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…
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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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.
Congrats!! Strap a GoPro to the baby’s head so we can see what it’s like to be a baby!
Congratulations to you both!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to both of you! And… get enough sleep while you still can ;)
Congrats both of you! Anticipating reviews of jogging strollers!
So adorable- and I wouldn’t have expected anything other than a baby gadget to make the announcement!
Congratulations. I had my doubts already on changing the job was only because of the travel.
We wish you a good and healthy time.
And after 9 to 10 months you can use a running stroller (mountain buggy terrain). Our son loves it, especially during 10K and 10EM races :)
Congratz!
Congrats to both of you. Can’t wait to see the new products being tested!
Fantastic news, guys! All the very best wishes.
Congrats!!! I’m feeling happy with you!
Congratulations. The end of the blog as we know it. Lol.
Congratulations! You’ve provided so much knowledge and entertainment to so many, I wish you every happiness.
Congratulations!
Congratulations! Children bring Joy
Congratulations to you both!
congrats to you both…
Congrats Ray and Bobbie!!
Congratulations!
Many, many congratulations to you and The Girl! Get ready for the most important thing you’ve ever done!
Congratulations to you and The Girl!
Well done to both of you, you beautiful couple!
Congrats!!
And maybe we’ll be seeing less of the blog as you raise your new one.
Congrats to you both. Exciting times :-)
I knew it, I knew it!
See, I knew it:
link to dcrainmaker.com
Ciao Ray,
congratulations to you and the Girl…. Enjoy the trip…
Congratulations! Oh, and you thought life was busy *before* you quit your job. :-)
Congrats to you both. From personal experience you are lucky Ray that you have survived for years with very limited sleep.
Big congrats on this and many many more Rainmakers.
Congrats to both of you. A truly lucky baby to have healthy, fit parents. A wee bit of advice from the father of 3 girls- ages 51,48 and 42. They are your children your whole life, even though the IRS won’t let you claim them as deductions. I won’t even mention Grandchildren.:) Nick
That’s awesome news! Congrats to both of you. Let the roll coaster ride begin. :)
Ray, Congratulations to you and The Girl! Living in Paris, it was bound to happen! Wishing nothing but the best for you, The Girl, and BabyRainMaker (THAT will take on a whole new meaning for ya! LOL).
Congratulations Ray and the Girl
That is amazing news I look forward to baby related device testing for when I have to give up the fitness toys for baby junk :(
Robin
You did not say if it was planned. Either way congrats. Will it be Bluetooth compatible? I see a lot of tweets at 2 or 3am coming.
5 Things I did this weekend:
1. Change diapers.
2. Tried to bike but….wait….had to change diapers.
3. Tried to run but….wait…. had to change diapers.
4. Tried using trainer but….wait….to loud….had to change diapers
5. You get the point. Rinse and repeat.
Good luck.
WooHoo! Congrats
Nice Work!!
All the best to The Girl and you!
It will change your lifes in a way you won’t expect. Everything will be different and that’s the funny thing … it will work completly different from what all good friends, strangers like us here and anybody else told you … but it will work and it will be ìn your very own way ? Enjoy the time before, the sleep at the moment and all the time when little DCR explores the world.
Perfect timing! My wife and I are expecting twins at the end of July / Start of August so I will paying attention to baby gadgets closely.
félicitations !
(If you need medical advices or assistance lean toward me if you want/need/whatever)
Congratulations!
I propose you follow up the project from time to time and write an in-depth review after 9 months. Think again before you send this one back and get a new one through normal retail channels.
Congratulations!
I believe just for once, the unpacking section of the review is unnecessary.
Best post ever :-). Congratulations
Congratulations! :)
Wow, big news! I wish you and the girl all the best for the big adventure. And allow me to give you an advice as a father of two: Sleep as long you can!
Wow.congrats
Terrific news, congratulations to you both.
Wonderful – Congrats!
Félicitations! Bonne grossesse pour The Girl.
Alles Gute. Liebe Grüsse
Simon
Congrats. I guess a new blog will be up … Called. “The baby”
Congrats, Ray and The Girl!
Congratulations ! We wish you all the best.
