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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!
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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.
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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 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.
Cool! Cairns is much nicer though…?
Plenty of nice wineries in Margaret River and a beautiful coastline DC. It’s only a couple of hours from Perth as well. You’ll be here for the IndyPac start too ?
Come ride in singapore, you can literally make a lap of the country on a ride!
Could also organise a meet up if you are still in the mood?
Good to hear you’re sticking around a bit longer this time! Keen to join for a ride and/or run while you’re in Adelaide.
Happy to help you around adelaide with cycling stuff or stuff for your kids required.
Love to see you in perth, hard to spot kangaroos in the wild tho bouncing around. Best spots are the MTB trails early in the morning.
Hi. There’s lot of scenic ocean bike and run paths in Perth. Happy to show you all around. It is Triathlon season here now. There will be indeed events in feb and March.
Welcome to Adelaide!
Fairly sure that the weather this week will NOT be like Europe. Or north eastern US.
I’m not sure if I can make the Wheaty meet up (don’t let the bar tab get onto the whiskeys – the beer list is plenty long enough!), and I’m a runner not a cyclist, so I wouldn’t have much to say there anyway. But keep me on the list if you are thinking of a group run.
Welcome Ray and Family!
I’d happily show you around some of the famous and some of the lesser known cycling and running routes of Perth and Greater Fremantle.
Glad you’re going to be in my adopted hometown of Perth (planned to stay a year, it’s been five so far). It really is heaven for the outdoorsy types.
A bunch of suggestions, I’ll probably come back to add more later:
– most places are accessible by bike, there’s excellent paths parallel to train lines and alongside the beach
– lots of parkruns in Perth, including Cottesloe beach, they’ll be able to give you more tips too
– The Coogee Maritime Trail is worth a snorkel: link to cockburn.wa.gov.au (it’s pronounced co-burn, if you’re wondering)
– this is an excellent resource for finding events in Australia: link to runningcalendar.com.au
– groups like Perth Urban Runners and WA Marathon Club may have other runs as well
(I’m more of a runner so don’t know too much about the cycling scene)
On a non-sports note, this is an excellent time of year to come to Perth – it’s festival season! Lots of stuff on for the Peanuts too.
– Fringe Festival (third largest in the world!): link to fringeworld.com.au even if you don’t go to specific shows there’s lots to see and atmosphere to soak up (although I recommend Trash Test Dummies).
– Perth Festival (February): link to perthfestival.com.au
– lots of outdoor cinemas making the most of our summer weather
– Margaret River wine region (Busselton is also good if you don’t quite want to go that far – and the jetty swim/fun run weekend is always good: link to busseltonjettyswim.org.au and link to busseltonrunnersclub.org.au)
– Kings Park for a walk/picnic
– John Forrest National Park for a walk/picnic and visiting kangaroos
That’s all I can think of now… I’m in the rehab stage of a broken foot at the moment so probably not up for a ride/run but send me an email if you have any questions or want more tips!
Megan
Great post Megan. Heal well.
As you’ve probably worked out Ray, lots of expats in Perth, can’t wait for to join us for a good holiday.
if you are looking for some group rides while in perth, our club has something on everyday of the week.
link to southperthrouleurs.com.au
Wait so you aren’t going to be spending any time i Sydney? You could really come… I know you’ve been before but it’s a wonderful city to do a little running in. Perth is lovely but it’s. Bt of a country town… Would be happy to help arrange a reader meetup if you do plan to pop over.
Hi Ray – I’m in Oz on business trip until 9th Feb – unfortunately I’ll miss your event on Monday night as I don’t arrive until Thursday evening (just in time for public ride in Friday). I’ll be flitting between Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne – love to meet for a morning ride.
G’day Ray,
I live about 10 minutes Sth from where you will be in Fremantle. Plenty of good trail running in and around Perth, even close to Freo (that’s Fremantle ?). One nature reserve with 100+ kangaroos is 3k from our house! Pretty cool running through there and seeing them all around you. We do group runs there Wed arvo/evenings. ‘parkrun’ at Bibra Lake on Saturday mornings is a must too. I’ve lived here my whole 40yrs so happy to pass on any local knowledge or assistance you need mate. Cheers.
Hey Brett-
What’s the name of the nearby reserve that has the 100+ roos?
