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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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.
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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.
Just an easy 5K in the morning then off to see my mom in hospital.
Skiing and/or running. Getting ready for a short deployment so spending as much time outside as possible despite the current weather in New Hampshire.
Run a couple of miles under the (now) biright blue sky :-)
Run on Valentine’s Day?….That would fly like a lead balloon!
Starting Valentine’s Day with a 5K race, then running home from the race to get in my scheduled miles.
I plan to run/walk my first 5k in 4 years. Possibly attempt to swim for the first time after shoulder surgery too.
Two hours of cross-country skiing
Ride my roadbike for the first time this year. Weather promises to be fine.
i live in N Florida and there are replicas of Columbus’ ships the Nina and Pinta docked at the coast. I’m joining a group of cyclists to ride to tour the ships. Should be interesting!
Valentine’s day will be another tentative to push her for the 5k
Too cold to ski in New England! The wifey and I will be putting in some swim time at the pool instead.
Nice ski rides in Bromont, Québec
I’ll be running 7 miles on Saturday.
Going for a scenic mtb ride with my girlfriend.
Two hour slow run tomorrow.
with a forecast in the teens it’s going to be nothing but the treadmill
Long relaxing family bike ride.
I live outside of Boston. Almost certain I’ll be shoveling snow!
A short run before getting on a flight to California!
5 miles on the treadmill for me, then for us special Valentine’s Day cupcakes (chocolate/raspberry) at our favorite restaurant.
Gonna put in some kilometers on the treadmill and try to run off some of that valentines day pancake breakfast my ladies are expecting. :)
A family bike ride, stopping for refreshments on way home
40 minute easy treadmill run. Then a date with my wife.
Short run then on a plane to California!
5 mile run then to Orlando for work. Get back and off to can fun for a few days of relaxing with my wife.
A 2 hours long run early in the morning and a repairing breakfast with my wife.
Just a nice little 6-7 mile trail run through some deep snow!
I’ll be doing a 12K training run in the morning then off to the Where Memories Meet cafe (http://www.wherememoriesmeet.com) for afternoon tea with my wife (and missing England Vs Italy in the Six Nations which is a clear demonstration of my love!)
Oh, there’s likely a trainerroad session in my future for Saturday.
11-mile training run (training for Surfer’s Path Marathon) followed by foam rolling session!!
Training run on Saturday, probably about 5 miles.
15 miles, up and down the Newton hills in Boston. In part because it’s one of the few roads plowed and safe for runners around here!
Just a regular saturday morning: hour of swimming and a long run.
20 mile bike ride early enough to be home and make breakfast for the family.
An 80km ride, with a 40min run off the bike in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia hoping the duststorms will pass!!
Does carrying a kid through cold and snow count as a workout?
All depends on who or what you think I should be riding ;-p on valentines day
A 5K ParkRun with my slower but undoubtedly better half :)
Jog with my pregnant wife and try not to let her beat me.
Today: squats and deadlifts so my butt will look good by candelight. Tomorrow: a 7mi hill run while my sweetie runs her team’s basketball practice. Then a pleasant trail run together. No racing, for once!
Wife has me joining her for crossfit. I’ll run her into the ground on Sunday as payback…I mean love.
We’re both running 24 miles on the trails to get ready for the Gorge 50K in March!
An hour of P90X stretch followed by a nine mile trail run.
My HM-trainingplan says “a 2-hour longjog”: so that’s what I’m going to do on Saturday.
Greetings!
Resting before the Austin Half Marathon on Sunday!
14 mile aerobic run in the afternoon. The Santa Anas are blowing right now so hopefully it will be less than 90degF.
running a 10k in the snowy forest of Meggerwald, Switzerland
That’s great Daniel, I’m always eager to go for a run there when visiting my sister in Meggen.
A 15 KM early morning :-)
5k treadmill
32k, still plugging away at the ultra training…
Tomorrow my wife and I will go for a 1h run while our 6 year old will be biking next to us.
