originally founded in Germany in 2008, YT Industries is a premium direct to consumer mountain bike brand with offices across the world, and a US presence in San Clemente, California. In December of 2017, YT shut down their distributor-based offices in Reno Nevada and transitioned to the California location to enable their fully direct to consumer business model. The move, according to a YT press release, would offer “several advantages for US customers, such as more attractive pricing, improved service and increased availability of bikes.”

Products and Pricing

YT Industries builds competition-ready dirt jump bikes and downhill mountain bikes for young talents (YT). For all-mountain and trail riding purposes, the direct to consumer mountain bike brand offers 10 trail bikes ranging from $2,299 to $4,999. All bikes are available with a choice in wheel size of 27.5″” or 29″” (and the merits of each wheel size are summarized quite well on their trail bikes product page).

For long-distance off-road racing, YT has 10 different Enduro bikes at a cost of $2,499 to $5,199. Their Capra model is for a wider range of racing and biking, from park use to downhill races to enduro races. Accompanying the launch of the Capra was a 12-minute-long, cinema-quality video called “”Return of the Goat.”” It is extremely well done and has a cliffhanger plot… incredibly fun to watch!

For downhill racing and freeriding, YT offers 3 bikes in 5 different styles, with pricing ranging from $2,399 to $4,999. One lower-priced dirt bike is available at the price of $1,299, and combines “”both agility and ruggedness,”” according to its description.

How They Deliver Value to Consumers

One really cool feature that we haven’t seen elsewhere is the ability to scroll through all the bike models visually, within a matter of seconds, by hovering your pointer over the dropdown list of bikes that appears when you click the “”Products”” link at the top. This is surprisingly handy, and allows consumers to start with the appearance they like best (if they’d prefer to shop that way!).

When it comes to delivering value through product quality, this premium direct to consumer mountain bike brand offers more features on its bikes than we could possibly explain in this review. With 26 different features explained on the Capra bike page alone, and a boatload of measurements and material description, YT Industries is clearly catering to the serious mountain biker.

To add more value, they’ve assembled the community and content to serve this market. The company takes “a fleet of test bikes on a big tour of the best bike parks and trail centers,” to give consumers a chance to ride their bikes before buying, and those events take place in 8 different countries!

The direct to consumer mountain bike brand has also recruited a professional team of talented riders called the “YT Mob,” including 2016 Downhill World Cup Champion Aaron Gwin. Consumers can also see YT’s bikes in action by attending a professional race, and the full race schedule is listed in the “World of YT” section of their website.

YT has the best blog we’ve seen yet, and they created a very cool 15-minute documentary video featuring the story behind the direct to consumer bike brand, narrated by Founder and CEO Markus Flossmann.

Shipping and Returns

Shipping in the USA is $99, Hawaii/Alaska is $289, and other countries vary. The bikes ship quickly–within 3 business days when in stock, and the company says most bikes go out the door within one business day. Their warranty and return policy aren’t too clearly defined on the website, but the direct to consumer mountain bike brand writes that they’ll “help you make your return hassle-free and without all the red tape,” on their warranty page.

They have what looks to be a discounted price for crash replacement, writing, “”You will receive the same or a comparable frame (without shocks) at the special crash replacement frame price”” if you crash your bike within three years of purchasing it.”

Final Thoughts

YT Industries is a No Middleman favorite for using their direct to consumer mountain bike model to deliver a premium quality bike to consumers, along with informative and entertaining content, and a community-centric array of events and interaction with serious riders. We expect this brand to continue to remain direct to consumer, and could see them expanding into a greater retail presence of their own, to complement their aggressive event marketing and experiential campaigns.