It was quite the party. It was a rainy evening on May 23, but there was still a line of mountain biking enthusiasts that went out the door to get in to the YT Industries showroom in Bentonville, Ark. There was an open bar with beer, wine, and cocktails. Pro mountain bike rider and Red Bull athlete Matt Jones was in the mix, as was Walmart heir Tom Walton. Rappers Big Priv and Paul Wall performed. And the lineup of YT Industries bikes was on full display, propped up on chunky rocks and gravel for viewing on the first floor of the company’s double-story showroom.
German mountain bike startup YT Industries has quickly become one of the hottest brands in the sport. During COVID, when demand for bikes was at an all-time high, YT brought on a former Amazon executive to scale the brand, and it became one of more than 100 bike companies to make a big private equity deal (the global investment firm Ardian bought a majority stake of YT in 2021). By the looks of it, YT seemed to be riding the COVID-induced outdoor gear wave better than just about anyone, with splashy marketing campaigns and new showrooms where people can take out their bikes on trails for free and then come back and drink free beer.
