Alright, lets go! This week’s 10 Tracks DJ is Lauren Mehl. Lauren came to us via Seattle and instantly started leaving a positive mark on the cycling community and our community in general. In the eight years since moving to Fort Collins, Lauren has become involved with projects and groups many riders around here know, including the FoCo Fondo and Queer+ Bikes. Lauren is also the co founder of Joyride, an upcoming bike repair, cafe, and community space hoping to open in Fort Collins this fall.
Lauren describes this week’s playlist as a mix of favorite tracks that lean more moody and alt electronic. Some songs go all the way back to an original running playlist that lived on an iPod Shuffle that only held 75 songs and got repeated over and over.
Unlike many riders featured in 10 Tracks, Lauren says music has never really been part of the ride itself. Instead, it is more of a cooldown and recovery soundtrack.
On the bike side, Lauren still has a soft spot for a 2015 Trek CrossRip LTD named “OG,” short for Orange Goddess because of its orange component details. Bought while living in Seattle, it started life as a versatile commuter and triathlon bike before eventually becoming a dream gravel setup through years of upgrades and use. The bike has since been passed along to a friend.
Lauren’s favorite local routes tend to include gravel sections north of town, including Rawhide Drive to Buckskin Trail, Michaud Trail, and roads around Inverness, County Road 13, County Road 56, and County Road 11.
Gravel riding gets the most miles these days, though mountain biking earns the title of “scariest and most fun.” Bikepacking was Lauren’s first love, and commuting used to be a bigger part of riding before moving to working from home.
Lauren takes her coffee black, ideally a light roast from Central or South America. The afternoon upgrade is a cortado with whole milk and maybe a little cinnamon or cardamom.
Listen to Lauren’s playlist below.
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