Heads up! Here’s your massive list of sports tech deals! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $429, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium for $735, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, (or Hero 13 bundle for $339!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
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You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
- Do you have a privacy policy posted?
- Why haven’t you yet released a review for XYZ product you mentioned months ago?
- Will you test our product before release?
- Are you willing to review or test beta products?
- Which trainer should I buy?
- Which GPS watch should I buy?
- I’m headed to Paris – what do you recommend for training or sightseeing?
- I’m headed to Washington DC – what do you recommend for training?
- I’m from out of the country and will be visiting the US, what’s the best triathlon shop in city XYZ?
- What kind of camera do you use?
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
My Photography Gear: The Cameras/Drones/Action Cams I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
I spent Saturday racing go-karts with my youngest son. I ran a training run Sunday. Rode a training route Monday. I also ran with my oldest son Monday. Ran out of time for the barbeque.
I spent the weekend with my wife on her birthday (21 again…) we had a cheat day on saturday where we get to eat what we want (a la 4 Hour Body) so we had some champagne! Then to wipe away some of that guilty pleasure we went for a walk in the local parks near to us in Edinburgh. Next few days I’m going to get my kilt on and do some running in town (running bit I am serious about, but the kilt… have you seen how heavy these things are?). I have an iPhone trying to use runkeeper but the GPS is crappy so the garmin would get me on track and give me a nice new watch as well!
Great site, reading it to help me pick the right kit for training!
Thanks
Michael
I am new to the blog and really enjoy it. A friend with a similar background as yours (Tri and IT guy) turned me on to it. Thanks for your work here and keep it up, you make a great read.
Quality time with our children!
Thanks…
Don’t understand why I can’t publish a comment under my google account anymore. It use to work fine, but now it wants me to sign up for a damn blog every time I attempt to post a comment.
I spent Memorial Day weekend at a baseball tournament here in Houston with my son. Unfortunately, my husband spent the weekend in Shreveport at a softball tournament with my daughter :-(
Swimming with the kids, trying to get my laps in (sometimes with one of them on my back)!!
Getting ready for Alcatraz!
Training for a marathon and searching for a new GPS/HR monitor. This review has been great, like all of your reviews are. Thanks!
Good luck, everyone!
Although, fingers crossed I win this one!
Thank you for your review. Very detailed!
Friday night, Atlanta Braves game with T-Ball team. Saturday BBQ #1 and pool time with the kids. Sunday morning long, hilly 12 miler, and another Braves game that night. And finally a top it off BBQ last evening with two awesome Boston Butts smoked to perfecion. Now back to my regularly scheduled programming.
Swimming with the kids and trying to get my laps in (sometimes with one of them on my back)!!
(Second try, with ID this time).
16 miles of running with my family over Memorial Weekend. Good timees!
Well, Friday was intervals at Hains Point, Saturday was Wash and Tune 7 Bikes Day, Sunday comes after Saturday, and Monday I rolled past your house* on this loop – link to ridewithgps.com
*I’m guessing. Really :)
Hey Ray
Ran my first half-marathon this weekend, ended up with 78 min 31 s. I definitely have to care about nutrition next time ;-) – Greetings from Switzerland
Spent the weekend camping with friends. Had to hike into the site so great workout with packs on!
I eagerly awaited Saturday to start my weekend off right with a 17 mile trail run in Norris, TN watershed. After thrashing myself on the hills, all I had left to do was watch F1 in Monaco, the Indy 500 and hang on the dock of the lake resting. Perfect weekend!
Love the blog, keeps me in the know. Thx!
I just spent this past weekend working in the yard. Would have loved to see how the heart rate stacked up!
Since this weekend is up, this is what I did… 10 mile race on Saturday, 10 mile run, work, and beer on Sunday, 60 mile bike ride on Monday!!
Love your blog. Keep it up!
I had a much needed rest day on Saturday. Did my first long run of summer weather on Sunday. And cross trained on Monday :)
Spent my weekend potty training a 3yr old. Oh yea!
I spent sunday riding my bike around the leman lake in switzerland, first 180km for me and at 33kmh I’m very happy with this “race” :)
Chiken, Sausages and boudin noir where on the grill.
Hey Ray! Didn’t do much training this weekend as I had two cysts removed from my scalp :-(. However, we did do some BBQ. Lots of grilled veggies from the farmers market along with sprouted lentils cooked baked bean style! Next week starts a new 1/2 marathon and sprint tri cycle :-)
Well last weekend I ran my first ever marathon, so this weekend I will most definitely be spending it (still) recovering with a beer (recovery carbs!) and a BBQ steak (more carbs!) and trying to figure out exactly where it was that I went so wrong to cause me to blow up so spectacularly in the final 2 miles. I suspect it was setting out too quick. I could really do with a Garmin 610 to help me sort that out! – but I live in England and I bet you don’t really ship them all the way over here do ya? ;)
Love the site and the reviews.
Great contest.
Just a long run saturday and maybe an Asado(most used term for bbq in latam) to watch soccer with family amd friends on sunday
Greetings from Santiago de Chile
Family time all weekend!
