Velodrome Days

An interview with Raymond Jones of Neverlost

By VITTI Cycling

April 3^rd, 2022

We count ourselves very lucky to have so many talented, interesting and dedicated friends in our world, people who have been selfless about sharing their talents with us from the start. Photographer Andrew Hetherington is one such friend and returns to our journal with an amazing group of images of fellow photographer, bike rider, and new friend of ours Raymond Jones. Recently, Andrew and Ray got together to spend the day making pictures at the local velodrome in their hometown of Atlanta Georgia. We are beyond pleased to bring you this series of work and interview with Ray .

Tell us a bit about yourself, Where are you from?

I love this question because it’s one I get all of the time and is difficult to answer. Unlike many families mine does not have roots in one place. I was born in Kansas then moved around quite a bit, finally landing in North Carolina as I was going into my final year of middle school. I went to high school and university there and then moved to New York City where I lived and worked until the end of 2011. My parents however are from West Virginia and I spent much of my childhood there no matter what city we were living in.

Where do you currently live?

Now I live in Atlanta which is an island within the state of Georgia. You do not say you live in Georgia, you say you live in Atlanta. They are very different things.

How old are you?

I turned 40 last August. It’s been a hell of a year.

What do you do when you’re not riding bikes and thinking about riding bikes?

NeverLost!

This is a magical thing that my good friend Spencer Caratti and I just launched this year. And we’re super excited about it. We started cooking up the idea in 2021 and in February we had the launch party and opened registration for the first tours. We’ll be doing three in 2022 and scaling it up next year. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and being a freelance photographer basically means you’ve got to run the whole show yourself. My partner Spencer, also a passionate and longtime cyclist, brings the organization and project management skills as well as being a talented designer. So together we’re building a company that is authentic and unique yet accessible, seamless and highly detail oriented.

What was the inspiration for Neverlost?

Basically Spencer and I are jealous of all the amazing bike tours in Europe and we wanted something like that here in the U.S. So that’s what we’ve set out to do. There’s such a rich history of bike tours in Europe and if we can bring just a portion of that to the U.S. we think it will be amazing. The tours are all-inclusive so you basically you just show up with your bike and your stuff. We have all the routes, meals, lodging, transportation and fun planned. Even massages at the end of the day! We’re very stoked. Our first one is in June 2022 and we’ll do one in August and October as well. Then we’ll keep trying to expand it to more areas in the U.S. and beyond in 2023. You can find us at Neverlost and on our Instagram for more info and to see what we have been getting up to.

What is your riding history, how did you get into cycling and how long have you been riding?

I’ve been riding bikes for as long as I can remember. I know it sounds cliche but I literally can’t remember being alive and not riding bikes. One of my earliest memories on a bike is pretty classy. I remember standing on my neighborhood street with my mom at dusk. She was talking to another one of the mom’s. It was probably 1988. The other mom’s daughter was there and she was a couple years older. I was desperate to impress her so I jumped on my BMX and started riding around them as they chatted. Popped a few wheelies but I needed more so I went straight into Superman mode, stretched out like a plank lying across the seat. I thought it was so damn cool but apparently she did not. From there the rest of my childhood was spent building jumps out of plywood or whatever we could find. It was amazing.

What do you do when you’re not riding?

When I’m not riding bikes I think about riding bikes. I plan where I’m going to ride and obsess over not getting in enough miles in that week. Truly though, my goal each day that I wake is to make some kind of positive progress in my life. Whether it’s progress in my relationships or progress spiritually or creatively. I really really try to capitalize on every moment I have in this life. Most importantly I’m trying to be an epic dad to my kids and spouse to my wife.

What are your most favorite climbs?

Wolfpen Gap right here in the Chattahoochee National Park about an hour drive North from Atlanta is a stunner from either direction. It will give amazing switchbacks on the way up or hairpins and screaming banked turns (a Georgia thing) during your blistering descent. It is a beautiful beautiful ride. In my dreams it’s the Tourmalet.

How many bikes do you have? Which one is your favorite?

My favorite bike at the moment is my new Colnago Master. It was a gift from my wife for my 40th birthday and it’s a true masterpiece. I definitely don’t deserve to win that bike but having a handmade Italian machine like that from the lineage of Ernesto Colnago is truly a treasure.

How many more do you want?

There is no limit!

Why do you ride?

I ride for the freedom honestly. I also truly just love going fast. But the sense of freedom I get from cycling is a truly spiritual connection that I’ve developed over my time riding. You know cycling as a sport, especially road cycling, has suffered from a negative reputation for a while. And most of it is certainly justified. But I think that the positive potential of cycling can outshine the toxic parts of it if riders take a stand and speak out. If we make it known, for instance, that homophobia or transphobia is not welcome in our sport, at our events or by the manufacturers we can help steer this ship in a more positive direction. Cycling can be a truly transformational activity for many and I again I believe the potential is there we just have to do a better job pushing open that door more and more so that the traditional gatekeepers aren’t the only ones calling the shots.