1994
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
Mammoth Mountain, USA.
The 1990s were a special period for British cross-country mountain bike racing. Riders were on top of their game and none more so that Gary Foord who triumphed in California at Mammoth Mountain taking first place in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.
A brand was born…
Brand Story
Vertical Gain™ is a newly formed brand with a lot of history… the man behind the name is ex Mountain Bike Professional, Gary Foord.
Gary Foord
In 1994, Gary climbed mountains on a bike for a living. This took him to the thin air of Mammoth Mountain in California. After winning the Mountain Bike World Cup on this great mountain, the vision of Mammoth Lifestyle was born.
The First Alps Trip
Fast forward 14-years including a visit to three Olympic Games as an athlete, then a coach and finally to deliver commentary, 2008 saw our very first Mammoth Alps Trip. Many Mammoth Alpinists were created.
Brand History
The Mammoth brand became so strong that global bike brand Specialized decided to purchase the business in 2022. Gary remained part of that transition, but his desire to continue creating great rider experiences in the best regions of Europe lead him to develop Vertical Gain™, a rider focused cycling experience business built from the foundations of the journeys we took under the Mammoth umbrella.
Vertical Gain™
Vertical Gain™ takes every memory and strength from the Mammoth Alps and northern classics trips with the goal of delivering lifetime experiences for new clients.
The mountains offer inspiration. Ride through them and your sense of achievement will give you something you didn’t know you could have…fulfilment and pure joy.
Our assurance
- Firstly, we make everything easy for you to travel with us
- Before you travel, every question asked is addressed, and shared with fellow riders if appropriate
- We meet you before you depart, in person or by Zoom
- We welcome you and settle you into luxurious accommodation
- Your bike is checked ahead of the first ride
- We feed you well, before, during and after the days ride
- The routes are fully explained and lead by us
- All rides have support on route
- We love what we do and aim to share that passion with you
- Comfort, security, challenge and socialise….that is the Vertical Gain philosophy
Proven Track Record
With 12 years of hugely successful Alps Trips completed, along with frequent client journeys to the Classics, Vertical Gain has a sound foundation to leap from. Become part of our journey and we will deliver the adventure of a lifetime. Everywhere we travel to, iconic climbs, roads or pave are taken in. Let Gary talk about their history and encourage you to achieve something you previously thought impossible.
If you have ever thought about cycling iconic routes of the world famous tours then get yourself booked in, we’ll look after you.
Route Grading
We aim to demonstrate the overall challenge of a Break-away with a colour coding of red, amber and green. All of the Break-aways could have elements of all three during the event, but the overall load is good to be aware of.
CYCLING SUPERHERO
Prepare to Earn Your Stripes
Code red will most often mean a significant amount of vertical gain on each ride and cumulatively during the week. There is no need to have raced previously at the highest level, but you will need to be able to spend consecutive days in the saddle, cope with fatigue and be aware of how a tired body can warm into the day and still have a great experience, even with one of Europe’s highest col’s ahead of you.
Code red could also associate with a one day event whereby distance could be extreme, or many miles of cobble stones could be between the rider and the finish line.
SERIOUS CYCLIST
Get Ready For Serious Gains
Code amber will be measurably lower load than a code red event. There would be less vertical gain and a lot less fatigue after each ride. This would mean a code amber event would be suitable to any rider who is a keen cyclist and exercises regularly, but could also complete the Break-away with a little less conviction in their preparation.
WEEKEND CYCLIST
A Challenge Within Reach
Code green is just as it sounds….green means ‘go’. This style of Break-away would associate more with an adventure or journey through a region, but without huge days of riding, and most likely more time to compete the distance. A participant who is a regular exerciser and not just a cyclist would be great on a code green Break-away.