Congratulations, so very happy for you and The Girl!
Congrats!!!
Way to go Ray and the Girl, congrats
awesome news! Congrats!
Congratulations — that’s great news!! Very clever way to let your fans know, too!
Terrific news! I wish you both all the best!
Congratulations to both of you!!!! It was about time =)
Wooohooo!! Happy times ahead for you and the Girl! Huge congrats to all the family!
Congrats!!!!
If it’d be a boy, I suggest Tom(tom) or Paul(ar) as names.
Congratulations!
Congrats!
Congrats to the both of you!
Huge huge huge congratulations Ray&Bobby
Long time lurker – but my first comment here – congratulations from Boulder, CO
Thats great new! All the best to you all and Congratulations ! Unfortunately our kids don’t fit in this category anymore as otherwise we could have avoided a lot of experiments on tools and gadgets by just reading your baby blog and your recommendations …
Congratulations to you and The Mom!
Congrats! Great times ahead Ray:)
Awww! Congrats you guys! Big news. Lovely announcement!
Great news. Love every minute of it!
Congrats to both.
Congrats!
Congrats Ray and The Girl!! Welcome to parenthood!
Looking forward to the new **Baby Tech** section of your web site.
Have fun with “The Baby” or “The Boy”. (as, “the girl” name is already taken)
or… Le bébé?
Congrats to You & The Girl – Life will never be the same again, it will only get better!
You need to Google Sproutling for the first gadget…! Congratulations!
Without a doubt, best post at dcrainmaker.com ever! Congratulations to you both. You will never be so tired, but also you will never be so happy!
Felicidades!!!!!
The best for your family
A big congratulations, I figured with all the advanced testing going on something was afoot. In this case hopefully two feet and two hands as well.
Congrats.
Congrats Ray!!!
Huge congratulations!
Fantastic news, congratulations!
Cool, congratulations Ray! Perhaps when he/she turns 21, you can do an in-depth review. ;-)
Mazel Tov!!!!!!!!
Congratulations both of you. That is fantastic news.
Great news, big congratulations!
Congratulations Ray!
Toutes mes félicitations !! Bienvenue au futur bébé .
Greatest post i read on your Blog.
Congratulations. Is it a just a coincidence that Garmin comes out with their baby cam now?
Totally Cool!
Congratulations, does this mean The Girl is going to be renamed The Mum :)
Fantastic news, congrats! My oldest is 19 today, and away at college. Buckle up, you’re jumping on a wild roller coaster! ;-)
Contrats guys!!! :-)
Congratulations to you and the Girl.
Sleep tracking – ha – good luck.
Congratulations :-)
We are 14 months in, and it does change your training! A very different life, but you grow as they grow!
I can’t wait for the in-depth review on this one.
Big Congrats to both of you!
Ray, all those years of training (and I mean jet lag, 2 jobs and the like) will come very very handy!
Can’t wait to meet The Kid.
Hi!
Congratulations to you and The Girl. I wish you both the best of luck and happiness!
Nice!!!
Congrats!
Congrats to you guys!!
You have been given a precious inheritance. – Psalms 127:3
Much happiness to you both!
Great news! Congrats!
Congratulations to you and the Girl!!! Welcome to the exiting, terrifying, enjoyable, worrisome, tiring, invigorating, ever changing, ever rewarding world of parenthood. The best race I’ve ever been a part of.
Good. Finally we will get some pro advices for father training sleep deprived!
Congrats from Rio!
And now we know what you were alluding to, when you said ‘And maybe we’ll make some more big changes…you’ll just have to wait and see.’
Good luck with your new career, that as a dad. You’ll be awesome, just let things happen, we don’t need reviews ?
Awesome news. Congrats to the both of you!
Congrats to you both!
Congrats! Here @ Miami, FL with my own girl we are also on expansion mode ! Loved this post.
So… When do the baby monitor reviews start rolling in? My 2nd is on the way, and I need a DCR product comparison chart to make some decisions.
Awesome, congrats. As a Dad of two boys, 13 and almost 11 y/o – well, parenthood is about the most rewarding thing you can imagine. Every age is different. And great. Wishing you and the Girl all the best.
