YT Mountain Bikes Review: First Ride – Mountain Bike Gateway

YT Industries USA is a company with a passion for youth. They make YT mountain bikes – some of the best mountain bikes in the world – and they want YOU to ride them. And because they want you to ride them, they try to sell them cheap. In this article we will explore the motivations behind YT Bikes, take a look at how the company was founded, and consider some of the bikes they offer. WHAT IS A YT USA BIKE? YT Industries USA is headquartered in San Clemente, California. The YT in the name stands for "Young Talent." The company's goal is to get each of us to discover the Young Talent that is inside of us. They say, “It’s inside us all.” They just want us to bring that talent out and “Live Uncaged.” For Markus Flossmann, the CEO and founder, that’s not just some kind of marketing spin. It’s the way Markus lives his life, it defines his character and it’s hard-wired into the brand he’s built and every bike that they make.He says, “It’s never too late to explore your young talent. It’s never too late to try something new and find your passion – even if the world says you’re too old to start, or not talented enough.” HOW IT ALL BEGAN The YT dream caught fire when Markus wandered across two kids who couldn’t afford a decent bike. Back in 2007, Markus watched two 15-year-olds stomping 360s on beat-up supermarket junkers. The cracking of bearings could be heard miles away. He knew the bikes might not survive the next landing, but couldn’t look away – the boys were on fire. This what Markus has to say about that day:“I asked them why they didn’t buy a real dirt jump bike,” he says of that chance meeting. The kids told him ‘Man, we would if we could afford it!’ Two young guys with tons of talent and passion couldn’t afford the tools they needed to follow their dreams. Back home Markus started thinking why a simple dirt jump bike consisting of a steel frame, a suspension fork, and one brake had to be so expensive. And for that matter, why should a downhill bike cost as much as a motocross bike? “That was the defining moment of our DNA”, Markus says. “I knew there had to be another way.” That was in 2007 and it changed Markus Flossman’s life forever. The brainstorm that Markus came up with was selling direct – ditching the middlemen – that was the way. It would allowed him to create cutting-edge bikes with impressive quality at truly amazing prices - by passing the savings directly on to you, the customer. Since that single creative thought in 2007, YT has risen from a first run of 150 steel dirt jump frames, to the YT of today - a network of over 100 people, spread all around the globe from Europe, through Asia and North America, and beyond. DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING At YT Bikes it all starts with good times: Many ideas for new projects are actually scribbled on a beer coaster in the pub before they go all high-tech in order turn their visions and ideas into reality. They examine, correct and fine-tune the properties of their creations with state-of-the-art technologies - from virtual representations in the early stages, to 3D-printed prototypes and rideable test bikes further down the line. Before a YT Bike goes into production on the assembly line, every frame undergoes a long and complex series of test procedures in the lab and on the trails. But they don’t stop there. Not only are they using the latest production processes, they also constantly check the material and build quality before releasing the frames for final assembly. YT bikes are then built-up by hand before expertly being adjusted and packed in the specifically developed YT Bike Box, ready for embarking on their journey to you, the customer. This is what Markus and the YT Company would like to tell you: “We all have a finite number of heartbeats – so live in the now, uncage your talent and embrace every second with YT. Now it’s up to you.”“Live Uncaged.” YT BIKES YT Bikes builds 4 categories of bikes: trail, enduro, downhill racers, and dirt bikes. The trail bike is the Jeffsy. It comes in 10 configurations: five with 29 in. wheels, and five with 27.5 in. wheels. The enduro bike is the Capra. It also comes in 10 configurations - five with 29 in. wheels and five with 27.5 in. wheels. The downhill bike is the Tues. It comes in three configurations. The dirt bike is the Love. It comes in one configuration. All of the bike frames can be had in either carbon fiber or aluminum except the Dirt Love, which has a chromoly frame. Pricing YT Bikes are sold exclusively online and are delivered directly from the manufacturer to the customer. Here are some example prices from YT Bike’s website: Dirt Love around $1300Jeffsy 27 CF Pro Race around $4600Capra 27 CF Pro Race around $5200Tues CF Pro Race around $5500 The Dirt Love is chromoly. The other three are carbon fiber bikes. An aluminum frame YT Bike will cost you about half the price of a carbon fiber bike. HOW IT COMPARES We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare: Huffy Beach Cruiser 6-speed 26" Panama Jack Bike with Cup HolderFito Modena Sport II Shimano 7-speed for men 26" Wheel Beach Cruiser BikeSchwinn Fastback Carbon Road Bike YT USA BIKE PRICEThe price depends on which model you choose. The Love currently runs about $1,300, while the Tues can be had for about $2,700.EASE OF USEThese bicycles are easy to use.ASSEMBLY TIMEIf you order it online, it comes in a box mostly assembled. You will need to install only the seat, the handlebars, the front wheel, and the pedals. You’ll be riding in anywhere from 30 (skilled bike mechanic) to 120 minutes (no prior experience building bikes).DESIGN QUALITYThe design quality of these bikes is second to none.WARRANTY14 day no questions return 5 years on carbon fiber full-suspension frames 3 years on aluminum full-suspension frames Lifetime of the bike on non-suspension frames 2 years on parts manufactured by YT No warranty on non YT components PROS Super quality mountain bikesLow price for what you getMade in America CONS No