Following the insolvency of bike brand YT Industries, Marriott & Co. recently posted an online auction for over 100 company assets from the YT Mill location in Surrey, England. The lots include mountain bikes, vehicles, equipment, tools, furnishings, and some unique items that fans of the brand will surely want to own. The auction began on Monday evening and will close on October 22 at 3pm local time.
The auction website shows 147 lots, and many of the items already have dozens of bids. For example, as of press time, this size large YT Decoy Core 4 e-bike is going for £1,120 (about $1,500 USD) and has 58 bids. The auction terms note that “unless otherwise specified in the Sale Details, Lots have not been tested for operation, condition or safety,” and presumably all items are offered as-is.
Two Ford Transit vans, festooned with the YT logo, are also being auctioned off, along with a massive haul of YT-branded apparel estimated to be worth nearly £25,000. So far, no one has bid on the collection of apparel.
Dozens of shop-quality tools are included in the auction, including a Muc-Off parts washer, a Unior electric bike repair stand, various power tools and compressors, and tool boxes. Even the La Spaziale S5 Caffe d’Antone stainless-steel twin espresso machine from the Mill is being sold.
Some of the more unusual items up for auction include a set of mannequins, a Capra display set that was said to have been built by Harry Potter set designers, and various goat head models. For YT fans, this is a rare opportunity to pick up one-of-a-kind and collectible items, including oversized posters and displays.
Though the YT Mill in Surrey is closed, the company’s US locations in San Clemente, California and Bentonville, Arkansas, remain open. A September article in Bicycle Retailer noted that although YT has laid off most of its staff in Germany, US operations were unaffected.
YT struggled following the pandemic
Like many brands, YT struggled to balance supply and demand during the COVID years. In late 2020, founder Marcus Flossman handed the reins over to a new CEO, and the brand took on a private equity investment in 2021 to help fund its expansion. Ultimately, YT ended up with an oversupply of bikes at a time when other brands were facing the same situation, leading to what Flossman describes as “a brutal discount war for survival.”
On February 19, 2024, Flossman returned as CEO, taking over from Sam Nicols, who led the brand for three years. Flossman and his team worked to cut costs and improve operations, which he says had the brand on track to recover, until they were faced with new challenges earlier this year.
“A key supplier failed us with quality issues and delivery delays right when we needed them most,” he said in this video announcement. “At the same time, the US market became widely unstable. Everything from natural disasters to chaotic trade policies hit consumer demand hard.”
YT is still selling bikes
New bike orders are still being accepted at the YT website, though a check shows that many sizes and models are listed as out of stock. On the US website in particular, it appears new shipments continue to arrive, with certain bikes showing November 2025 shipping dates.
If you’re thinking about bidding on a bike, note that if you win, you’ll need to pick it up yourself in Surrey. “The Buyer shall collect the Lots promptly by appointment and by the Collection Deadline specified in the Sale Details from the Sale Site or from such other location as may be advised by the Agent to the Buyer.”
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