Congratulations! You’ll hear how much “time” the little ones take, and they do. But you won’t mind. They’re worth every moment!
Congrats to you both!
Congratulations!
No baby name suggestions yet? Is Garmin a boy or girls name?
Congratulations.
Congratulations to you and Bertie!!!!!
Woo hoo! Congratulations!
Huge congrats to you both!
Welcome to the best possible excuse for a sleep deprivation torture experiment :)
[insert well meaning and completely unsolicited advice here]
Ray, congrats. As a father of two, who are now 6 & 5, I know the joys, and now they come with stresses, but its the best!
Congratulations to you and your wife. Do you currently feel like there’s so many projects that you’d like to do for the blog but simply don’t have enough time to do them all? As father to a two and a half year old son, I can promise you that your “back burner” will get exponentially further away from you.
It’s absolutely all worth it though, enjoy!
Also, best get that Emfit testing done well before July or your data is going to be super wonky!
Great news
Well done!
Massive congrats!
We’ve got a little one on the way too due for arrival in May! Scary!
Congratulations to you both!
Exciting news and exciting times.
exciting
Congratulations on your upcoming alarm clock. It won’t be like anything you’ve reviewed in the past and they don’t come with instructions manual. Really happy for you both.
Congrats! I wouldn’t trade being a dad for anything.
Congrats! Enjoy!
congrats,
now you will finally find out some much asked questions :)
* do sleep trackers (you put under your bed) handle nightly interruptions well or not
* do they handle a third person in the bed
* do they handle high heart rates correctly
in any case enjoy every moment, they evolve at such a pace every day is different.
h
Will the new one be referred to as The Little Girl or The Guy or something like The No. 1 Baby ? Either way i could see he/she is probably going to experience the world quite a lot, be the fastest runner at school, and find good uses for leftover cupcakes at the bakery. Are you guys ready to watch cartoons in French?
Congratulations! Babies are the coolest smart gadgets ever.
Congrats to both of you!
Congratulations, great news !!
Congratulations!
Best post ever!!
I just started triathlon with 2 kids and it is quite a challenge to find to sleep AND to train.
Looking forward to hear from you on how a new life changes your sporting life :-)
Congratulations!
Life as you know it is over – in a good way :)
Interesting way to dodge the no more scales rule. :)
Congratulations to you both.
Congrats both, this’ll keep you both busier than ms and the cup cakery did :D
Congratulations Ray! I was smiling ear to ear when I saw the picture on the blog.
Awesome news, congrats!
A new life is ahead. There’s nothing like it… :)
Congratulations!!
Awesome news. Ever wondered when this will happen. Congrats. My little is now 6 month old. I can tell you you have some nice things ahead of you
So, when can we expect a in-depth review of this new rainmaker unit? How does is stack up to similar devices?
Congrats!
Congratulations, parenthood is the most rewarding gig in town. Big smiles all round.
Congratulations! I was wondering if this was on the cards.
If possible, could you get The Girl to do guest posts on sports during pregnancy?
Yes! I just came back to this post to suggest the exact same! Would love to see some posts on sports during pregnancy! (And, also, congratulations, yay for you guys!)
Congratulations, now the fun really begins :-)
Good work Ray and The Girl! You better get in some races before the arrival!
Congratulations! As I am on the same train at the moment, I can tell you that the Withings Home camera could use a review. They claim to be a baby tracker but they only let you link it to one withings account / ios device, haven’t they though that sometimes there are two parents interested in what’s going on in the bedroom? :)
Congrats! Sleep trackers won’t have much to track, and you may find it easier if you don’t have hard data on how much you aren’t sleeping!
On the other hand… I actually got significantly faster after my third (!) child. Probably all the weight and resistance training I had to do 24/7, and the sprints when I actually could go for a run for 20 minutes ;)
Congratulations to you both and all best wishes as you embark on the most challenging and rewarding of marathons!
Congratulations!
Bravo!
And nice text/pictures to announce it.
Wishing you all the best.
Bit late to this party, but: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
I am sure he/she will be perfect for the job! Maybe there is even a possibility for diaper-testing, for those hardcore ultrarunners who just don’t know when to stop? Perhaps the Girl can do a special on running off-balance? And come July, we really expect some tests on the best run-buggy!