warranty on components HUFFY BEACH CRUISER 6-SPEED 26" PANAMA JACK BIKE WITH CUP HOLDER 4.1 out of 5 stars The Huffy Beach Cruiser is manufactured by Huffy in Dayton, Ohio. The design, product development and marketing is all done in the United States. Huffy bicycles used to be produced in the United States, but manufacturing was moved overseas (mostly China) when Walmart insisted that Huffy bring the bicycle prices down. The Huffy Beach Cruiser Panama Jack with aluminum frame is available in three colors; gloss black for men, and pearl white or champagne gold on a women’s frame. The lady's version has pretty painted flowers and wood grain detailing. It is a Shimano 6-speed with beach cruiser handlebars, a basket, and a platform rack on back. It rides on lightweight alloy wheels with custom striped tires to match the bike color. It comes with a roomy cooler bag, a beverage holder, and a bottle opener. PRICEThis bike is only available on Amazon for around $300.EASE OF USEThese bicycles are easy to use.ASSEMBLY TIMEIf you order it online, it comes in a box mostly assembled. You will need to install only the seat, the handlebars, the front wheel, and the pedals. You’ll be riding in anywhere from 30 (skilled bike mechanic) to 120 minutes (no prior experience building bikes).DESIGN QUALITYThe design quality of this bike is good. Is has a 6-speed rear shifter for around town travel and beach cruising, but no front gear set, which saves weight. The alloy linear pull brakes are good. There is a lot of attention paid to making the bike look nice, but not enough put into making it lighter. The aluminum frame, alloy rims, and alloy brakes all save weight. But it is still too heavy.WARRANTYLifetime on steel frames 10 years on aluminum frames 6 months on components PROS Beautiful bikeLadies optionMade in America CONS Very heavy bike - 48.6 poundsA little expensive FITO MODENA SPORT II SHIMANO 7-SPEED FOR MEN 26" WHEEL BEACH CRUISER BIKE 5 out of 5 stars These bikes are made in Taiwan by Fito Corporation and imported to the U.S. by AVC International in Walnut, California. It is an 18 in. steel frame beach cruiser rolling on 26 in. whitewall or blackwall tires It has the wide beach cruiser handlebars and aluminum alloy wheels with stainless steel spokes.It comes with Promax aluminum caliper brakes, a Shimano Revoshift shifter, and a 7-speed Shimano Tourney derailleur on the rear. The bike weighs 34 pounds. It is sized for a man between 5’2” and 5’10”. The bike has a weight limit of 200 pounds. PRICEIt is for sale on Amazon by AVC International for about $250. The same company has it for sale on Ebay for about $170. Take your pick.EASE OF USEThese bicycles are easy to use.ASSEMBLY TIMEIf you order it online, it comes in a box mostly assembled. You will need to install only the seat, the handlebars, the front wheel, and the pedals. You’ll be riding in anywhere from 30 (skilled bike mechanic) to 120 minutes (no prior experience building bikes).DESIGN QUALITYThis is a very well designed bike. We like the 7-speed derailleur, which gives you the right amount of gears that you would need to ride around town or cruise the beach. All of the aluminum alloy components keep the weight down, and not having a front gear set helps reduce the weight also. However, the bike is not strong enough and only supports a person up to 200 pounds.WARRANTYLifetime warranty on the frame. Six month warranty on the components PROS It is a beautiful beach cruiserIt is a nice bike for the priceMade in America CONS Fenders have to be bought separatelyIt should be stronger - the weight limit is too low SCHWINN FASTBACK CARBON ROAD BIKE 5 out of 5 stars The Schwinn Fastback Carbon is a lightweight road bike with high-level components. It comes with a Schwinn carbon fiber frame, carbon fiber race fork with tapered carbon steerer, and a full Shimano 22-speed drivetrain with matching Shimano shifters. The carbon fork and frame have a semi aero design that helps you break into the wind. It has two mounts for water bottles and It has Shimano caliper road brakes and tall 700c Kenda tires. It weighs 18.5 pounds. PRICEThe price runs about $1,400. It is available online through Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and other online dealers.EASE OF USEThese bicycles are easy to use.ASSEMBLY TIMEIf you order it online, it comes in a box mostly assembled. You will need to install only the seat, the handlebars, the front wheel, and the pedals. You’ll be riding in anywhere from 30 (skilled bike mechanic) to 120 minutes (no prior experience building bikes).DESIGN QUALITYThis is a very fine Schwinn lightweight bike with high quality Shimano components.WARRANTYLifetime warranty on the frame. Lifetime warranty on the components. 30 days on normal wear parts. PROS Very comfortable frame geometry, saddle and barsShimano 105 is a high quality drivetrainTires are great and wheels are light CONS We have nothing bad to say about this bike CONCLUSION - 4.8 STARS We like the passion and vision of this company. The engineering, design, and quality is second to none. They are on the cutting edge of new technology, coming up with their own innovative bike designs and ideas. We would definitely recommend a YT Industries mountain bike. YT Bike’s idea of bringing the price down by selling the bikes directly from the manufacturer to the customer is really taking effect. These prices are substantially lower than some other U.S. manufacturers. However, they are still not competitive in price compared to bikes made in China or Taiwan. That may eventually become a consideration for YT Bikes. For example, the Schwinn Fastback Carbon Road Bike reviewed in this article is a carbon fiber bike, but only costs about $1,400. We find it disheartening that a company would sell a bicycle for over five thousand dollars, yet not include a warranty on the components. Why wouldn’t they just handle that for the rider as a matter of convenience? All the comparison products are much, much cheaper and their warranties cover the whole bike. Why doesn’t YT Bikes?