Heads up! Here’s your massive list of sports tech deals! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $449, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium for $735, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, and plenty more! Go check out the full list here!
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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:
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You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
Just imagine how cool it would be to have a “realtime”-overlay that shows you an upcoming strava segment + how you’re doing performing (seconds behind or in front, watt/speed numbers) …. Shut up and take my money :)
4iiii’s already has a product, Cliiimb pro, that does what you’re looking for … check it out: link to 4iiii.com
Im currently working on a little android project to show real time info. Heres a vid I just made this morning,(android emulator). link to youtube.com
App also gives audio updates, but screen capture did not record audio.
Any way been using it for a while, works well for motivation, nothing like hearing/seeing your 2 seconds behind to make you dig a little deeper. (I have my Sony Active on my handlebars)
Still alot of work to do, but I might get a beta made public next week. I’m sure there will be lot more apps coming out soon as strava fully opened up its api in January again.
Forgot to say, would like to get it on google glass, but I need one first….
pend1, Strava Glass actually does this for Starred Segments. Disclaimer: I worked on it.
I’m wondering how difference of the placement of the screen feels -> top right vs. bottom right.
Come on. You are running and data gives You info to progres or You are analizing/following data and run is distubing You?
I am not a tech geek, so… how those tech geeks have gotten around the US shipping address requirement???
I have to go throuhg so much pain involving friends and colleagues to get stuff over to Europe!!
thanks!
Two alternatives to get US-only stuff sent to your place; http://www.shipito.com and http://www.myus.com
Yup. Here’s some detail on how I get stuff over: link to dcrainmaker.com
I tried MyUS, but found it rather clunky (and more expensive) than what I use today.
Just use a forwarding address in the US. Ray has written about this before.
I’ve been using Google Glass for just over a month. I also have a Garmin Forerunner 910XT with a PowerTap power meter on my Cervélo P3. I’ve found the cycling app extremely inaccurate compared to the Garmin. I’m not sure if it doesn’t have the processing power to keep up but it seems to always display the incorrect speed.
However, when running, Google Glass seems to be 99% accurate to my Garmin. I love using it while running.
While I don’t specifically have an app in development, I’ve been researching how to interface the ANT+ with the Google Glass and have some good ideas on how I might accomplish it.
Looking forward to your review on the device.
With Glass, is it possible right now to show a constant video stream from your cellphone camera?
Would be awesome to stick a phone on the back and use Glass as a rear mirror.
It’s only a matter of time when HUDs become USAT Section 3.4(l) equipment. It’ll only take a single on-course collision by a distracted HUD-wearing racer.
Google Glass would already be illegal under USAT Section 3.4(l) since it could be classified as a ‘personal audio device’. It would also be illegal under Section 6.3.
So what are Google Glass made of, anyway? Something impact-proof, or will they shatter into a million tiny pieces upon impact? What about the sun, do they darken when in sunlight?
I’ve had little interest in Google Glass or equivalent, but if I could find an actual use, I might be interested. Mostly, though, I use my cycling and x-c skiing time as a chance to get away, so having displays in my vision would be counterproductive. (So that’s why, when I go skiing this morning, I’m wearing my Fenix, two ANT+ sensors, and my Bluetooth headset connected to my iPhone to listen to podcasts. So I can get away. We live in our own little clouds of radio these days.)
According to the WIRED article,
link to wired.com
The federal government is going to require all new cars to have V2V communication.
How great would it be if Google Glass (or others) could ‘hear’ this communication and alert you a vehicle was approaching from behind or at an intersection?
Thanks,
Don
NYT article on same topic today. Pretty clear benefits for cyclist/runner safety in the brave new world when cars are prevented by sensors from striking us when some stupid teenager is texting or some red neck in Chattanooga tries to run down a cyclist
It’s really cool that you have gotten a pair of Google Glass. I really want them, but I require prescription lenses, and that will bring the price of the device over $2000. With a sub-par battery life, I think my best bet is to wait until after they upgrade the hardware, and release the device to the public.
Any idea where the focal point of the Google Glass display is (near/far)?
As a recreational athlete with aging eyes, I find myself increasingly reaching for “reading glasses.” Wrist or handlebar-mounted displays are requiring more time and effort for focus (unsafe).
Google Glass would have a real appeal to me if it means I can casually glance at performance data without having to refocus.
I’m not sure how best to describe the focal point, but I can say that many people have tried on my Glass, including several relatives that can’t order from a menu without reading glasses, and all of them have been able to see the screen clearly.
I am one of those people that wears Glass almost every day. Part of the fun is the forced interactions where people come up and ask about or make comments in passing.
While I can’t comment on Google Glass, a great solution to the problem of aging eyes for recreational athletes is cycling glasses from Dual Eyewear (www.dualeyewear.com). They have a built-in reading-glasses magnifier in the bottom of the lens, just in the right position to view your cycling computer, particularly if you have the computer mounted out front with a Bar Fly. The models SL2 and SL2 Pro, both with interchangeable lenses, work really well.
There’s also StickOn Bifocals, which is what I’ve been using, and others make similar lenses. The advantage is that you just put them on whatever you’re wearing currently. But the Dual Eyewear glasses look very nice, so thanks for the link! I may order a pair soon.
Heard about these guys on All About Android: link to byteanatom.com
Wow, crazy, they’re from about a mile away from where I used to live in the DC area.
Thanks for the link!
I might’ve missed this in the comments but still worth mentioning: OnTheGo Platforms is developing a running app called Ghost Runner for Google Glass.
As you run you’re paired with a “Ghost”. If it’s a course you’ve already run and you run slower, you’ll the Ghost ahead of you. First time on the course? Set the goal and the Ghost Runner appears to keep on target. Plus, you get a bunch of real time data. Hope this helps.
Hey Ray,
I’m very much looking forward to seeing what fitness-oriented apps become available for the likes of Google Glass. And with all the techieverse clamouring for smart watches, I’m surprised that Garmin have only just dipped their toe in with the new functionality in the Fenix that you reviewed.
Anyway, as someone who is completely immersed in the technology, I’d enjoy reading an article about what *you* think are some of the potential uses for this kind of tech…
So, if the App is like much like Google-Talk (video/voice both parties can share), then you can see your coach and talk to him/her right? If you can switch to another app via voice command, then on the fly by voice commands you switch to see your metrics live rather than looking down at your computer on your handle-bars (which leads to mistakes, like loosing your focus on the road). So I see some major coaching and safety benefits.