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.
You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! Plus, you'll be more awesome. Click above for all the details. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here!
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.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.
-
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?
-
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 think ray just likes to make the garmin guys walk all over the place for kicks since they most likely had rocks in the lobby at one of the hotels!
I also love how the old man fishing naked shows up as a “related” story :)
Plummer’s crack. Ray may be doing some photo ops with the Kardasians(as a model). Love you Ray. Thanks for all you do.
Nice one, great work, as usuell. Like the “how it works/making of” stories to get a look behind the sceenes. Greatings from Germany!
Funny – I have got some “pebbles” bit like where I work and I have taken the odd pic of a Garmin on them :)
Now I see nothing but the reflections on the Fenix3 and Epix. Also the Vivoactive is too tilted. :)
What!? No tripod? Just kidding. Good eye for using what is available. Outside light is always much better than artificial light. Interesting to see what you used for a camera.
I thought you shot most of your pictures with your iphone but here I see you holding a proper camera! (Canon by the looks, stab in the dark here, 5dII?)
7D, one of these days I might upgrade it, but just didn’t like what came in the 7DM2. Been watching rumors on the 5DM3…we’ll see.
I pretty much only use the iPhone for weekend shots (5 Random Things) as well as Twitter stuff.
What camera do you use when taking photos on a run ? Like when you ran the Santa run, you took lots of photos. And all at a 6 min / mile pace !
very briefly, why don’t you like the 7D MkII?
I’m sure Ray will weigh in at some point, but in the interim: Ray’s mentioned, but I can’t recall in exactly which post(s), that he often uses his VIRB for photos on runs. (He also has a Panasonic point-and-shoot tough cam that is waterproof and designed to take falls that he used to use for many of those shots, but I am almost sure that he said in some recent post that he now generally uses the VIRB instead.)
I’m both puzzled why you don’t like the 7dII and by what you mean with 5d3 “rumors” since it’s a camera that’s already out over 2 years. For these type of shots I’d pick the 5d3 or one of the next generation (there ARE plenty of rumors going around about a new model coming up) can’t beat the nice FullFrame images.
I’m surprised you use the 7d (I got that camera myself, but my main interest lies in wildlife use) as for myself I find the specs on the 7dII superior on nearly all fronts and those that aren’t superior are at least similar compared to the first edition.
Thanks for clearing up the iphone/full camera usage, makes totally sense in hindsight (iphone for twitter and summary pictures).
Sorry, mean 5DM4 rumors, not M3.
As for not liking the 7DM2, I was personally really liking for WiFi. The challenge I have is I do tons of shooting in the studio and I’d really like to have those files immediately sync’d to a file share and available. It was rumor’d to have it, and then cut at last minute due to the casing interfering with WiFi. While I can get the WiFi accessory – it’s silly expensive.
For photos on the run, I mix and match with the VIRB and the Panasonic, here: link to dcrainmaker.com
Oh, as for why I got the 7D…it’s because I’ve had it since before the 7DII came out. ;)
Bet the vendors get nervous with their last minute prototypes getting unplanned closeups. But Ray makes just about anything looking like a high-dollar photo studio shoot.
I’ve always loved your photography, great job Ray.
Thanks for the post Randy. I’m really enjoying your contributions to the site.
Thanks for always matching quality photography to your in-depth reviews and other posts.
I’ve enjoyed Randy’s posts, great addition to the blog, and now on top of that we get a “behind the scenes”. Awesome!
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better. :-)
+1 for this – one of the great benefits of a sidekick.
Randy, you did a good job these days. Ray must be happy. He can now take some Holidays. Ask for a salary rise
Keep up the great work Randy :D
I must admit that I missed something
Randy could you please introduce yourself
I feel like I woke up during surgery and I see that someone else is cutting me: D
Klonnolk, I like the surgery analogy. I guess it is quite frightening to wake up to me. I am Ray’s editor, and now co-correspondent. Ray enlisted me to help out at CES this year. You can read a bit more here:
link to dcrainmaker.com
Cheers!
Randy, I cannot say thank you enough for publicly announcing Ray’s walking paces. The man thinks it’s just me because I can never keep up! Just be glad you haven’t had to do the airport walk with him yet! He WILL leave you behind (or in my case stick you on the luggage cart and push you around the terminal!).
I hope you have had time to recover since the Las Vegas dry air CES Marathon!
The advantages of height. :-P
To The Girl: Yep, he’s a fast strider alright. I can only imagine the challenges you must face once he is underway. But, actually I’m a bit jealous of the luggage cart ride.
and i thought this was taken on a beautiful sunny beach with naked women in the background.
:( crushing
Any decent photographer gets good at having an “eye” for photo shoot locations.
True, but it takes a good mind to remember these spots while your mainly thinking about what the CES may come up with. But the pictures on this site are always nice so I bet Ray keeps in mind that photos will be needed and secretly adds a little “spot the nice photography places” to his daily agenda.