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!
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.
Did you meant to say “This was…fun.”
Thanks for the fun contest! Since I didn’t win, I just placed my order for a Fenix 3 Sapphire to replace my. . . 920xt! (I’m glad I hadn’t used it yet – found out about the Fenix 3 from this site a few hours before my first swim.) The VIP discount from CleverTraining is much appreciated.
Go big or go home, a good mirror image of my other Vegas losses.
Nice win Nick – are you packing your bags for Vegas?
Congats guy!!!
Having gone myself I thought I had a good advantage guessing a close figure but I guessed quite a bit higher simply due to guessing you completed two/three run workouts while there.
i need to stop advertising your site to my friends – to many people paricipating in giveaways ;) ;)
Congrats and thanks for having a fun contest!
Congratulations.
Ray, I’m really surprised at how low the number is. Only 17,000 steps/day? Slacker.
A couple of minor point on this post, the contest was for the steps from Sunday through Friday.
It sure looks like 3 people guessed in the 103’s.
Thanks for running a great website, and doing fun things like this. Are you going to post other stats about your “week”? I know the contest said steps only, but how many miles/calories/flights of stairs, etc.?
Yeah, the Monday offset things quite a bit – otherwise a solid 20K+ day each day for the regular conference days.
Distance total was 59.97 miles, though, there’s about 23 miles of that as runs.
Oh wow I was way off with 199,999! Congrats to the winner!
This was indeed the trickiest contest but the most funniest. Congrats
Congrats Nick!
it would be easier to guess the hrs of sleep during the week. Thats like one in five chances! ;) Thanks for the fun post Ray.
great contest idea. :)
Missed it by about 30,000 steps. Congrats Nick! hopefully I’ll have better luck in the future.
lol I missed just by a little 200000+ steps…
Is th Fitbit your everyday tracker?
I live my vivofit
Honestly, it’s tough. I go through so many activity trackers that I’m not sure I feel any is ‘my’ activity tracker any more, in terms of being my go-to one. Up until recently I would have said the Fitbit Zip since I like the clip-on ones sometimes. But honestly, I really like the Surge as well.
What is the one in the pic? Is that what to expect when the Surge comes out?
Thanks
Hi Ray,
Even if any activity trackers is not your any more, do you use any centralized storage for the data from multiple trackers and other devices?
Congrats Nick and thanks for the fun Ray!
Thats the closest I’ve ever come to wining anything!!! Always a bridesmaid… ;)
Any consilation prize?
I’m curious Ray, as you said yourself about how you go through so many fitness trackers and devices do you feel you’re able to accurately paint a solid picture of all that you do? I ask because I just don’t think I could have my activity spread out among so many devices and methods for tracking. Every manufacturer has a tool for tracking and what not so there is no doubt you’ve got the data out there but ideally that data would be centralized and with all those devices changing and even with multiple devices possibly tracking the same training then you’d have duplicate data in any centralized repository so it seems no matter your facing quite the task of ensuring the integrity of your metrics. For instance I can’t imagine ever getting a device from anyone but Garmin at this point solely because I feel my data is pretty locked in. Of course I do push it all to TrainingPeaks which is really where the data lives that I use so maybe I’m losing sight of things and thinking too much about it. Bah.. just wondering.
missed it by 12000.
Cant wait for the surge review!
So i couldn’t get the code to work with any of the new Garmin stuff. Does the VIP program?
Yup, the VIP program covers all the newer Garmin products (Garmin requirement) – so no problems saving 10% there with it (whereas the general coupon code is limited for about 7-8 products). Here’s the link to get all signed up: link to dcrainmaker.com
Thanks for the support!
Darn. I totally miscalculated on how many steps you do per km… 1500 instead of far below 1200… Forgot that you are quite tall… :-)
:
#75 100001 Sam fenix 3 ans everything related tout powermeters
#393 100001 Keng Fenix 3
#575 100960 Uwe The fenix3 of course now that it tracks activity as well.
#576 100960 Lauren K. The Garmin Vivoactive GPS smartwatch! Looks like it might have everything I need in one small package.
#1758 101000 Mike Fenix 3 because it looks like a pretty awesome next watch after my 910xt (which has been great).
#891 101010 Dsoler Epix or fenix 3, but I’ll wait until my trusty old 405 dies (unless I won)
#1479 101234 Benoit V. The Fenix looks nice.
#1929 101234 stephen butler Looking forward to the vivoactive so i can wear one watch for all of my activites
#170 102030 Jan The Garmin Epix could be a great device, wondering how it shakes out in real life!
#275 102500 MikeDozer Epix. Full map cappable multisportwatch on my wrist? Count me in!
#632 102958 David The Fenix 3 as it combines a round watch form factor with every high end feature of any other Garmin sports product combined (Edge, Forerunner, and more).
#784 103334 Den I really like Garmin Fenix 3. It is the most good looking triathlon watch out there!
#785 103334 Johan Most exited aboat the edge 1000 unit this year
#786 103334 Grzesiek Garmin Fenix 3
#1251 104000 B Bloch Most excited about the Fenix 3 ,
#1252 104000 Kgreene 4iiii power meter
#1317 104437 Marty Serausks fitbit surge is in transit!
#824 104500 Dominik B Garmin Fenix 3 – a trail runner’s choice, great to have some competition with Suunto and Polar devices
#1764 104500 Martin Dalskov The Garmin Vivoactive and Garmin Connect IQ in general.
#287 104659 Rui Silva Femix 3, because looks a nice watch.
#1867 104671 Runnermax FR920xt –> i simply love it!
#49 105000 Matt Excited about the Fenix3, which seems to be a trail runners dream. Waiting for the review and might get if no bad bugs are included.
#237 105000 Jurgen Schreuder Garmin Fenix 3
#1705 105323 jean fenix 3 and vivoactive, look and great feature!
#1706 105323 Steven Laflin Fenix
#1096 105462 Katie M The Fenix 3 and Vivofit sound pretty sweet!
#1643 106666 Puffolino Garmin Fenix 3 – cool functions and good design (soemthing new to Garmin)
#82 106762 Derick The 4iiii’s Precision Power Meter. 154,748 steps
#83 106762 Azmora Fenix 3 Saphir
#2073 106839 Eric Garmin 920 or Fenix 3 to get ready for my first full 140.6
#1703 106841 Rich New power meters!
:
Congratz,
Was there a hidden clue somewhere with the exact steps count?
Nope, I published before I had even walked the final day. :)
But in your contest announcement post you said:
“Now, I’ve left some hints along the way since Sunday”
I couldn’t find any specific hints (well there was your run experience). Even the picture at the top showing 20254 wasn’t from any of your days at the expo based on the results posted here.
it’s interesting to see if the average in comments is close to the real thing :)
Great contest and congrats Nick!
Now we need a “How many cupcakes” quiz. :)
Ray,
Tell us what we really want to know–how much money did you lose at the tables??? Those lights don’t stay on for free.
Wahoo! I’ve never won one of those jelly bean count contests either :) I didn’t catch any of your clues, but I I did get a good estimate of how much you might walk in a day at CES based on
link to gizmodo.com
I then added a few thousand a day because it was you and I knew you’d be testing or using a bunch of fitness gadgets. That got me to 103,000. The 735 was just randomly chosen off the top of my head and pure luck. Now I’m going to really have to think hard on what I’m going to get! I was pretty stoked when I saw my name as the winner. Thanks everyone for the congrats and thanks for putting on the giveaway!
Ray,
Are you going to have a review on the Surge out soon?
Ha, you tricked me with that Tweet earlier in the week!
Congrats Nick Young!