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…
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!
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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.
Working on the Tour of Watopia stages. Stage 5 Saturday was a heck of a climb.
Coming back from an injury, taking it easy and increasing the mileage!
Super duper long run, marathon distance. Just for fun.
20 miler road ride to watch my wife race a duathlon.
Did an extended testride on MtB updated with Sram Eagle and Power2Max NGEco. Thanks for your testing all these powermeters.
I did a long run/speed workout in the cold, wet New York weather.
Ride/Run brick Saturday and long ride Sunday afternoon. 10 weeks to my first 70.3.
Not able to train this weekend while recovering from a minor procedure but I did walk my dog.
This weekend I went for an 11.5 pre-half marathon training run. When I got home I still felt like spending time outside, so I rode my bike to REI (which, I understand, is technically inside. But it’s the most outside you can get while still being inside. It counts!).
Drank and ate way too much and then payed for it all on Sunday with a 10k trail run.
100 km on the bike before the ice storm closed in.
I volunteered at a local animal shelter over the weekend. Not exactly a structured workout, but a pretty good workout nonetheless.
Ran a freezing half marathon… And won my AG!
2 laps of 41km each, that’s a new personal record for longest ride.
I went for my “long run” along the Scottish coast line
Longest ride of the season so far, just shy of 70 miles on the road bike
2 hour trail run with my friends.
I rode more than 180 athletic kilometers on the weekend, despite the wind average speed was athlethic. Max speed of 80km/h is adventurous for sure.
I did some swimming for a change! Indoors tho. Then I had cake.
Went on Zwift this weekend since weather on east coast still stinks!
Stayed in bed whilst live tracking my husband’s during his half marathon.
enjoyed the warm weather and road my bike outside for once; prepping for my triathlon season. Also getting ready for health and fitness 10K this weekend.
Recovery run on Saturday ?
Hiking round the local hills, still building up the strength in the knee and ankle I thoroughly trashed last year.
A nice 4 hour ride in the mountains of Boulder!
First proper road race of the season since getting promoted. Spent first lap remembering that I used to be quite good at this, second lap thinking I’m far too old for this and the last lap thinking how do I move up to the front of the bunch for the sprint!
Did a two hour bike ride ohne Mallorca, with rainy/windy conditions. Wetter at home was way better :/
wish I got a workout in, instead had to WORK
Completed a three hour mountain bike ride on Sunday in preparation for the Leadville 100 MTB race in August.
I swam, biked and biked again sunday so a normal weekend
Played in the mud on a 10 mile trail run.
2.5hrs bike ride out to Windsor
I participated in a trail run event, where I did 11km route and wanted to go home already after 5km. That’s what happens when one does not train.
2 hours on the road bike both on Saturday and Sunday. It is still early season for me at this time of the year.
ride to the top of the town….
Epic cold weather run with hills!
50+ miles in the local hills
Hike up tuckerman’s…Ski down
I took my new bike for an incredible first ride.
I rode my bike
Training ride with my 13 year old daughter to get her ready for her 1st Olympic Distance tri in May on Saturday and a short run on Sunday
Finally warm enough to road bike Saturday and then play hockey Sunday night.
Bike ride the sun while parts of the country froze
Recovery after Mallorca bike week. Awesome
It was a cold weekend mixed with snow and freezing rain… It’s supposed to be spring here in North America?!?
My indoor trainer and treadmill were my best friends this weekend. Did a brick workout.
Spring has finally sprung in the UK. 100km bike ride with my buddies in the Chiltern hills.
This weekend I did an amazing 80k ride in the north of Prague with two of my good friends :)
I really need this. My wife swore that she would throw me from home along with my Garmin collection if I spent a single penny in yet another gadget. And you don’t want that? Do you?
Stupid Oklahoma weather prevented me from going outside. Flippin’ 32 wind chill on Saturday in April!!!!!!
Took my 18 month old to the Pool after my run.
Commutes by bike home and did yard work.
I did a trail/mountain run on the Umakarikari-Urchin trails in the Kaimanawa ranges.
I’m still post my yearly sub 3 attempt and blow up so I took my 4 year old swimming
Short outing as a warm up to two hours of underwater hockey
The weekend started strong with a trail run on Friday, ride on Saturday, then fizzled with an afternoon on the couch after coaching a cold wet soccer game.
Trail run preparing for Ragnar trail relay.
Went for a MTB ride with a buddy.
