Everyone talks about landing the dream job after graduation—Mines alumni Brandon Turman (’08) and Courtney Steen (’10) actually made it happen. How do they spend their days now? Riding and testing the latest mountain bikes and components and relaying their on-trail experiences to the public.

“I have always had a passion for mountain biking, and when I came to Mines in 2004 it was a personal goal to share that passion with others by introducing them to the sport,” said Turman. When the opportunity came up to manage the CSM Cycling Team, Turman says he jumped on it. In 2007, the CSM mountain bike team won the Collegiate National Championship. “Being a part of that success is still one of the biggest competitive highlights of my time as a cyclist,” he said.

Turman met Courtney Steen through the CSM team, and the two have been a couple ever since. In 2009, Courtney’s skills landed her on the individual Collegiate National Championship Omnium podium.

Today, they live the mobile lifestyle while traveling to various mountain bike destinations around North America in search of the best trails.

“Our time at Mines and our engineering experience allow us to really dig into why bikes perform how they do,” said Turman. “It’s a fun job, and we love applying our technical backgrounds outdoors.”