My race for valentines day is to the flower and back to my love. One of the most important ones in this year
On Valentine’s day I’ll be running 8 kilometers at easy and relaxed pace, with 5-6 sprints towards the end, just to be ready for the Giulietta and Romeo half marathon in Verona (Italy) to be held on Feb. 15th
A 2 hour long run.
10k tempo
It’s brick day with a 2 mile swim followed by 6-10 mile run
Red flannel run in Des moines.
45 minutes jog at 120-135 bpm. Hate going so slow but that’s what FBA has scheduled
a nice swim in the gulf, right down the street from c.t.
Training for a 10k while my fiancé waits patiently at home (or in the bar!).
A mixed workout of weights (kettle bells and dumbbells) and a 1 hour run at my local health club.
4 mile run with lots of hills…
Well, what training on S.Vantines day? 3000mt swim in the morning and 12km run in the afternoon! Dubai challenge 70.3 is coming!
A 10 K run in the afternoon along the Loire!
60 min recovery ride on the trainer
Saturday morning is gonna be an easy 5 miles run before Sunday’s long run !
I have a scheduled ride on TrainerRoad part of the Short Power Build training plan.
Planning a 100km bike ride if I can kick the flue bug. My wife and I don’t celebrate Valentines, it is the only day of the year I cannot buy her flowers. Might go pulling faces at the lovers in the restaurants with the kids later.. :-)
13.1 miles should hit the spot. But not too many hills :-)
A run along the bluff in Del Mar overlooking the ocean and up through Torrey Pines State Park.
Indoor spinning
An easy 3 mile slow run at the nearby indoor athletic dome together.
A 12 mile run with the last half at tempo.
Given the forecast I’m planning on a couple hours of snow shoveling and some trainer road.
Long run EARLY Saturday, the rest of the weekend alone with the wife. No kids, no work, just fun.
2HR ride on the trainer
Taking my honey to Kona. With the kids. Hoping they catch my triathlon addiction, and dont notice that Im gone too much while enjoying the IM Champ course.
Wait until it gets above 0°F and then cross country ski for a couple hours with my wife. Only one more week til the birkie!
I plan to run 6km at the morning as usual with 6min/km pace
Early morning swim, run and then I’m hers!
Rest day for training so tonight is a nice family walk. V-Day is long day so up early and to the gym to run on indoor track – brrrrr cold outside here.
20 mile marathon training run. Last long one before the race!
Will start with some quality recreation with my Valentine, then a cold run over the bridge and through the hills.
A leisurely 5K, but hopefully I can convince her into a 10K.
On Valentines day, I will go for a early morning xc ski in the Norwegian woods, before taking the the pregnant (twins) girl for a hike and catering for her the rest of the weekend.
In the morning an easy ride in D2. After that buying some roses and pleasing my lovely girls! ;-)
Ottawa Winterlude day with the family. Morning fun sliding and kids activities followed by an afternoon skate at Canada’s longest skating surface in (Canal Rideau).
An early morning run, crossfit and then spending the rest of the day with the kiddos.
Well, now i’m sure of going on a road bike ride on valentines day… to make myself feeling hungry for a romantic dinner in the evening ;)
A great ride of cross-country skiing with my girlfriend!
A nice long trainer workout. I’ll be up bright and early so I can get it out of the way before I get to work on a romantic breakfast!
Early morning group run with the awesome runners of Lake Nona Run Club link to lakenonahalfmarathon.org
A 4.2 mile run on “the Path” around Chastain Park.
1h30 on bike trainer! and some lobster risotto later.
A run with Dad!
My wife and I will be doing a 16-mile trail run together as we prepare for our first trail ultra next month.
A nice, easy 5-6 miles hopefully not on the treadmill!
My wife is leaving me for the weekend to spend time with 3 other girls in a vertical wind tunnel. As such I will be spending the weekend with our puppy and have 40 miles cycling (hopefully outside… unless it is snowy) and 15 miles running.
I have a foot injury so there’s no training related plans for the coming days but I still plan to spend some wonderful time with my fiancée on Valentine’s Day :)
A well-timed cutback week for me! Easy 60 min trainer ride tomorrow and a slow 5 miles on Sunday