Best of luck to the three of you!
Congratulations to you both.
Congratulations family!
Congrats. Looking forward to reading your reviews of baby monitors and child tracking devices.
Congratulation your are going to start the best time of your life!!
Wow! the best post ever. Congratulations!!!
Congrats Ray!
Congrats to both of you
Congratulations. Wondered if this might be coming with the news of moving to full time on the blog.
Congrats!
Congratulations Ray & The Girl!
That’s amazing news, I bet you can’t wait for summer now!
Congratulation to you both!
Huge congrats Ray. Advice: sleep now. Listen to the quietness of your house, and relish it. Sleep in while you still can!
Congratulations!!!
This is great news. Now all that has to happen is the development of a line of ANT+ baby toys and gadgets.
Congratulations! All the best for you and the Girl!
congratulations Ray! By far the best “gadget” you could dream of. Although you should get ready for it testing you this time ;)
Big congrats! Our first turns one tomorrow, 2nd on the way in June. Its a life change for sure!
congrats!!
félicitations a vous deux et au chien aussi (:
Mazel tov! Congratulations!
Felicitaciones!
Congratulations to team Ray. Now go get some sleep while you still can.
CONGRATS!!!
Congrats :-) !
Congratulations! Now comes the challenge part. Find time for other things then the baby ?
Congrats!! Babies are awesome. However, that scale is NOT awesome, and the iOS app (and the scale) is buggy as heck. Prepare to be frustrated. Oh and the batteries are loose and fall out/lose contact, forcing you to set it up over and over again. I suggest wedging them in with paper between the batteries and battery cover. That “button” you use to turn it on or whatever is rage inducing as well, talk about unresponsive! Ugh within gas made such a terrible product, put such a sour taste in my mouth for that company.
Congratulations!!!! Nothing else in life can compare to Fatherhood!!! Enjoy! But for now stay up late, sleep in as much as you can and get some alone time with you and the Girl.
Congratulations!
Congratulations, this is very exciting!
We are expecting our first on a similar timeline, so I eagerly anticipate your detailed analysis of jogging strollers. I am sure you are already aware of babygearlab.com, which does decent comparisons, but nothing like the detail that you are famous for.
Man, if you thought GPSs and trainers were expensive, just wait till you start shopping for cribs and strollers.
I was expecting this type of news!
Congrats!
A smaller wrist than The Girl’s one was needed!
So happy for you! Congratulations. I’m expecting in June, right as tri season kicks off. I’ve paid for a bunch of races already, but also prepared to not do any of them as per my wife if it comes to that. The biggest advice I can give the two of you is sleep as much as you can, and tag team as much as you can do one person doesn’t feel bogged down by all the responsibility.
Sleep!
Also, only let people that are willing to do your laundry or house chores come over. The girl doesn’t need to be doing anything when guests are over, they should be working for her.
Sleep!
Congrats to you and the girl… Exciting times ahead. Enjoy every last moment as they grow so fast. My little one is 4 and I’ve entered the no public kisses stage when dropping off to school.
Congrast! Looking forward to learning about all the baby tech!!
Congratulations to you and The Girl. I am looking forward to hearing all about your new adventures.
Congratulations to you both!! great news!
Congrats!!!
wish the 3 (4 if Lucy is an important member of the family which seems to be the case) of you all the best.
Congrats you two! Wait, three! Wait..four including Lucy and the new one! Super exciting news. The kid will practically grow up as a cyborg with all the attachments, wrist bands, bluetooth toys, etc.
Congratulations!!!
Absolutely huge news! Congratulations!
As a new father myself, I really look forward to reading how you are handling aspects fatherhood through technology.
Hi Ray, congrats to you and the Girl. Great news indeed
Congratulations !!!!!!
Congratulations!
Congrats to you and The Girl!!! You’re gonna be GREAT parents! :)
Many congrats to you and the girl!
Greetings from Holland.
Congrats to you both! Best wishes.
Congratulations to you both! I let out a little gasp of excitement when I saw the picture of the baby scale :)