Heads up!!! Here’s your massive Cyber Monday 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…
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.
You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! Plus, you'll be more awesome. Click above for all the details. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here!
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.
-
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?
-
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.
Can’t help this…
Is Garmin excluded from the CT 20% off sale? Trying to find a deal on an Edge 520 for a friend.
Yeah, excluded again from the 20% sale. I don’t expect any Edge 520 deals this year (aside from the price drop that recently occurred to $249).
Some amazing 520 deals in Europe … so let’s hope they also come to the US.
Not sure if this is a error but Garmin Edge 520 $199. Use DCrainmakers Amazon store to purchase.
link to amazon.com
Yes in the UK the Edge 520 is hugely discounted on Amazon today.
Nice find Christopher – looks like you definitely caught someone’s listing error. Gone now!
So where’s the best place for a Wahoo Kickr for UK delivery. Any black friday deals from clevertraining.co.uk Ray? Thanks.
No Black Friday deals at present for CT UK. They tried to get some manufs onboard, but nothing. :(
Regardless of CT Amazon UK has 45% off the Garmin 235 watch and Edge 520 today.
Yup! Just added both of those within the deals page a few minutes ago. Solid deals!
The Wahoo Elemnt is currently being sold for £177 on amazon.co.uk. This item can be shipped to mainland Europe.
2016 Wahoo Kickr is $799 ($100 off). Making it $400 cheaper than the 2017 version. Worth it to get the older version or is there enough difference between the two to go with the new 2017 version?
Nevermind…answered my question by clicking on a few links Thanks!!
The 2 pack Stryd deal was just a huge miss on their part. I’m sure some people might have need for 2, but most are just looking for a good deal on 1. Give me 1 for $150, and ship it for free and I’ll bite.
Hi Eric,
Disclaimer: I am with Stryd.
We see the holidays as a way of encouraging teamwork and giving. The deal was a huge hit. We plan to make a lot of runners happy this holiday season and draw stronger bonds in the community.
Best,
Angus
Hi Eric,
This is why I mentioned I was interested for a french guy close to Lyon when I mentionned this deal :(
For the Angus & Stryd guys reading out there : thank you so much for giving accurate pace without calibration, this is mostly why I want a Stryd for (*1).
But I don’t want to have :
a watch (because I love to run in unknown location based on a predefined course),
a fotpod (because GPS are not accurate),
and a chest (because HR from watches is not accurate).
So if you can give the same pace accuracy with a Chest Based Stryd (like the 1st gen – but adding HR measurement), I would prefer to go for it.
(*1) : and then maybe I can be convinced by Power based training)
New Hammer on the way- thanks Ray!
sigmasport.co.uk has/had fantastic deals (they’re listed as Black Friday so I wonder how long they’ll last). Tacx Neo for £999 (£250 off), Powertap P1s for £799. 25% off Cervelo P2s, P3s and S3s.
The Neo is £999 at Halfords too
Hi
Not a complaint, just ’venting’.
I becomes a Clever Training VIP member despite living in Europe. Ordered Favero Assioma pedals att $664, which was $799 minus rebate.
FedEx delivered last week. And two days later there’s an invoice from FedEx for an additional ~$225 which, they claim is completely out of their power to change. They say ‘commercial invoice’ is $799,, while clevertraining response to me, what amount, is ‘invoice’.
My invoice is due in three days, no way I’ll be able to get Clever Training to submit ‘customs retraction’ and then a new customs amount, and have FedEx to retract and re-issue. Also, fedex warns Swedish customs has a fee of about $100 for ‘recalculation’.
So, at best, the pedals cost me ~$900, and at worst I’ll have a lower customs amount by ~$25 BUT additional $100 customs fee. So the assioma will be even more expensive
Ray, I think you should have a recommendation for non US folks to NEVER buy from Clevertrainign US. Rather than just saying ‘they ship everything but trainers’. I’m a fool, and will have to ‘eat this’. But its gonna be weeks until I’m not pissed at this handling (which is apparently by the book). I am sure more Europeans have similar experiences. If they are unwise to join the US site.
Cheers, and I’m happy in every other aspect.
Hi Peter-
Indeed, it’s tricky when dealing with customs and taxes across borders. There’s honestly no good answer there. Each country has different minimum thresholds. For example, in France, it’s pretty low – so I’m in the same boat as you each time I order stuff from the US (my boat is a 20% hit as well).
Now, the one thing that should be clearly fixed here is the invoiced amount should definitely match (i.e. not $799, but $664). I’ll bring that up right now via e-mail.
In this case, Assioma was available to order from the UK/Europe site, though I think on slightly different lead times unfortunately. As you noted, everything else is unfortunately by the book. For some countries that have a really high threshold (I think Australia is like $800 or $1000), there’s never an issue. Whereas for others like yours and mine, it’s less awesome. It gets even more complex depending on the exact classification of the part (i.e. differing items can have differing tax rates).
I appreciate the support, and sorry for the troubles!
Super thanks for quick and supportive response.
I have yet to hear back from CleveTrainig US if they are prepared to issue a correction with regards to invoice amount. Difference between (customer, actual) invoice and ‘commercial invoice’ seems to be the thing here. Still hopeful. If they agree to ‘handling error’, there are other fees to eat, so I don’t thing there is any net win for me to be had, rather the opposite.
Pedals installed with the help of your video, but not used until “issue” resolved. Hopefully I’ll get a mental super kick by seeing actual power in my pain cave later this week, and swallow this frustration with the accompanying Swedish Christmas meatballs.
Hi Peter-
It sounds like from my chats with CT today that they’re already on it and you’re now trading e-mails back and forth and they’re working to get it all fixed for ya.
They’re saying a recent software update on their invoicing system triggered the reset back to ‘value’ versus ‘paid’, thus why it showed the wrong value on the slip.
Thanks again for the support – and enjoy the Swedish meatballs (Ikea or otherwise!).
Cool, exchanging email with them. Thanks for the back channel effort. Swedish FedEx supremely unhelpful this morning, but well see… over and out for now, might (if you are interested) report back as there is closure somehow. Not hopeful, think Swedish customs fees might prove the stumbling block even if value is corrected. But. Thanks.
It seems, I am on my own with all the fees, charges and the inflated sales tax. Best option for me is to not ever again talk to FedEx Sweden and not deal with them as shipper, because of reverse-of-customer-understand-attitude. Friendly person at customs customer service explained: I have to pay FedEx original invoice and make claims towards Swedish customs for a later potential correction. CleverTraining customer support were friendly and ‘tried’ to help but couldn’t (?). Or can they compensate me somehow, for their original error?
The damage was done when they sent incorrect value through the kafkaesque international trade machinery. With fee structure made for companies dealing with shiploads of stuff. Small error (software glitch) set in motion, agony and super price hike.
Sad customer face here.
I vented here at your blog, because i bought from them after becoming VIP in late November. And you _are_ awesome for engaging back in transparency. US CleverTraining might have other international customers too, that could potentially be better forewarned.
Merry Christmas!
/peter