Heads up! Here’s your massive list of sports tech deals! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $449, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium for $735, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, and plenty more! Go check out the full list 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.
hi Ray
if you’re at garmin can you ask them if there is any plan to fix up the firmware on the edge 520 so it doesn’t kill the battery in 4 hours. Lots of people having problems it seems (even on your comments). Garmin doesn’t really seem to be acknowledging its a problem, at least in the UK.
It’s been like this since December and means the device is basically useless, especially now the weather is getting better in Europe.
It’s like they are forcing us to buy a Wahoo Bolt :)
Pls ask Garmin to update the FR935 to allow text (SMS) responses like they do for the cheaper Vivoactive 3.
Garmin is acknowledging the problem on their 520 forum but apparently aren’t throwing enough resources at it find the underlying issue. It is an odd issue in that it doesn’t affect everyone and for those of us it does effect, it does it in different ways. I’m assuming the problem won’t be fixed and as soon as Wahoo let’s us use Varia Radar, I’ll be moving over to the bolt.
Yes – a couple of Garmin employees have posted on their forum saying they are “investigating” and went as far as saying “we are working on a fix”….that was on the 6th January.
Meanwhile support staff in the UK continue to say that “it’s the first they’ve heard” and then make you factory reset the unit etc etc etc.
It’s obviously impossible to say how many people are affected but the forum thread is 17 pages long so it probably an appreciable number. If it is a problem only affecting a few then they should swap out the, basically useless, units.
Handling of this situation falls below the already low bar set by Garmin support.
Not sure about Interbike, but Eurobike is usually in September.
It’s been moved this year to mid-July, from it’s usual location the last few days of August.
No, it’s not logical.
I live in Kansas City and we had some snow yesterday. Hopefully it will warm up a bit for your stay here. Safe travels. :)
Really enjoy site, especially 5 things.
I wrote a Garmin cycling app over the winter and wondered what you think of it. It’s mostly just styling and ui updates rather than doing anything different but I find nicer looking with more useful information for training and racing >> link to goo.gl
Ray,
Can u ask Garmin when they will fix the problems that v.3.9 on the 1030 caused to the Varia Vision i.e., you can no longer properly set the data screens.
This problem first began in late February and shortly thereafter I submitted a ticket along with many other people.
Whenever I call tech support they say the engineers are working to fix it.
Thx
Jim
Sounds like I just need to tell Garmin to read the comments section here on this post. :)
Can you tell me the name of those IKEA bookcases? Looks like something we have been looking for
Yup, it’s the Hemnes bookshelves (120x130cm).
It’s a bit more pricey than the usual Ikea bookshelves (or usual Ikea anything), but the build quality is definitely a bit better (something I noticed while building). Little nuances like some of the clamps and sliding mechanism (albeit hardly worth the increased price here).
THANKS
While you’re at asking Garmin to do things, any chance of them doing more for sleep tracking on the 935 outside of just finding your lowest heart rate? Say doing HRV tracking like what is done on the Ambit 3:
link to firstbeat.com
Seems like the data collected by the watch doesn’t really tell you very actionable data while the built in optical HR can to HRV measurements at rest so should be able to collect the needed data for that algorithm. At least I think it can
I guess I should add to the Garmin grumbling.
Are they going to get the Vector 3s working? Between the right pedal resets, right pedal missing, batter cover warnings, I feel like a beta tester that had to pay a grand to participate.
It would also be nice to know what their solution is for the FR935 8.0 update that broke elevation (for all activities plus stairs climbed) and the Stress measurement. Right now they’re saying “RMA your watch” which of course is a PITA when the also have no way to truly back up all your settings.
link to forums.garmin.com
Thanks for these sorts of posts. I’m headed to Amsterdam with the family (kids 7 & 4) via a work relocation in July so all this type of info is marvellous. Cheers!
Ha, I‘m sorry for not checking that myself. I live across the lake and I didn‘t know that :P
See you at the CIQ Summit. I am driving up from Houston in the morning.
Cool! I’m sitting at the Houston airport right now waiting for my connection. Soon!
You will have more time to relax tomorrow than I. It’s an 11 hour drive.
Speaking of Garmin, are they planning on getting back to old support habits replying to emails within days not and three to five weeks as it is the case right now in Germany? Pretty disappointing for premium products – considering their pricing.
No grumbling, but Garmin questions nonetheless.
Any plans on easily transferring data between the Garmin and Fitbit platforms? I’m on Fitbit and regularly do challenges with friends. I would go for a Garmin smart watch if I could get the data going either direction esp into Fitbit. (Unlikely, I know, esp on the Fitbit side).
