Heads up! Here’s your massive Black Friday 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.
Long ride Saturday of 50 miles. 10 mile run Sunday n
Nice run in the morning Saturday before a long day at work, then Sunday 30 mile bike ride with some good climbs.
thank you
Bike commute to work.
90km – 2 loops of the cradle of humankind, at altitude.
No running!
this week i am in Berlin for work without my race bike
Spirited ride with some friends both Saturday and Sunday after week of no riding
No plans, cycle a bit and watch Abu Dhabi cycling tour
This sunday my first maratho, Eindhoven Netherlands.
And first suggests that there will be more…. let’s find out Monday
Swim / Ride Sat. Ride Sunday.
Hills training in the peak District, UK!
Learning to raise my cadence with some small training :-)
3hour ride by mountainbike
Long ride out from East Hampton to Montauk!
Hoping to get out with my wife out for a ~10 mile test run planning her half marathon goal pace in a few weeks.
Long ride saturday
Mile swim sat and Sunday. 5 mile run Sunday
Training ramps up this weekend for an Ironman in 2016.
Long Ride Saturday, probably on trainer. Velodrome for 2nd lesson in the evening. Sunday Longish ride, probably also on trainer, then Velodrome for 3rd lesson in the evening. Naps planned as well
80k or so Saturday maybe a bit shorter plus a swim on Sunday.
Riding plans this week – none, vacation with the family!
70 Mile Ride saturday (zone 2) , 1 hour turbo sunday with 30 mins Z3, fun fun!
90min ride with 2x30min Tempo; 180min ride
50 or so hilly miles in the North Pennines on Saturday. Out with the Girl on the tandem Sunday.
I’m going to ride across the golden gate bridge and go to the headlands and watch some of the planes fly around for fleet week
Iron Maori duathlon Saturday . Swim Sunday
Mountain Bike rides all three days! Thanks Ray
My “training plans” are more like “recovery plans” – a short 30 minute run after my first full marathon on Oct 4.
I’ll be happy to squeeze in some miles Saturday around work. Sunday will be the day of miles; sunny, mild and no wind – how can it be passed up for anyting under 50miles??
Riding 100k fund raiser for Richmond (Illinois) Firefighter’s Fund.
My training this weekend involves sitting in front of the TV and watching IM Kona!
Hopefully that (and winning this prize) will give me enough motivation to get up and go for a looooooong run.
That’s the plan, anyway!
off season, so a little light trail running..
Club ride on Sunday
Nice easy recovery run from last Sundays marathon.
Quick weekend ride to your usual coffee spot.
10 mail trail race
A large bowl of ice cream followed by a day on the couch.
Tri training has taken a back seat since Investing in a hydrofoil kiteboard- I intend to spend as much of the weekend as possible learning to levitate (hover board style!)
slow time recovery post 5-hour trail run, including reading dcrainmaker’s posts! Thanks.
Nothing this weekend, to I ill make up for it on monday!
No ride, going to my girlfriends sis wedding :)
Easy 5K walk Saturday; Greenline half marathon in Memphis, TN Sunday.
Nice 70 k Gravel road ride in perfect canadian fall weather!
On vacation: no bike – no training ;-(
7 mile trail run Saturday and 25 miles on the bike Sunday. Master’s 5k XC Champs next weekend in Saratoga Springs, NY!
No cycling just running this weekend.. Some ABC and interval training
Many trips back and forth to the fridge!
Chasing a two year old and an 8 month old around while mom gets a weekend off.
Doing all sorts of jobs around the house instead of enjoying spring on the bike!
10km x 3 to burn off Canadian thanksgiving!
Prediction: I win.
Driving to my next trail… A few states away.
How to connect edge 520 to bkool with all accesories using strava segments?
a 10 km run on Saturday in Hampstead Heath (London area)
Mountain bike training loops both Saturday and sunday
Still nursing 2 injured feet;(( So…waiting about 3 more weeks – just in time to use (hopefully) my new Garmin Edge 520!!
35 mile gravel grinder on Saturday and my first CX race on Sunday (on a MTB) that is being put on by our team.
Rest weekend for me!
Child care duties.
