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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!
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Have some fun in the travel section.
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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!
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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 2024 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.
Welcome back to Australia Ray. As a sydneysider, i recommend runs 1, 2 and 3 from the strava city guide. link to strava.com
dare i say some of the most picturesque runs in the world. But its 40 Celsius today in Sydney, so probably not today…..
If you decide to do #1 or #8 from that list (or any derivative), I will join you. Enjoy Straya.
(It’s a nice 20 min ferry ride from the city)
Welcome to Oz.
Would be keen to join you for a ride around Melbourne later this month. Pls let me know your movements. Enjoy your time in the best country on ? (esp during January)
Welcome to Oz!
In Melbourne we like to run around the TAN.
link to strava.com
Hey ray,
I am in Victor Harbor. Finish stage on the 19th.
If u want to borrow a road bike, just let me know and u can borrow mine.
Welcome to Australia
Cheers
This might interest you.
link to trailsplus.com.au
Night run in the You Yangs, west of Melbourne. Trails. 5, 10, 21 and 42km distances as well as 3 or 6 hour options. 28th January. Trails + are very experienced operators and their events are well run and friendly
If you are in Melbourne at the end of the month you might be around for ride the night: link to bicyclenetwork.com.au – Hopefully should be a bit of fun and a nice way to see a different side of Melbourne. Otherwise I’ll have a think about a few small people friendly things to do as well :)
Some options if you make it through melbourne:
link to blog.strava.com
I’m not in RAdelaide but would love to catch up in Melbourne (I’m another former DC tech guy now living abroad).
Check out the Cycling Tips rides this week for the Tour Down Under: link to cyclingtips.com if you want some good company in SA..
Welcome to Australia! You’ve picked a great time of year to visit :) If you have a chance when in Melbourne you should go to Princes Park in Carlton for a run. Beautiful park and super close to a strip of awesome cafes and restaurants for a recovery coffee afterwards. If you and the girl are looking for great places to eat when in Melbourne, definitely check out Brunswick and Collingwood – too many great places doing amazing things with food to mention but that’s for sure the place to be!
The TDU expo village has demo bikes from most manufacturers free of charge. Get in there ASAP and book various options for different days of the week.
If that doesn’t work out go to cycle closet. Mitch is the manager and will probably lend you one of his. He rides a 56 or 58 cannondale.
If you’re struggling for a bike in Melbourne you can borrow mine. I’m on the injured list. It’s a 56cm parlee. Just shoot me an email for that and/or a bunch of gpx routes you can follow of all the secret backroad loops.
Oh, check out cycling tips website. They usually have bunch rides everyday and are running a carpark crit one evening which you need to attend
On that note, you can already book a bike at the Specialized pop-up which is near the tour village. See: link to specializedeventsaustralia.com
These or the other demo bikes are good in the sense that they’re usually the latest models, well-maintained and free, although not as good in the sense they probably won’t like you having it overnight (which may rule out early morning riding).
+1 on borrowing bikes from the tour village. I know the guys who run the Focus-Cervelo tent if you’re looking for an intro. They might let you have a more extended loan..
+1 on a dcrainmaker Group ride in Melbourne would love to give you thanks in person for the website. I suggest a beach road roll famous bay coastal road.
Gday Ray and the Girl welcome to the land of Oz…don’t tap your heels just yet…one of the simpler thing to do in Adelaide at night is t take a tour up to Mount Lofty and ponder why the lights twinkle, enjoy
Hey if you end up in Cairns……….
Is the beach photos taken at Glenelg?
Yup indeed! It’s where we’re staying.
Welcome to Adelaide.
Head to parkrun 7:45 for 8 am start each Saturday, a 5km run around the river Torrens next to the city of Adelaide. A beautiful run with about 250 other people. It’s a really cool community event…
Check it out. I hope to see you there!
link to facebook.com
Don’t forget your barcode! (And come hop in one of the three DC area parkruns if you’ve ever back in the DMV!)
If it’s parkrun, then best bet would be Christies Beach – link to parkrun.com.au – this Saturday, as closest to Mc Vale and Willunga for the days TDU racing.