Might be up for a Weds evening run, and I think I’m even closer to you, since I’m technically in North Coogee.
G’day Ray,
Yes I’m just a couple km inland from you there.
The reserve is Thomsons Lake Nature Reserve. It’s roughly a 7km loop around the lake on the dirt/sand/limestone track but you need to enter the reserve through the airlock gates (to preserve the natural wildlife within, and keep domestic animals out!) at the very northwest or northeast corners (those are the gates I know anyway). Once inside you wouldn’t know you are in the suburbs, it’s great and I don’t think i’ve ever done a lap and not seen kangaroos (late arvo or early morning when they are up feeding is a good time to see big groups of them).
I’ve got two weeks annual leave starting this Saturday (3rdFeb) and have a couple young kids starting school this week that i’ll be ferrying around but i’m sure I can have a word to ‘my girl’ to let me out to take a wayward tourist out for a run sometime instead.
Maybe if you email me I can send you a map with gate markings etc, and give you the Wed night group run meetup info/contact details? I can drive to pick you up if that helps. Or if you’d rather run in the morning i’m sure I could rustle up a few of the Beeliar area locals for a run then too.
Cheers mate.
While in Singapore, come for an RTI – Round The Island – about 120 km pancake flat. it will be fun :)
You should consider the Cotto Swim on 25 Feb. link to rottnestchannelswim.com.au
I’ll come to a Meetup in Perth if the timing works out.
Nice to see you here again
I’m sure you will get plenty of suggestions, but definitely recommend heading down the coast to Busselton and Margaret River area. We also stayed in Bunker Bay on Cape Naturaliste for 4-5 nights and loved it – some awesome running trails and beaches.
Very envious! What does the Girl do about the cake shop?
Welcome to the country.
Here’s the obligatory tourism video. (Note: if you’re arachnophobic, or have other animal-related phobias, you might not want to watch.) link to youtube.com
Great you’ll be spending some time in WA!
Clearly I’m biased but I recommend my family’s Farmstay (www.fergusonfarmstay.com.au) in the Ferguson Valley Region near Bunbury. Its a 2hr drive from Perth and located close to some great hills cycling and trail walking/running around the Wellington Forrest National Park, as well as wineries in the Ferguson Valley. Also only 30min from Bunbury and beaches.
let us Singapore residents know your dates :) lots of folks here would love to meet you in person !
March 26th to 29th. Once I get a bit closer I’ll see about doing a meetup of some sort. I’ll have my bike – so would definitely be tempted to get in at least one ride.
Welcome to Australia and more specifically Perth/Freo soon.
If there is a group run or a meetup happening I’d be keen.
Another Perth resident here. Not promising I’d be able to keep up on any of the disciplines, but happy to try, and see some of the stuff you go through in testing etc.
Cheers
Damon
Welcome back to Australia!
If you are looking for some swimming, running or cycling during the days in Perth while everyone else is at work I’m in, though open water swimming is not my kind of thing with a shark net or 100s of other potential victims in a race ?. There’s a few triathlons coming over the Feb and March period. Check http://triserieswa.com.au and link to allbarnone.com , there’s even one in Fremantle (one E) in March. And the Karri Valley triathlon is apparently fantastic too but i always seem to be busy when its on link to stadiumtriclub.com
Great to hear that your coming Perth!
If your not already booked out for events I would strongly recommend Karri Valley Triathlon, just out of Perth:-
link to stadiumtriclub.com
Best race in WA.
Hi Ray, I would definitely be interested when you hit the West in Perth, Welcome and I hope you all enjoy Australia I’m sure you’re going to love it!
Great to have you in Perth, Ray. Please come and join us on our “Perth cycling IT professionals” (PCITP) group ride each Wednesday morning leaving the Bell Tower in Perth city at 6am.
Now in its 5th year, the PCITP Group has over 500 members and can be found on LinkedIn (a business networking website). Our Cycling Group promotes safe cycling and encourages all those in IT to join in and enjoy the wonderful scenery Perth provides.
Our group has a weekly ride on a Wednesday morning departing from the Perth Bell Tower at 6.30am (winter) and 6.00am (Summer) for a river loop which returns at 7.45am and includes a coffee stop in Applecross. All members are welcome to join in on the rides regardless of fitness and experience level. We have 3 pace group to cater for all levels.