Busy weekend, so no training for me. But need a 520 to use with the Kickr this winter :)
Guess it was too late? But a long ride on Sunday and a fast paced ride on Saturday
20km run on Sunday
Bike, Run, Swim, Bike, Run, Swim…
Hill training for an upcoming climb to Clingmans Dome, in Gatlinburg,TN
Bike Ride on Sunday.
Long run (18 miles) in the pouring rain Saturday and nice easy recover run (5 miles) Sunday.
Long slow run!
First MTB ride of season 15/16
Racing CX… best training for racing CX.
I think my CX bike is gonna get a trip of the groomed paths.
Enjoying the perfect fall weekend and peak colors in MN with some nice, easy long rides wherever the road will take me.
Quick ride through the park.
35 mi trail ride planned Saturday. Love your blog!
Trainer/treadmill watching the Kona coverage.
Hopefully*, 100km on Saturday and cafe stop on Sunday.
*Environment permitting. Stupid air pollution!
Hopefully getting in something!
15 mile run on Saturday. Marathon is 4 weeks from Saturday.
Tempo riding, 55 miles. Thank you Ray!!
a 250 km ride on Saturday in my roadie
Getting back in the pool, a run and making beer…what? That’s nutrition right?
Stuck bolted to a seat for 4000 miles tomorrow so… quick 10k on Saturday.
Nice easy ride on the local singletrack!
Finishing up 30 days of running everyday with a long run on Saturday(1:30+) and a nice and easy 5k on Sunday.
Shoveling gravel Saturday, I’ll rest up Sunday with a ride in the Sierra Nevada
Very little – I’ll be walking parkrun but that’s about it. I do not recommend developing lower back pain. Lift using your legs, not your back, and try and keep good posture when sitting and standing. All races are off the table until this resolves itself. Which sucks.
By the way, there’s going to be a parkrun set up in Paris in a while! Keep an eye on link to parkrun.fr and you’ll hopefully see it soon.
8 mile run along Lake Michigan
50 mile bike the coast of Southern California with my wife on Saturday
Hoping to recover from a bug I caught a few days ago and go for an easy recovery spin.
Spring at last – long bike ride on the agenda plus some windsurfing (x-training)
Running 5-6 miles Saturday
A long run on Sunday
4h hilly ride + 4km pool swim
Probably do 40-50 mile ride on Sunday. Probably up and down the Berkeley Hills.
first time in Washington DC so will be just a few errands there to try to see the historical places and if I’m luck (boss allow) use the hotel gym
Visiting on Groote Eyelandt, hot dusty tropical. Plan to squeeze in a 10k sometime.
Doing a 60 mile loop around golden gate park in San Francisco!
~50-mile ride around the Bloomington, Indiana area.
Sunday is 20k . Training for the Athens Authentic Marathon on the 8th Nov.
Team TT training on Saturday and Hill epicness on Sunday!
Long run on Sunday
No training this weekend we’re getting married :)
Some canyon rides.
Recovery Ride on sunday After trx Training
Recovery ride Friday, hill climb on Saturday, and an endurance ride in the valley on Sunday.
Saturday intervals then Sunday long run
It’s the last weekend before Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront half marathon. A few short runs left between now and the race.
Fall colours bike ride and Sunday long run
Just Riding – road / mountain whatever comes up
I plan on doing a long bike ride (75 miles) followed by a 3 mile run on Saturday and then a 90 minutes swim session focused on technique and breakout speed.
I’d love to do sports this weekend but I have to work :-(
Hopefully the sun will be shining, my batteries need recharging.
Easy trail run in the wilderness out my back door.
Will do what is probably my last long outdoor ride of the year before I’m forced inside by a Chicago winter. No rush on that 2015-16 Trainer Guide. Cough.
25 road biking miles on saturday to open legs for CX race on sunday
Fall ride on Saturday. Run along the water on Sunday.
Thanks, Ray!
Long run on Sunday.
Long ride home from work in 30+ degrees C along the beach for some of it. Maybe something Saturday afternoon, haven’t decided yet.
Sunday watching motorsport from Bathurst all day.
70 km road ride Saturday with my riding buddy… Spin it out on Sunday.