And as Joyce says, one barcode = parkrun worldwide… including three around the Paris region; link to parkrun.fr
J
Welcome to Adelaide. Lots of good roads to ride here. Our wines aren’t too bad either.
If you want to do a group ride or run, you should put something out on Twitter. It’s worked in the past…
As for not bringing Lucy, don’t fret. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard know all about bringing dogs into Australia.
Lance Armstrong did something similar in Auckland recently and got 1,000 people or so.
Welcome to Aus ?
If you’re on Hamilton Island on a Saturday, try parkrun for a very relaxed 5k run….
link to parkrun.com.au
Otherwise enjoy and don’t forget the sunscreen… and mind out for the dangerous snakes & arachnids ?
And you’ll be here for Australia/Invasion Day – enjoy the fireworks, wherever you’re going to be ?
Welcome to Adelaide and The Stanford Grand by the looks of it. My Orbea Orca is on consignment at The Bike Station just round the corner if you need a bike – just get Noel or Robbie to call me to confirm you’re not some random…….. Make sure you ride some Adelaide classics such as Corkscrew, Willunga Hill and up the old Freeway to Mount Lofty.
Hey Ray. Let me know if you want to run (probably easier if you are short of time) or ride (er, if you get a bike). I live in Glenelg and can show you round. Should do a group run or ride.
Sydney has to be west head in kuringai national park. Or royal national park down from sutherland to stanwell and back.
Hi Rainmaker family!
I’m a runner in Adelaide, nice to see the beach photo :)
Obvious places to run from the city are along Linear Park, in either direction. A lot of the beachfront is popular too.
parkrun for 8am Saturday is probably the tip, there are a few depending on where you are staying.
Some other options available too e.g. Running Domain has several week-day runs (6pm Monday, 6am Wednesday, 6am Friday). There’s a night trail run in Belair national park Friday evening if that interests you, or Sunday morning trail run with Trail Running SA.
Let me know if you or the Girl are keen on any of those and I can put you in touch.
Or the Undies Run on Sunday :)
Relevant links:
link to parkrun.com.au
link to runningdomain.com.au
link to m.facebook.com
Also, I assume you should be able to figure out open water swimming if you’re staying in Glenelg, but if you want an indoor pool swim in this weather the nearest I can think of would be the SA Aquatic Centre in Marion link to saaquatic.ymca.org.au
HI Ray,
A small group of keen runners do a regular Thursday morning trail run in the Adelaide hills. You’re welcome to join. 6:45am start (but thats probably good for jetlag!), running for about an hour.
link to strava.com
In Melbourne Albert Park Lake which is the formula 1 GP track is good for bike and run. MSAC has 2 50m pools for lap swimming and is next to the lake so you can do all 3 from the one spot.
I agree that you have to try a parkrun. It’s the biggest running organization in the world, just not (yet) that popular in the US or France. There are over 200 events in Australia. Register at http://www.parkrun.com.au and then turn up and run for free at any event. They’re always 5km and are on every Saturday morning (times vary between 7am and 9am across Australia). Essentially parkrun is a data-based organisation that helps local communities put on health and fitness activities. I’d bet you’d be interested in the data! The 5km run around Albert Park in Melbourne is pretty special.
Not from Australia but have had my fair share of holidays over at Sydney and Melbourne.
In Sydney, just about anywhere in the CBD is close enough to the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Botanic Garden, Darling Harbour. All excellent views for a run. Lots of places to get a swim in as well. There’s ABC Pool in Woolloomooloo (Outdoor, saltwater) just beside Botanic Garden, 1km by foot from Hyde Park. There’s also Cook+Philip Center just in front of Hyde Park (indoor).
In Melbourne, you can go for a run around The Tan or along the Yarra river. I think they call that Capital City trail.
Cheers!
Given your name recognition, I’m sure one of the Australian teams at TDU wouldn’t mind to lend you a bike either. You just shouldn’t show them that recent video of you cycling in the forest testing the image stabilization of the new GoPro.
Welcome to Australia.
