Heads up!!! Here’s your massive holiday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $419, the Apple AirTag 4-Pack for just $69, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $249, (or the brand new Hero 13 or $299!) 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.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
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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 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.
Hit the mountains!!!
Did a little road race in Snelling, CA with a bunch of fast old guys on Saturday.
Rode on Sunday for over 1 1/2 hrs.
Riding head wind.
Sorry, no cycling this weekend–I was pacing a friend through a half-marathon…and functioning like a domestique (he called me his “Sherpa”)–carrying his extra clothing, gels, etc.
BSCC Hardriders TT – Could have used a power meter to see how much it hurt!
On saturday easy endurance 2h ride, and on sunday I went with my friends for an group trainning – 3h.
best!
I didn’t make time to get a ride in … too many other activities to catch up on!
My cycling is still confined to indoors! I hit my local gym this morning for a Power and Speed ride! Love to see the data from the power meters on the spin bikes – I would love it even more if my own bike gave me such data :-) Looking forward to the arrival of Spring soon!
This past weekend I played maintenance man on my bike/trainer, so my wife could get her after vacation ride in. Good times.
Some Northern Virginia grabble! Dirt tour de Fairfax
Ride from Hungary to the neighboring Slovakia and back.
I broke out my bikes for the first time this year. My wife rode my mountain bike and I towed my 2year old and 9 month old in our cruzer trailer with my road bike.
Indoor Roller for 60 mins due to cold weather last weekend ?
I couldn’t cycle over the weekend as I had a 8.4km run race on the Sunday (Auckland Ports “round the bays”). Finished 56th out of 19,000 in 32:05.
Took the kids on the bike path got them to do a 4 mile out and back!
Indoors on a trainer, sadly…
Its very chilly out, i will use the trainer.
I’m visiting SF for the weekend. Planning to do a daily ride to the Alpine Dam link to strava.com
Extremely bad weather, with heavy snowfall, meant that i was stuck on a trainer, doing speed intervals.
Active recovery on the trainer…
Prepping for another week of commuting with snow, ice and -20C temperatures.
2.5hr spin class!
I rode a quick 20 miles on Saturday with my good friend MonkeyBoy, then 2 hrs on the Kickr on Sunday.
Mountain bike ride cut short due to bad trail conditions, then onto the road for some mud clearing spinning
Endurance ride on the trainer probably. Forecast is for more cold weather this weekend.
Riding in the rain and snow here today!
No trainer time this weekend, battled the cold with a 5K Saturday and again on Sunday.
Rode 40 miles in 15F temperature on Saturday. Chickened out on Sunday and ran 7 miles instead.
90 minutes steady wattage output on trainer!
plan to ride to the park with my kids
Trying to get back into the swing after being sick for 2 weeks!
Hello all,
I was supposed to ride Sunday, but rain again in SoCal. So damn back on trainer, and a power meter would be sweet! Luckily I retired 5 months ago, getting ready to go today. I usually ride or run everyday, but will be a mellow week because I’m doing Solvang Century this Saturday. Cheers ?
Trainer on Saturday. Standard 2 hr mtb loop on Sunday.
the baby wouldn’t let me train for real. So I trained mentally at the challenges to come, like finding a new job,
I took my kids to a bike themed party and I taught my eldest to ride Berns!!!
No training this weekend, maybe a powermeter would be a nice motivation.
I researched bikes over the weekend instead of riding, since I don’t own a bike at the moment.
I did a couple of turbo workouts in my shed. Cold and dark, but with a sportive next month I’ll take the miles any way I can get them.
Bought a Bike -rode it- lost 36 lbs! Long way to go still. Still logging miles. Still pushing myself!
Some 100km seaside ride will be great!
Did 70k of hills on Saturday then ran a half marathon (training) on Sunday…
I did a long(ish) two-hour spinning session on saturday while watching the cross-country skiing world championships!
workout on rollers
Trainer, it’s cold here!
Woke up early on Sunday to ride an early season time trial in the pissing rain and a howling gale. Did not need a power meter to tell me what an abysmal ride I was on. Loved it.
finally fitted the follow-me-tandem to my pootle-about-bike, this was a good idea because I can now tow my daughter (21kg) and her bike (6kg) and assorted junk on the back of the aforementioned bike which now weighs in at about 15kg with the tandem attached. We then pootled up and down some hills on some forest tracks. I am reconsidering if it was a “good” idea.
Too cold outside, trainer ride.
I’ll be looking after the baby whilst I watch my husband ride off to work!
80 km of mountains around Mexico City.
Been sking in Austria, after long ride on Saturday
I spun on Saturday with the finacee. On Sunday I lead the clubs icebike ride thru the polar vortex while riding my fixed gear.
Bill from Halifax
I could not ride because I didn’t had enough time. Instead I was running while my son (7 years) was riding along with me in awesome weather and had we had a lot of fun.
Aborted a planned 70 miler in the pouring rain. 40 was enough. :-(
It was very bad weather outside so I’ve did power and strength training.
Flying from Auckland, New Zealand to Melbourne Australia, driving 5hrs into the the Australian Alps to ride the 3 peaks event. 235km + 4500m elevation… and I’m paying for the honour!