A hilly, wet, but beautiful ride across South Wales! Then some stretching/light mobility work at home.
A run was planned but when I saw the sun I had to take my road bike for a spin. That means however, that I’ve to catch up on my marathon plan today, and run 18k in the rain.
Finally managed to get out on the bike in the sunshine! The weather has been awful here lately.
An abandoned turbo session curtailed by a cough that wouldn’t quit
On this past Saturday I had my first test day in view of July IM. I spent 1 hour back and forth in a pool, rested one hour, then 3 hours on Zwift, rested another hour and then 2 hours running.
I made it through better than I thought. The rest in between the three legs is very very nice! :)
Does a 3 mile run count? Sad, I know but I’m roaring back after an Achilles issue that had sidelined me for a bit. I sure could use some gadgets to help my come back! ?
I went for a walk with the kids to try and catch some Pokemon, does that count as athletic? I also prepared mentally for running on Monday morning…
Was back with the cycle club Saturday after a few weeks forced rest. Great to be back next it.
Got in a 66 mile bike ride with rolling hills. Getting ready for IMCHOO 70.3!
Not very athletic-y but I biked around town getting all my chores done.
Back from a week overseas I did a recovery ride and then a FTP test, 272 Watts, which gives me just over 4 Watts per kg. A mentally tough 20 minutes test on my rollers (4iiii PM). I nearly gave up halfway… glad I finished but I feel I can do better when not jet lagged :)
Trainer rides thanks to April snow showers.
Indoor trainer ride. Because it’s April in Ontario and, for some reason, that means more ice and snow falling from the sky all weekend.
Recovery run again after my first marathon the week before…and a lot of roof painting!
Thx for the give-away once again!
Second road race of the season, and got 7th, which is my first top 10 ever! Then put my feet up and watched Amstel Gold.
Took my sons Boy Scout troop on a 5.5 mile hike in the Uwharrie National Forest.
The fundraiser run I organized on behalf of the Pat Tillman Foundation was this past Saturday. We had 225+ registered. The morning of, I went to mark the route to place the mile markers and turnaround sign. I was using my Garmin Forerunner 10 watch to track the 4.2 mile route. At the end a few runners mentioned the course was about 4.6 miles and NOT 4.2 miles. I was so embarrassed! I’ve been wanting to get a new watch, but don’t have the money to afford it right now so this would definitely help me and also next year when I organize the fundraiser run again!
Very disappointing Marathon after a winter of solid training. Win would cheer me right up!
Yesterday was my W09D7 Long run of my sixteen week marathon training plan.
A bit of running in Central Park!
First nice weekend in Cumbria this year, no over boots, no full length bibs, and sunshine on the bike, yippee!
earning a strava badge while blocking the DH racetrack
only some recovery but watched some videos about the Garmin Edge 520 :-) Hope this will be my next gadget soon!!
4 mile ride with my 6yr old girl on her new bike!
Took the dog along the beach as a cold kept me offf the bike
Recovering from injury this weekend so my athletic adventure was maintaining bicycles and re-painting my bathroom!
Hi, I spent Saturday on my bike, I made about 30 km, not so much, but It was great. On Sunday I went to park with my 4 months old son, it was very nice.
I went for half marathon run
Walked the hills of Lisbon.
On the bike pacing a buddy coming back from injury
Running ‘in’ the sea, and some thorny bushes.
Has had some problems with both My ankel so has been takning it easy.But to day it worked OK on a 7.5k run in the nice spring weather here in Denmark we are not as far as Holland with flowers and leaves.
Only table tennis on Saturday and biking with my kids on Sunday – one kid on Domado child bike tow bar – pretty hard work if you ask me :-)
Chased the boy, chased the girl. Re potted a tree. Cleaned the chain and cassette and fitted the bike to the trainer… training done
Wrapped the final two days of an 8 week indoor training block on my Kickr.
Recovery run that “accidentally” turned into one of my fastest 5K times .Coach hates when that happens :)
Did my first 100km ride of the season on Saturday. Loved it!
Took it- recovery weekend.
First open sea water swim of the year!
5k pb and a 10k recovery.
Walking the dog in the hills around my town. Enjoying sunny weather according to Accuweather !
After snowblowing 15 inches of snow, rode the bike trainer for an hour… I had hoped to run at least 13 miles outside, but the snow changed those plans.
165k in the “Isaac Alternatieve” cycling tour