Sydney running options for every day of the week
If you’re around on 4 Feb Sydney Striders 10km race at Homebush (open to visitors – registration fee)
link to sydneystriders.org.au
Alternative if you’re around on a Sunday and would like a long run with a group
link to sydneystriders.org.au
Another alternative is during the week Hurts Squad Session in the Sydney CBD at lunchtimes check out the calendar
http://hurtsquad.com
Or on a Saturday there is always Parkrun (free 5km weekly race event requires registration)
link to parkrun.com.au
Ray and family,
Welcome to sunny and very warm Qld. When you are Hamilton Island, do the reef snorkeling or scuba with H20 water sportz (link to divethereef.com) and not the tourist big catamaran unless you like to see sea sick tourists. Great family day if you do the full day Whitehaven beach cruise with the picnic lunch. There is also a running group most mornings around the island so check at the gym and they will hook you up. If you really want to spoil her you could always have a second wedding at the Chapel on Hammo…..enjoy!!
Wow – thanks everyone for the amazing suggestions and options thus far. Much appreciated!
I’ll be digging through them all in the morning. But first, finally, some sleep. :) Thanks again!
Welcome to Australia mate.
While you’re in Hamilton Island you MUST check out the Dent Dash – a fortnightly casual run across the way on Dent Island. It’s a casual 20k run around the golf course on Dent Island organised by the Gym staff on Hamilton Island. You meet on the Jetty at Hamilton Island, cruise the 15 minutes across to the Golf Course on the ferry, run, then enjoy a buffet brekky at the Club House before being ferried back to the main island. If your visit doesn’t coincide with an organised run, then book a ferry trip yourself and go for the run. Early morning is amazing. The view is simply breathtaking! I’d say it’s essential!
If you did try and bring the dog you’d be in good company:
link to theguardian.com
Welcome Downunder. Next time stop by Brisbane. Lots of great running and cycling here.
Welcome to Oz mate!
A friendly suggestion for you and the family (especially Peanut), “Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek & Slide!” as its going to be a scorcher :(
Here’s hoping your stay is a pleasant one, despite the annoying heat.
That flight path is designed by flat earthers.
welcome to Adelaide Ray! Here is a cycling route I have created that may be of interest to you or others for a scenic cycling tour around Adelaide in a day, if you don’t mind the elevation. Willunga hill and Belair Road climb are worth visiting too if you have time.
link to dropbox.com
Map and elevation
Hi Ray,
As a parent of a small <1 yo I'm interested in your experience of long haul flights. Was the baby able to sleep at all during the red-eyes?
-Lee
Not really. Which is funny, because up until this point she’s had no problem on transatlantic flights (redeye and day). Of which she’s done 6 so far. The latest when she was 4 months old, now she’s 6 months.
We had thought by going with an 8PM flight out of Paris that she’d largely sleep the full 12 hours to HKG. In reality, she slept maybe 2-3 hours spread across that time period. I had her asleep upon take-off, but then they turned on cabin lights for dinner service, and that woke her up (and then stayed up).
And then other times she was asleep she was usually woken up by someone slamming an overhead bin or some random guy a row away that was coughing like he was going to die. We learned a bit from this on the second flight, managing to cover her eyes a little so she didn’t wake-up when the lights went on after take-off, but alas, we were seated next to a crew closet. And they used that closet frequently. She basically stayed awake for the remaining 7 hours of that flight too.
Sigh.
I guess our take-aways are:
A) Find seats not near the galley’s, doors
B) Remember lights go on for meal service almost immediately after take-off, and then again around 90-120mins before landing
C) Throw heavy objects at any passenger who dares cough, thus ‘removing’ the problem.
Cheers, and good luck!
We did a few long hauls early on with our first (who is now 4). Getting her to have a long sleep was never a reliable thing for the randomness you described (mainly passengers and crew making noise) but we managed a few times.
The main things we tried to do were:
– Have somewhere for them to stretch out – having parents at each end of a row with a seat in between for bubs (or two depending on plane layout and how old/long the baby is) is great. Hopefully you won’t need to book the extra seat(s) though, the check-in staff and flight attendants are usually happy to give parents a row to themselves if the plane isn’t completely full (after all it’s in their interest not to have a screaming baby on board). If you need a bit more room, you can sometimes wedge carry-on bags in the leg area to provide some extra sleeping surface.