I spent it running around nonstop. I’d like another one next weekend, please!
running, sleeping!
Great review.Big improvement over 405/410 series
Taking a mid-season break with a trip to Seattle and Portland to try ever type of food known to man.
Is it a Bank Holiday everywhere too?
Here in Ireland it is, so a busy training and race weekend is ahead. First Olympic Race in what is due to be a mini heatwave so will be good with big crowds always. There’s a club partay with my Tri Club in an alcoholic beverage consuming premises type place (it’s been a while) but as of yet BBQ is not arranged! Criminal. Time to sort that out…
Oh, and my 310xt lept from waist height to it’s death after an ow swim last night! Next one will be mollycoddled but a separate 610 for running/biking would clearly help me in the future!!! ;)
I got some good bike riding and eating in this weekend.
I spent the weekend pet sitting two Shelties and a Bernese Mountain dog along with a smokey grey colored kitty. Guess who’s boss??
No parties, BBQ’s etc.. just work, running and taking care of said furry critters. Oh, and planning my summer marathon training to culminate with the running of my daughters first marathon in November!
Saw you got in some great training this weekend, hope you enjoyed all!
Thanks again for all your wisdom here, you input is truly priceless!
~Sam
I had planned to go caving and rappelling over the long weekend, but due to some travel delays on Friday changed plans at the last minute and stayed home instead. Got a lot of stuff done around the house and was able to get out for a good but hot trail run where I ended up soaking my feet crossing a river to get to some nice trails.
Ran the Bolder Boulder 10K in 55:33! Not bad, considering that last week I was sick with a bout of strep throat/ear infection and newly-diagnosed asthma triggered by the respiratory infection. Thank goodness I had an inhaler at the end of the course! Hope you had a great weekend!
Wore my old 305 and went on a waterfall hike with my two kids, brother, and three of his kids. (he will gladly take my 305 if I win!)
I currently live in the 100 mile wilderness of Maine, which has been a pretty epic experience so far. This weekend I’ll be taking an extended ‘backcountry run/adventure’ to one of the ‘wild mountains’ (i.e. mountains without an established trail network) in the area. It’s going to be a delicious mix of trail running, hunting for old logging roads, bushwhacking, extended dips into lakes along the way, and sleeping in a hammock. The beauty – incredible views from Benson Mt, a few days ‘off the grid’ (including trail networks!), and the pain and poetry of self-sustained human movement through the wildscapes we too often ignore.
In pursuit of the purity of experience –
Mike
This past holiday weekend, I worked out on the ElliptiGO, ran, and spent some downtime with my family! Great weekend!
Went to see Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers: An Evening of Bluegrass and Banjo.
Yes, That Steve Martin. Encore was “King Tut”!
Rested up before IM Florida base starts this week.
I will be on the mountains for a three days holiday! So, running, bicking and chilndren-ing. Ciao
We just had a long weekend, and I took my bike to bits, cleaned it (very long overdue), raced a 10k on the Monday, and then sat for hours catching up with friends and ingesting as much sugary goodness as we could manage. Well. I did race.
Ciao. I will run on the mountains
I just got back from vacation, I def need to get back on the diet bandwagon.
michael lopez, i’m a little late with my comment but i live in New york and i was able to attend a couple of the fleet week events, my favorite being a day spent on the intrepid
I spent my weekend planting our garden, putting up some birdhouses & a feeder, playing with my kids, and shooting some senior photos on Friday. Oh, and we had a tasty barbecue at friends house on Monday evening.
Great blog!
I spent my weekend at the beach…Saturday was an open water swim in the chesapeake bay…then sunday was a tough 2 hour sun bathing session :) My GF dragged me along for that.
Pork looked great!!!
Chris
I spent the weekend with my parents visiting, installing storm doors, learning the art of making my father’s potato salad, deviled eggs, and french toast, and keeping up with my walk-to-run training program.
I spent the weekend doing my usual fast group ride and then slow smoking ribs!
Great review
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Hi – I will be spending the weekend between family, cycling and surf ski – hopefully with a BBQ in between!
took the weekend mostly “off” from serious training and did some nice, easy hiking in Joshua Tree.
I’m spending the long weekend relaxing and continuing my recovery from the Fargo Marathon on May 21. A weekend filled with beer and BBQ – and no running – is absolute heaven!
I spent the weekend relaxing when not training for Ironman Kansas 70.3 and having some great pulled pork at my cousins grad party!!
Love that this has actual buttons instead of the silly touch ring of the 405.
My FR50 is old now.
I spent my 3-day weekend doing laundry, running and lounging by the pool daydreaming about the Garmin 610. ;)
eat, run, eat, run, eat, run, beer, eat, run, beer, eat, run!!
15miles run at Delaware and raritan canal state part trail on Sat and another 15miles at Sandy Hook NJ then BBQ by the beach! :D on Sunday!
working for a US company, its a long weekend for me although I live in Canada still.
Saturday was: swim, coach kids soccer, 12k run pushing twin boys in the chariot & homemade sushi!
Sunday: 3 hr mtb bike ride, pancake breakfast, outside time w/ family, bbq dinner
Monday: Strength training and quality time with the family
cheers!
