Heads up!!! Here’s your massive Cyber Monday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $429, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $619, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, (or Hero 13 bundle for $339!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ deals here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
5 Easy Steps To The Site
1
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.
2
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!
3
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.
4
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!
5
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.
For all your train needs try
link to bahn.de
seems like it takes 7 hours by train and you have to change trains 2 or 3 times, so you might as well take the car, which gives you more option around the Bodensee anyways, plus you can take it to the Autobahn.
You might want to stay or spend some time in Lindau, a small island in the Bodensee (lake Constance). It is less than 20miles from Friederichshafen and is an amazing place!
What anonymous said: it depends on what you want to do when you get there and what you want to do after the even.
The international trains are usually quite good, and they do allow you to work or nap. At least that is my personal experience traveling from Amsterdam to Berlin. However, that particular route is part of the European high-speed net and it’s a good deal faster than traveling by car, which isn’t the case here. Only from Paris to Strasbourg is part of that rail network. That stretch of rail is about 2 hours faster by train than by car (not counting getting in or out of Paris on time and alive by car, which can be a nightmare).
That means there’s an alternative plan, if you need to rent a car anyway: you could mix-n-match! Travel from Paris to Strasbourg by TGV (www.sncf.com or http://www.tgv.com ). Get a rental car there and drive, through the Schwarzwald (which is very very PRETTY!), to the Bodensee. That way the trip will be around 5.5 hours of which you’d spend 3 hours driving. Sounds a lot more comfortable to me.
PS. the comments really need an edit button ;-)
Do you plan to bring lots of stuff from Eurobike? If yes, only real option is a car. And you combine one way with some side trips. Though its not such a short drive, and can be tiring.
Other nice possibilities are with a train. Trains either to Strassbourg or Stuttgart, and you rent a car there (though if i went to Stuttgart, i would rather just catch a train to your destination – less troublesome than driving on autobahn). I would also choose Strassbourg, as it is much nicer town + you have Schwarzwald in the middle, and then just go down the Bodensee. Or you even can go on a direct night train to Munich and rent a car there (distance to your destination is similar as from Stuttgart, and there is more to see). You can visit in between some nice towns in German Alps and castles like Neuschwanstein. But it takes much longer on a train!
Planes are also an option, with Zurich being the closest airport to your destination (i don’t think there is a direct train from Paris to Zurich). And sometimes can planes be cheaper than trains…
Hello,
you could take a look at hotel.de, usually they provide some good options, also in Switzerland: you have to take the boat that cross the Costance Lake, and you are (quite) inside of the expo :)
Camping outside of Eurobike is a “temporary camping”: so you had to adapt a little ;)
To get there, car is the easiest option, but be aware: there is a lot of traffic, gettin’ in and getting out of the fair.
If you want to take a look at the ridley bikes booth (A7-300), I will be there from wednesday ’til friday: you can email me, and set up an appointment.
:)
I have an idea! Take the TGV to Mulhouse (closer to Frieserichshafen) and we can drive together to Eurobike (I mean if you’re ok that I’ll go with you).
Or we can even ride by bike to the place (it’s a bit under 200km from here).
Getting There —
SRAMmies tend to fly into Zurich or Munich and travel by train to Friedrichshafen. The marketing folks, like me, are fortunate to stay close to the train station and the show. The German and Swiss train systems are sensational, as someone has said previously.
link to bahn.de
link to sbb.ch
There are some beautiful little towns along Lake Constance on the train trip from Zurich to Friedrichshafen. You could consider staying in one of them and catching a train to Friedrichshafen each day. I know I have. I think Überlingen is one of the towns I fell in love with through an express train’s window. Bring a bike if you’re going to do this. As someone said already, traffic can be heavy. And on Saturday’s Public Day it’s crazy.
link to en.wikipedia.org
The ferry across Lake Constance combined with Eurobike’s free shuttle buses is an option. As is camping. The camp grounds are across the road from the show.
Eurobike’s own travel options, including its buses and shuttles, are decent if you have the above information to get you started.
link to eurobike-show.com
Nextbike, a bike hire company, have bikes in Friedrichshafen for the show. You can get off the train in Friedrichshafen, walk directly across the road to the Ibis Hotel, which has a Nextbike stop outside, and hire a bike. There’s some stops in the city centre too.
link to eurobike-show.com
http://www.nextbike.net
The Show —
The first thing, which you’ve alluded to, is that it’s absolutely massive. Interbike has one big pavilion. Eurobike has perhaps seven. The next thing you’ll notice is the number of manufacturers whose bikes you’ve never seen before. Then you’ll realize they’re big, big brands in Europe and wonder why you’ve never heard of them.
Don’t count on the show’s wireless connections to be fast or consistent.
I’ll be in the SRAM booth each day. Look for the Quarq arm wrestle machine and power meters. If you like coffee, we have a barista and if you want to sit down we have an upstairs lounge for media meetings. Is that enticing enough to get you there?
Eating and Drinking —
The show has airplane-like food at its cafes, but there’s a selection of better, hot meals in the Bike Parcours. Along with beer (I don’t drink so I can’t give you any more info here) and crepes filled with Nutella (they’re fantastic and I devour them). Prices aren’t excessive. There’s a host of fast food outlets and restaurants in the town of Friedrichshafen. You will easily be able to find something to eat. Brush up on your German. Some restaurants and hotels don’t have English signage so choosing the male toilet can be difficult!
http://en.friedrichshafen.info
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
You can catch the TGV to Stuttgart, crash at our place, then rent a car or I can drive our van (need to score me a pass) :-). Bring a bike too!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Regarding the food: since some years I use to buy sandwiches and water out of the fair, in some little shops/supermarkets on the road. The quality of food out of the show is good, especially the meat dishes! but within the Fair, the quality is sometimes low, the prices (by Italian standards), high, and, especially during peak hours, there are long queues. There is also the option to buy carbo or protein bars (many stands sold them), but living three days on powerbars/powergels is not so good :( As for the beer, working in a Belgian company, we have unlimited supplies directly at the stand :D
Ehi, Troy, maybe we met last year: I wrenched the Quarq arm wrestle machine and perhaps it was you that explained the function and option of the power meter :)
I think we need some badge with a key phrase…just like “I’m addicted to DC Rainmaker blog” :D
ciao!
+1 for Krispy: PS. the comments really need an edit button ;-)
Don’t miss the Party at the Continental booth. Was a lot of fun last year! I’m not sure if it was Thursday or Wednesday…
Kind regards
Alex
Do not under any circumstances drive! OMG the tolls in France are almost twice what it will cost you to take a train and the train is less stressful. Buy a Europass for the weekend and you’ll be set. The trains in Germany really do run like clockwork and are clean and the food isn’t bad either. I do find the local trains more confusing but the regional trains are super easy.