– They probably have something that prompts them that it’s sleep time, so make sure you use it. In our case she always slept in a sleeping bag (e.g. Grobag), so we’d have that ready to put on when it’s time.
– Make sure they have a really good feed before going down so they don’t get hungry and wake up too soon. A large-ish bottle of formula is the best bet, even for breastfed babies as it will keep them full for longer. If the baby is breastfed hopefully you have been feeding the occasional bottle as well so they will take it! The flight attendants should be able to help with heating the bottle (even if just putting it in a cup of hot water for a few minutes). But obviously if the family has made the choice to breastfeed only then just do that.
– Put some pillows down on the floor so there’s a soft landing surface if the baby rolls off before you can stop her. Learned this one the hard way!
In retrospect it all seems fairly obvious, but I hope some of that is helpful!
Hi Ray,
I’ve recently come across a Youtube vlogger that’s a road cyclist and who seems to be well known in the Melbourne area, maybe he’s able to help you out and show you around? Maybe you’re already familiar with him but his Youtube name is ‘Cycling Maven’.
Kind regards,
Joeri
Hi Ray,
enjoy Australia. Small correction – wrong link here: “pumping out CES posts for the next few days” (tdf tag).
Hi Ray, for running in Melbourne the botanical gardens ( The Tan) is hugely popular, Albert park lake is also great and as a previous poster said, you should drop into the Commonwealth games pool for a swim whilst there. If you after some hills on the bike, the dandenongs are great, or for flat rides Beach Rd is a mecca for cyclists.
I highly recommend Kangaroo Island if you can make it there, particularly the Wildlife Park. Holding a baby kangaroo (ask at the desk) was a highlight of our honeymoon!
Come to Brisbane, start around Hamilton or New Farm or the other end (St Lucia/Toowong), and do the riverside run or ride through to Southbank and the Cliffs, then Coronation Drive. Here’s a link to possible loops. It’s a fun and gorgeous route.
link to cyclingbrisbane.com.au
Picture is one of my runs.
Welcome Ray!
Nice to have you in Adelaide! Have a 56cm spare bike (2011 Bianchi) in the city that you are more than welcome to!
Woodlands Way and Sheoak Road are some challenging climbs close to town if you’re keen!
Welcome to RAdelaide Ray – its going to be a hot one today – make sure you use plenty of sunscreen if you’re out and about enjoying the sunshine today and lots of fluids. Some good running spots/trails/tracks include Mt. Lofty (gets extremely popular on the weekend so beware), Morialta falls, Blackhill Conservation Park, Torrens run (very short and it is in the city), Glenelg to Henley – there’s plenty more :)
Feel free to contact me if you need further details!
I usually take international visitors to Cleland Wildlife Park link to environment.sa.gov.au since they invariably want to cuddle a koala. Best to phone the park before you go since it closes on days of extreme fire danger. For the koala experience get there early to minimise wait time, and, in hot weather the cuddle time is shortened since staff don’t want the koalas stressed. Also, just over a kilometer up the hill check Mt Lofty summit for the views – enjoy!
Straight after the TDU is Cadels Great Ocean Road Race if you are still around.
http://www.cadelevansgreatoceanroadrace.com.au
Re: road bike rentals. Have you checked our spinlister?
If you get sick of the big cities and have a couple of spare days come down to Hobart, Tasmania. Heaps of things you don’t get on the mainland…and the weather is manageable!!!
Hi Ray, check out Adelaide Central Market if you get a chance, good cheese shops, bakeries and eating places etc
There is a triathlon on Sunday…
link to xcelsports.com.au
In Melbourne, many sections of Main Yarra Trail offer good runs. The port Philip bay offer great open water swimming, especially the west side if you don’t mind a little drive. For riding we love the hills, if you can fit on a 51cm (sounds too small) I’ve a P2 you can borrow. I’m of coz your guide if you need one.