Well, the weekend has come and gone. I ran every day: 9 mi on Saturday, 20 mi long run on Sun, and a 6 mi recovery run on Monday. Sure do enjoy your reviews, Rainmaker.
Don’t have specific plans for the weekend.
username0765@hotmail.com
I traveled to Missouri from Utah to visit family. Was hoping to get a good run and some good bbq too… but never found the time :( I returned home to lousy weather but fortunately it cleared up and I squeezed in an awesome ride :) Thanks for the great reviews/posts!
I hope I will go to sea or ride a bike in forests.
I hope I will go to sea. Otherwise I will ride a bike in forests.
Ran, BBQ’d, spent time w/ friends and family, watched some soccer, and did some odds and ends around the house. Wish the weekend was longer!
Will be going up mount everest, this will be an amazing training tool!
Swim, bike and run.
we are going on a walking and cycling trip to the Eifel Germany.
Catching up with some family that I haven’t seen in 9 months. Can’t wait!
I just gat back from vacation so I def need to get back on the diet bandwagon. lol
hoping i win it. my 305 died on me
Weekend activities included wine country, early riding, 1st outdoor swim of the season, and a ‘recovery’ of Knight and Day.’
Spent all weekend working on the house….no time for training. :(
Can’t wait to finally start using a Garmin after my Polar S725X tragically passed away during swimming mission in the local pool ;)
Love your blog, keep up the good work!
So I posted yesterday, but it never showed up. So I hope this one works.
Since the weekend is over, I’ll re-cap the 3 days. Saturday I worked. I got off work Sunday morning & took my wife to breakfast. After that came home & assembled an outdoor playset for our 2yr old…….for 7.5 hours!! On Memorial Day Monday I woke up bright and early to run in the WOLRDS LARGEST 10K race, the Bolder Boulder. I shaved 3:22 off my time from last year. After that, it was back home to fix the swamp cooler & get it back up and running. Then I took the family to Jamba Juice for smoothies. We came home a relaxed for a couple of hours before heading to the bro-in-law’s house for a cook-out. Then the wife & I finished off the night by watching a movie. (The Roomate)
One helluva busy weekend & I was pooped out…..but lots of fun!!
Went to Arlington Cemetery to hear president speak. Was hot, but fun.
Had some time off work and hopped on a plane to enjoy some beach time with extended family in North Carolina. Ate too much food and will spend the next week running it off! Thanks for all the great info on your site, helped me make a very informed purchase.
eat, sleep, train, repeat…
My bride of 31 years and I attended the wedding of our friends Ed and Jane’s oldest son. We have known Ed and Jane since college where they were all american swimmers. All of their children have been fish, but we cannot hold that against them. What a great family and a great time!!!
I ran the BolderBoulder 10K. Read about it at link to justinjlittle.blogspot.com
The rest of the weekend I spent with my wonderful family! Got in a few workouts as well.
I like it
Hello. I wouldn’t normally buy a product like this but if I were o win it, myself or my husband could put it to great use. Great contest. thank you.
My wife is an RN in our hospital’s ER and she worked Saturday and Sunday, so I got to be with my kids all weekend. A lot of Saturday was spent indoors because of crappy weather, but when the sun emerged, my daughter decided to set up a Gatorade stand (10 cents a cup!).
And Sunday was church, more of the Gatorade stand (which evolved to an egg stand to sell some eggs from our three chickens), basketball, baseball and enjoying another family dinner.
I was exhausted by the time I rolled into work Monday.
Spent the weekend enjoying family & friends :-).
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I plan to spend my weekend cycling.
Friday AM run, Saturday AM run, Sunday AM long run, Monday crosstrain the core … oh, and plenty of eating to make sure I don’t wilt away.
Great Blog. Planned on doing an epic ride this weekend but spent it nursing a hurt knee instead. Bike crashes are no fun.
Here is to remembering those who have sacrificed for us!
I’m new to this sport and have fallen in love with running. Turning 40 this year and realised I needed to do something to keep me fit and healthy. I’ve been building to my first 10k which I just ran last Sunday! Was a Sri Chinmoy race in Melbourne Australia. So exciting to participate!
Now I’m working towards my first half then full marathon (Run Melbourne in July, the Melbourne Marathon in October).
Having a tool like the FR610 would help keep me focused and on pace during my early morning winter training runs Down Under (southern hemisphere = winter mid-year :( ).
I spent the weekend with family and some work around the house. I did get in one 6 mile run, but missed the second 6 mile run. I have to make up for the missed milage this week.
Thanks for the great information.
Saturday I ran the Chicago Solider Field 10 mi race and set a PR by 4:16! Sunday 2 mi run followed by yard work and grilling chicken and potatoes. Monday saying thanks to those who given everything they could for my freedom and family BBQ time with smoker cooked ribs, corn and carmalized peach desert… Oh and a 4 mi run! :-) I would love a shot at a 610 to replace a 405 I’ve had since it’s release. Thanks!
I’ll be running my first “long run” in my training schedule for my first marathon! Thankfully, my husband will be able to watch the kids, so I don’t have to push them in the stroller, like I do for the short runs. :)