This weekend I will be training for a faster 10km in a beautiful dutch town :-)
A 10km Friday night, a short cycle saturday, and a big hike sunday.
I’m going to mostly eat food and have a weekend off training.
Saturday morning coffee ride with the group and on Sunday will be testing out a new bike.
No riding. Funeral out of town. Maybe a walk?
trainer ride while watching Kona and a sunday long run
That’s simple: 100km ride in the autumn sun on saturday and a 10k run on sunday to prepare for next weeks half marathon
cheers
Mainly recovering with easy open water swimming
Enjoying the Australian spring with a social ride in the hills.
Im doing a long run.
Driving from Perth to Pemberton for a weekend cycling and camping with my cycling mates. A 240km in hilly terrain is planned. Go MamilYeah!
18 mile long run, beginning my taper for a 50k on the 24th.
Training preparation for crossing the Alps on mtb bike
Previous week have been a bitt rough on me, so this weekend will be mostly spent walking – in particular since I need to do a lot of shopping before visiting my family beck in Sweden (Bringing gifts to nephews are essential!)
I’m debuting the 2016 season with an FTP test în the trainer an some trail running în the nearby woods as cross-training.
5km-ish run with my Dad in the ravine trails near my house.
Ride 50-60 Sunday and run 15 Monday
Training for valencia marathon
Hoping to run around the bay run in Sydney twice.
Budapest Marathon on Sunday
I’ll probably just take a short run with my son pedaling like a maniac on his 12″ bike next to me.
My training finds me in Portland, OR this weekend. Unfortunately, I’ve got an injured foot, so my epics trail runs are getting replaced by as many hiking miles as my bones can handle! Training for the soul is how I’m looking at it!
Just a bike ride with my son as extra weight :)
Stuck at a desk, but dreaming of riding up Mt. Baldy.
roadbike ride on saturday morning, 30minutes run in the forest at night ( race, as many km as possible in 30m). first real mtb ride on sunday!
Riding my first MTB marathon for Breast Cancer awareness Saturday and a long ride Sunday.
I will be running Hässelbyloppet, a 10km race i Stockholm
Sufferfest Blender + 3 run on sat
15 mile run Sun
94k SouthWest of Paris
120km cycling to the beach Sunday morning.
Plan to go for 20 mile ride and try some bouldering.
I’m doing the Strava Gran Fondo 120 Challenge (120+km/74.5+mi) on Saturday morning and a Sunday morning 40km/25+ fast paced club ride. Just because. :-)
Short run on Saturday and short ride on Sunday.
Easy trail running in the mountains near the Olympic town of Lillehammer, Norway.
Going on a hike in the Sierras. No cycling this weekend…
Easy road ride out and back through the canyon.
Quick run to break in new running shoes
I plan doing absolutely nothing this weekend.
You are welcome.
75 mile bike + 6 mile run on Saturday
1 hour threshold interval run on Sunday
Running for the first time in a week after exams tomorrow. Looking forward to it while simultaneously dreading it
I’m training to be a football player this weekend. Ok not really. But I can pretend.
Going up the local hill climb with friends.
Just going to try to get out for a spin and get the legs turning over
Bike ride from Laguna beach in Orange County to Long Beach and back.
Just had an acting out of my disc herniation in my c4-c5-c6. So I’m resting at the moment
Hi
This week end wedding, so training on my win and champagne skill
Mainly recovering and resting my injured knee
Heading out for a couple of rides this weekend, Sat out with the group, tear up the pavements of Perth, and scare a few crows. Sunday up into the hills around Perth, lots of little ups and downs, and summer is still a month or so away, so temps still down in the early 30’s (C).
As it’s currently-10ºC outside, I’ll probably be running, not cycling, and dropping some €€€ on a trainer (once I read your 2016 recommendations :) )
Swimming 1,500 meters on Friday, lifting on Saturday, and running 9 miles on Sunday in anticipation of running in the Bourbon Chase Run next Friday with 11 other friends. Sunday afternoon volunteering at the Ironman-Louisville Race as an aid station attendant for several hours encouraging amazing athletes to become Ironman Finishers! (Assuming the race is still happening if swim portion is cancelled).