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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.
Congrats DC family…
Congratulations to both!
congrats!
Congrats! I’ve got two girls, makes it easier to escape on long bike rides!
Congrats!
I too have 2 girls and a girl dog, and my two are ~2 years apart (currently 1 and 3). Daughters are the best!
Uhhh.. Cervelo would like to have a word with you…
Congratulations Ray! You must all be delighted :)
Congratulations
Congratulations to you and The Girl!
If N+1 is the ideal number of bikes then what is the ideal number of children? Bearing in mind that, theoretically, we love our children more than our bikes. THEORETICALLY.
Incidentally, having a child nominally called ‘peanut’ is likely to get her banned from every school in the UK. Certainly at meal times. You’ll have to stay in France. Thought you’d like to know.
Ps. Of course…congratulations.
Congratulations!
Congratulations, on enlarging your device testing base. The Peanut will enjoy having an assistant, even if she doesn’t know it yet. Although, now she may get some competition in the cuteness race.
Congratulations!
Wouuuuuuhouuu congrat’s for peanut #2 !!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to both of you!
Caio Ray,
Congratulations to all the family!
Aww congrats, we have another little girl peanut on the way in our family across the pond in the UK here too!
“another impeding baby”
Although it might impede, it is impending.
OK; I just stopped reading after the first stretch.
Many congrats, all the best to you and your better half.
Congratulations to all of you!
We expanded from one girl to two earlier this year, it’s been a challenge but we’ve loved every second.
Only drawback is the second has started crawling and seems to be devouring our entire weekly shop at 6 months old.
Congratulations with P2!
Congrats Ray and The Girl. I guess Peanut (the original) will not be a Peanut for much longer… probably something bigger. Will you change her alias to maybe something like the Bunny or similar, size-wise? Pls do keep in mind that just “P1” is already taken by the pedal firm! Maybe you can pre-empt them with “P2” for the incoming addition!
félicitations pour cacahuète numéro 2!
Seems like you might need to move soon(ish) Good Luck with everything :)
Congratulations both. We had our first at a similar time to you and also have no. 2 en route! :-)
Congratulations !!!!
Congrats on P2!!! Or P2.0 :)
Congrats guys!
congratulations on Peanut 2!
Congratulations on the expansion!
Also looking forward to knowing what’s in those bags.
Cheers!
you have to read to the peanut 2 so he or her can carry on the reviews, have fun. I have three all grown up.
Congratulations!!
Way to rock the cup holder! Congrats, and best wishes.
Congratulations!
Your kids should know that through this website you make the world a better place.
Congrats on P2!
Ray, & The Girl B.
Congratulations on P2.
P2 going to be handful and sleepless nights.
But bless you.
Ray will need to cut down on flights, not to leave -the girls- behind too much.
Congratulations to the whole family.
Glad you had a good time in my former Hometown.
A’dam is awesome to meander around. check out Jordaan next time.
Best of luck,
Cheers,
Ken (from Hong Kong)
Ray, congratulations to this alien inside… Why “nut” calling her walnut or hazelnut, P2 sounds humiliating… Cool beans.
Dear Garmin,
Since Ray has banned intercontinental travels, it is time to move the yearly Connect IQ/API conference to EU. In that case I might be joining as well…
Congrats!
3 vs 1 that’s my situation too :D Congratulations!
Congrats!
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!
I’m more of the silent reader of your blog but this time I do need to post!
Congrats on the little one, all the best for you lot, you deserve it :)
Can’t wait to see some videos of you running with him on your back. (New niche market idea?)
Congratulations first of all.
I too have two girls and they play together so well now.
I was actually just thinking how hard it must be for you not to have family close so you can spend time together (as a couple).
I hope your lady is keeping well, each pregnancy is different and has its own challenges. All the best
Congratulations. Amazing news.
Congratulations!
Troll-ol-olo…
A blonde city girl named Sandra marries a Colorado rancher.
One morning, on his way out to check on the cows, the rancher says to Sandra,
‘The insemination man is coming over to impregnate one of our cows today, so I drove a nail into the 2 by 4 just above where the cow’s stall is in the barn. Please show him where the cow is when he gets here, OK?’
The rancher leaves for the fields. After a while, Dr.Ogumen arrives and knocks on the front door.
Sandra takes him down to the barn. They walk along the row of cows and when Sandra sees the nail, she tells him, ‘This is the one right here.’
The man, assuming he is dealing with an air head blonde, asks, ‘Tell me lady, ’cause I’m dying to know; how would YOU know that this is the right cow to be bred?’
‘That’s simple she said, by the nail that’s over its stall,’ she explains very confidently.
Laughing rudely at her, Dr.Ogumen says, ‘And what, pray tell, is the nail for?’
Sandra turns to walk away and says sweetly over her shoulder,
‘I guess it’s to hang your pants on.’ !!!
Ray and The Girl, congratulations on baby #2!
Best wishes to you and the Girl, meeting you in person I can testify the three of you are really awesome.
love love lover Amsterdam!
Huge congrats to you both! I hope things go as well with P2 as they have with P1! :D
We’re due our first P1 here (due date is in 2 days and no sign… yet). We’ve done the gender trick here too but in reverse, baby boy arriving & boy dog (who’s 5 going on 50).
I can see me taking up some running (rather than riding) to be more inclusive of our P1 at these early stages, at least until I can convince the revenue protection officer that I need a full sus to pull the ‘bean wagon’ I intending on purchasing and not my road bike…! Will be revisiting your’s and the Girl’s gadgets&new arrival posts for some inspiration! :)
Congrats, hopefully you don’t get any trouble on the naming with Powertap.
We are at P3, definitely woth it :-)
Congrats on the next addition!
Awright !
Congrats guys !
Plenty more happiness !
Ok, late to the party, but: Congratulations with Peanut 2! I’ll enjoy the DC-site as much as I can until the baby comes – you can probably forget about typing anything for the next couple of years :) Maybe there’s still enough time to start teaching us an adapted form of shorthand? E.g. a new review would be much faster to write like this:
Garmin FR(newest)
Hi, me here. Reviewing above. Disclaimer one [which will be how you return your stuff etc].
Unwrapping: P2 did it. Pretty!
Specs: the usual + improved everything. Also: music.
HR Accuracy: follows [reference model], fucks up on the hilly intervals like everything else.
durability: X hours of P1 chewing, droolproof IPX8
GPS accuracy: great except that bit in Paris near the bridge. And trees.
Comparison table: skipped that. Lot’s of X’s. DIY.
All done!
I mean, maybe you should insert a joke here and there and get P2 to take a pic once she can hold a device. And I’m sure some readers will abandon the site, but then you’ll know who your real reader friends are, right?
Anyway, congrats again! Great to read you enjoyed Amsterdam. In case you’re visiting Berlin this weekend: marathon warning! ;)
Wow congratulations, I missed this news from last week.
Hey Ray,
Congrats on expected number 2!
And most of all GOOD LUCK!!
I also have a 15 month old girl (who by the way also gets called Peanut!)
but I also have an 8 week Girl! So have a bit of a head start on you! (No nickname has stuck yet…)
What I can say is #2 is easier Mentally, but more difficult Physically.
My training these days is 30-45mins on Zwift 3 x per week, at 8pm at night. (Once kids are asleep and bottles are washed!)
It is an ADVENTURE!