A suggestion for one of your Sydney days:
you, the Girl and the Peanut go by ferry to Taronga Zoo (link to taronga.org.au), then the Girl and the Peanut relax at Bathers Pavilion at Balmoral Beach (link to batherspavilion.com.au) while you hammer yourself running up and down Awaba Street hill – one of Sydney’s most notorious hills (and location of the Balmoral Burn (link to humpty.com.au), just next to Bathers….
Forget about the running, when you get to Sydney head straight to the Lord Nelson Brewery in the rocks. Hands down the best beer I’ve had in my life. Wedges on the side and you’re good to go.
Best suggestion yet! Thanks Matty B
A picnic for breakfast on Bondi beach would be hard to beat to I bet
Oxygen Cycles in Mclaren Vale will sort you out a decent road bike for peanuts – Ask for Bert or Jeffrey, tell them I sent you :p
link to oxygencycles.com
It’s a bit rough expecting Ray to trade his first-born just for a ride. :-)
Welcome to Aus Ray and family. Some warm weather on the way for you to enjoy.
Reading the comments shows how popular and appreciated you are. You’ve opened a minefield and the generosity of followers is complimentary to your character.
I can imagine your travel can be daunting with combined “work” and pleasure but I do hope you have a wonderful stay with your family enjoying everything they want to do too. Aussies love to show off their culture and favourite parts of their country.
Remember to keep on the left and get some general local advice for road rules. Stay safe.
Hey Ray,
Hope you and the family have a great time in Australia,
Look forward to reading your Aussie based postings.
Cheers
Adam
Welcome to Oz.
As a lad from Melburn here in Adelaide for our 6th TdU, enjoy the coffee & wine! Riding is good too.
Wade at cyclingtips should be able to sort you out I’d reckon.
link to cyclingtips.com
Bit of a calendar here from Wednesday Legs:
link to wednesdaylegs.wordpress.com
Matt
For me one of the great tour down under experiences is the ability to ride with the pros down from Stirling stage finish. Grab a bike and go to the end of the Stirling stage. Most of the riders will ride back to the hotel after the stage and they all take the same great route down the old road. You can folllow them after they finish or follow the crowds and enjoy being passed by some of the top pros, or chatting to them at the lights etc.
While in Europe you can get close and chat to them. It’s hard to actually ride with them. They are also all pretty happy and relaxed at the tour.
Enjoy Australia, and visit Charles melton wines for the best Barossa wine experience .
Ray, welcome to Australia. As an Aussie expat living in Abu Dhabi I can say that you’ve arrived at the best time of the year although substantially warmer than Paris. With regards to Sydney runs, my favourite run was from Hyde Park, around the Botantical Gadens, via Mrs Maquaries Chair past the Opera House then past State Parliament, and finishing back through Hyde Park.
Of course morning swims in Balmoral (inner harbour) or althernatively Eastern Suburbs beaches, Bondi, Clovelly etc.
Hope the weather cools down for you mate by the time you get to Sydney – its been scorching lately at over 40 degrees.
Im sure you were hoping for sunnier weather than Paris – but probably weren’t expecting it to be this hot …
Nonetheless enjoy your time in Australia mate!
Crazy. Why not fly direct from Vegas and let the others have the long flight?!
Given the little one is only 6 months old, asking Mom to fly 24 hours with her solo is a lot.
Hi Ray,
In Melbourne +1 for the Tan. Midday milers is a big bunch. +1 for riding the 1:20 from the Basin up Mt Dandenong. +1 for riding/running on Great Ocean Road. Especially the Lorne to Wye River stretch. And swimming at Lorne if you dont mind the occasional shark sighting.
Swanny
Here’s a good link to iconic Melbourne rides. link to blog.strava.com
Another one presently on the injury list, so have a road bike needing exercise in Melbourne…. Feel free to contact if interested.
Ray! I’ll be in Sydney on the 18/19th. We should go for a swim at Bondi Beach (or whatever beach is closest). Seems like you met up with my GF a few hours ago down in Adelaide. (see attached photo).
Australia is one of my dream countries! As a professional mountain biker, I go there once a year. Perfect place for mountain biking!