W/ New England (CT) temps reaching -4 F over the wkend, . . .
– 3/4/17
Rd. 55.7 miles; 2,510 ft. of climbing elevation; 2:31:24 in Zwift race on a Wahoo Kickr (1.0).
link to strava.com
– 3/5/17
Rd. 51.1miles; 2,864 ft. of climbing elevation; 2:45:03 in Zwift race on a Wahoo Kickr (1.0).
link to strava.com
Training for a sprint tri series
I didn’t cycle so much as I went snowboarding at Sunshine.
MTB’ing at San Lee park in Sanford, NC.
Was out of town this weekend so spent it at the hotel gym spinning their spinner. Did get in some. I’ve runs outside though.
First time outside in 2017 on a local 20-min hill climb. New PR thanks to Trainerroad! Would love a stages PM.
I did my first ride as new dad (son born Tuesday 2/28) on the trainer. A nice Wahoo Snap spin up to the Alpine Village and around Watopia. Then since I had a few “rest” days in me from the week in the hospital, I did The Sufferfest -Rubberglove FTP test and upped by FTP 21 points with the new guy chilling beside me and the wife cranking the resistance and yelling at me, full family affair.
New cyclist with a used Stages power meter that I purchased on kijiji, my weekend involved climbing the mountains of Watopia in Zwift.
Been obese most of my life, weighing in at 305lbs in June of 2014 I decieded enough is enough. I was never a runner nor a cyclist but i knew something needed to change. I started walking faster, hiking and then eventually running. I ate very well and with exercise lost 125lbs in less than a year; this is now 2015. Ran a 18min 5k in Oct of 2015, then 38min 10k in June 2016 and eventually a 1:29 half marathon in Nov 2016. Injury took its toll but I found my second love. Been cycling since my birthday in Aug of 2016 and haven’t looked back. Purchasing a used carbon Opus Crescendo tomorrow and would love to leave my used Stages power meter on my aluminum Trek that is hooked up to a Kurt Kinetic on Zwift. Absolutely love Stages!
I did 4 hours on my kickr Saturday– 3 hours in Z1 and the last hour in Z2. Sunday was 1 hour of ZR spinning on the kickr!
Fat bike ride
After 2 weeks of blech, I did a little Zwifting and a Suffferfest video to get my legs back. Planing on continuing with a 10week training plan via the Sufferfest App. Keep up the great work Ray.
I had a wedding to go to and terrible weather. Hoping to get out this weekend on new bike. A power meter would help with the motivation!!!
I did some hill intervals on the bike and some heavy single leg leg presses in the gym. Gotta get those legs bigger!
Get some endurance hours to get in shape.
Did my first 2hours + on trainer this weekend, was great!!
Over the weekend I rode on some rollers and also did a recovery ride. I’ve been trying to improve my balance since I was concussed a year ago and have lost a lot of time in the saddle as a result
I had a 60 km ride with some 1000+ ascension and it was also the first ride outside since ever (October 2016 ), ouch.
It’s great weather so I’m riding outside.
30km of road bike!!
Shoulder surgery 4 weeks ago so only stationary bike, not even a trainer :( for me.
Downhill panoramic ride with my partner, it was gorgeous
Rode on Zwift for a bit to test a saddle out since the weather was not the greatest.
I didn’t bike, but went snow-shoeing, so I need a Powder meter, not a power meter!
2 1/2 hours on my Tacx Genius on Saturday and I had so much fun I did it again on Sunday.
Half marathon in Charlotte
Had a long run on Sunday and was jealous on the bikers enjoying the nice weather in South Germany :-)
The weather in Hampshire, UK was shocking this weekend so I just had to watch the world go by and dream of hitting the countryside hard on the Aluminium steed
A friend and I went out in the lashing rain to complete in a 2-up TT. Such great fun.
Roughly 200kms around adelaide
No riding last weekend, just a longish spring run in cold weather.
100k on sunday
More spinning classes. spin spin spin, that’s my winter.
Did my usual bike rides along a lake near my house. :-)
Grüße aus Deutschland. Bei dem Wetter geht’s nur auf die Rolle oder aufs Laufband.
I got in a nice hill climbing training ride over the weekend. Thankfully, I found a nice window in the rainy weather to ride outside.
Did our first brick session on Sunday (3.2 mile ride followed by a 10-15 min run x 4). Did I forget to mention that it rained, hailed, wind, and sun all in one session? Hail hurts on bare legs!
Ride to babies-r-us for MORE diapers. *sigh*
Riding my trainer in the basement
No outside ride due to bad weather, but 2 sessions in Zwift
2.5hr trainer ride – undercarriage still recovering…
No cycling during the weekend. Just a rest after two weeks a sea. Aftershift indoor training included :p
17miles very, very wet & cold
Went X/country skiing for the first time as our mountain bike trails are still a mess of mud!
Thanks Ray and The Girl
60 miles this weekend, with some climbing
Rode with my daughter and son to town for lunch and ice cream
Gonna be on the old spin bike due to weather.
Cheated on my bike and went Skiing instead.