PCITP Cycling kits are also available to purchase.
Typical Perth – Cycling here is an extension of the golfing fraternity – all the gear, but no idea.
Bring back the old days – And let the corporates find a new networking outlet
I wonder whether Wahoo will be mentioning anything about their to-be-announced tri watch – elemnt rival
Take the family out to Rottnest island for a day or 2. It’s an amazing spot and the kids will love the quokka’s!
There are no private cars on the island – everyone gets around by bike and you can rent houses there for a few days if you’re staying over.
link to dcrainmaker.com
In Singapore you need to visit Gardens by the Bay. Amazing place :-)
And what about cupcakes ? You will close the shop in Paris?
Awesome to hear you’ll be in Perth for some time! If I make it back from Chile I’d go for a running meetup!
Hey Ray, great you’re coming to Perth. If you want to get a taste of some Aussie Surf Life Saving let me know and you can join in some of our swims/runs or try your hand at some of the surfcraft. There are a number of open water swims on while you’re here. Cottesloe to Swanbourne Ocean classic (2.2km) is Feb 3rd, there are others each weekend in the lead up to the Rottnest Channel swim. Have fun. Looks like you’ll have plenty to do
I am sorry I am having a tough time enjoying this post. You live in Paris, France. One of the most beautiful cities in the world. Oh by the way it is 46 degrees Fahrenheit in Paris today, which is not cold. So then in this post you announce that you are headed to the Tour Down Under and you are going to winter in Adelaide, Australia. Last but certainly not least you are getting FREE BEER to talk tech.
This is too much for me to handle. It is 6 degrees Fahrenheit here in Iowa. All I have to look forward to tonight is shoveling snow and riding Zwift.
Enjoy Australia and drink a beer or two or three for all of us stuck in the cold!
John
What about Brisbane and the Gold Coast? – Next year
Enjoy! Can you share what bike case you use for travel? Thanks.
Yup, I just use this one: link to dcrainmaker.com
Cheers, Ray.
Hope you enjoy your time out here. I live on the eastern seaboard, but was out west a few months ago. Suggestions (some already made) for you include:
– Stay for a few days to check out the Stirling ranges and Porongurup. Beautiful mountains (wildflowers in spring) and an hour or two drive from Margaret River. We stayed here which was super nice – http://www.woodlandsretreat.com.au with an open view of the range. Seems they also have a wine festival in early March.
– Rottnest islands has already been mentioned and is definately worth the trip for the quokkas alone.
– You should be in Fremantle when the Indian Pacific Wheel Race starts (March 17th) and the riders dip their wheels in the Indian ocean and start the 5500km self supported ride across Australia.
enjoy!
Just wanna say a huge thanks to the amazing response here – and all the tons of ideas!
Since most of them are focused on Perth, we’ve been digging through them, and once we arrive next week will likely start reaching out on a few of them. We totally appreciate it – it’s so cool how many awesome things folks have tossed out.
Thanks again!
Hi Ray,
Just a couple of restaurant suggestions from when I lived in Perth a few years back:
– In Fremantle: Bread in Common (link to breadincommon.com.au) – fantastic food, fantastic bread, and even more amazing butters – 43 Packenam St Fremantle.
– Mary St Bakery (link to marystreetbakery.com.au) – great bakery and brunch plus on the north side of the river – 507 Beaufort St, Highgate (and just up the road is Beaufort St Books, my favourite little Perth bookshop with a great kids section – 567 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley)
Have a great time out west!
Just catching up on your Australia adventures! Nick will be in Singapore when you guys are there…be sure to hook up so we can finally repay you that babysitting money we owe you from this fall! ? E, Baby #2, and I won’t move to Singapore until mid-April when baby is big enough to have had shots. Sorry I’ll miss you all!
Even though I’m in Adelaide, very surprised hardly anyone has suggested Little CreAtures for its brewery in Fremantle WA ….. and great pizza!! The Pale Ale is tremendous ? kid friendly too
Just one thing… sharks are’nt so dangerous as kangaroos:
link to news.com.au
I just watched your DJI Mavic air high speed wind test in Fremantle and looked over to see this post! A great place in the world, especially if you want wind, or even high speed winds. Have fun there