Plans to expand banks supporting Garmin Pay, and to add it to the Fenix 5 line?
Plans for future version of Descent Mk1? Would like to see air integration option, Garmin Pay. I would really be inclined to buy one, especially if they could solve the Fitbit data problem
Nice to read that you are already enjoying yourself on the bicycle. Your 50k loop looks very familiar. In my better days I used to run along the Amstel, from Amsterdam to Ouderkerk, cross the bridge there and back on the other (east) side of the river. Hardly any traffic there, that road is closed for cars except for people who live there. The beauty of cycling there is that you can find a whole different (more quiet) world just 15 minutes from a busy city and a noisy highway.
As for the working space: That might not be easy (nor cheap). You may want to look into “bedrijventerrein Schinkel”, the industrial estate very close to you. The area is a bit run down in some places but “AF61” on the Anthony Fokkerweg is quite nice. A friend (cook/writer/organizer of events) has a unit there in an old officebuilding converted into a business centre. You share a servicedesk, canteen etc. with mostly young/creative companies. He has a very small unit but there are (much) bigger units too:
link to fundainbusiness.nl
Did you know there are also office spaces in the Olympic stadium? Would be perfect for you. Most likely a bit small for your purposes but you never know:
link to olympischstadion.nl
link to wehaveanyspace.com
Hey Ray,
I don’t suppose one of those products you were shooting was the new Stac Zero smart trainer. I have the original, and while I like it, I’m looking at the smart trainer upgrade, and was wondering if you had had a chance to get some time on it to work out response time, setup, etc.
Not yet. We had chatted about getting it in last week, but given the schedule craziness and them wanting to get a few more pre-prod units built, they’re targetting getting it to me early next week (in time for the end of upgrade promo).
Safe to assume you’re going in for the Amsterdam marathon later in the year?? ?
Go to Montrio Bistro in Monterey. Get the rib eye to share if you’re with a crowd – or you’re really starving. Get the S’more for dessert.
Please tell the Garmin people to fix Garmin Express in Windows10! It stopped working according to the message I’m getting. Who knows why and how to fix it?! I need it to upload custom workouts to my watch. Thx
Sabine,
I had similar problems with Windows 10 and Garmin Express. Right click garmin express and run the compatibility troubleshooter which gives you the option to sort out using Windows 8 settings (just for that program). This fixed the issue for me from what I can remember.
Kansas City native here, I enjoy reading your site. Welcome to our cold, flat, friendly city! (Also, Olathe is not indicative of the rest of the city. Head downtown/Crossroads for a much better city experience)
Yeahh, my Garmin Edge 820 alway crashes while trying to upload activities via wifi.
Add this to the list. ;)
Please ask Garmin, when they will fix the remote-bug for the Edge 1030.
How can someone tell that Ray is moving? Well it’s quite obvious from second picture. While he was packing stuff from DCR Cave he came across drawer with cycling computers. On its bottom he found Garmin Edge 500 from previous decade. :)
Or is this respond to previous comments from Garmin. A device with long lasting battery.
Turning off bluetooth on my Edge 520 helps improve battery life quite a bit. I also turned down the brightness. I could turn off Glasnoss as well but haven’t felt the need yet.
Will probably take a small portable USB charger battery and charging cord for the next century ride though, just in case.
Missed the scoop on the move from Paris to Amsterdam – any link that I can catch up with?
love living in Europe vicariously through you guys! :)
Yup – here ya go! link to dcrainmaker.com
Can you ask Garmin if they’ll give me a million dollars?
Just asked. They said only if you give them a million dollars first.
I’ll give you a million dollars, if you send the 10% release fee to my Nigerian banker first…
Do you know where you’ll be at Sea Otter? I’m planning to ride in the Gran Fondo on Saturday.
Have Garmin & Firsbeat integratet sync between units yet? ( Fenix5 and edge 1030)
Hi Ray, what a great bike with the yellow shoe ;-) Just had to write this because it make me laugh so hard!
Hi Ray,
I think there’s still a space for rent on Delflandplein (I haven’t been there for a while). A guy used to run his bike related webshop from there, so I’m going to make the assumption it’s large enough. You can also check Wichersstraat 81, the lady who runs her shop/workspace there is looking for someone to takeover the lease. It doesn’t fit your area but it’s a really nice space (I live in that building).
Good luck.
Also check out these dudes for cargo bikes: link to workcycles.nl
Awesome – thanks, I’ll definitely poke into both of those!
I’ll see you at Sea otter on Friday or Saturday?