Heads up! Here’s your massive list of sports tech deals! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $429, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium for $735, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, (or Hero 13 bundle for $339!) 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!
5
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.
I did a mini-tri on my own. Rough day.
50 mike ride in rain, hail and 20mph winds. The joys!!
rode my tt bike in heavy monsoon for 3 hours
I might go for some hiking.
Went for a rainy ride with my mates and had a great coffee and cake 1/2 way round.
55 mile ride on flat roads with lots of wind!
Long bike ride to build up some endurance!
Took a podium spot and won a stage at one of the top amateur stage races in the country.
42 grueling miles of Warwickshire countryside was my adventure, plus I found a new cafe – WIN!
could use a new bike trainer I don’t think winter is ever going to end in Wisconsin
I finished my very first long bike ride this weekend. The weather was great!
Since Spring can’t decide to show up, did the Zwift Tour of Watopia Stage 5 on Saturday. 15th out of 315.
Road the bike and ran the road
First day of sunshine this year (England… So probably the last…) so went for a rather ‘casual’ ride on my new aero bike! Loved every minute, minus the hills… And the 1 minute intervals my friend decided to add in every 15 minutes… Not the way to ride a rather hilly 45 miles if I’m honest, but nonetheless, loved every second.
First single track ride with my son on Saturday. Then a 35 miler and first time back in a paceline in 3 years. Nothing like pulling the group home before the storm hits.
Went for a shirt hike with my dad and my son – great to have time with family!
help lead a 48k beginner triathlete bike ride
Ran a killer 15 mile hilly run after 3 hours of yard work, then a cold adult beverage. Family man triathlon!
1 km jog to toystore to buy a birthday present and 1km jog back.
Running in the woods!
Not sure 36 holes of golf count but it was indeed a recovery weekend and a very enjoyable at that!
Preparing for 10K this weekend in Garmin Marathon!
8 mi run!
A quick once-over of the commuter bike to make sure it’s all good for Monday!
Braved the wind and did some volume on the bike with the local coffee house ride. The headwind was brutal and the tailwind was bliss.
A great day hiking through the woods with my kids.
Did some indoor swiming
I ran a race with a friend that I haven’t seen in years – not my fastest time, but a ton of fun!
Sitting in front of my computer refreshing DCR site and hoping for updates on the new cave!
Recovery weekend- cleaning floors
First road race of 2018… +28C – not bad :))
Basement training … due to the bad weather we had in Canada.
Ran Boston: it was windy, raining, and cool, but ran a decent time and had fun along the way!
Saturday me myself and I…and my bike on a boring flat! Sunday my usual group ride and some climb
It would be a good chink off a PM, for sure! Come on, baby!
New Parkrun PR then got the paintbrush out for some decorating
As a Canadian who ran outside all winter, did my first run (~17K) in the Florida heat and humidity… my conclusion at the end was that i am a cold weather runner!
Ran the JW Corbett 50k in Florida
Did a great swim in a new world class pool here in Colorado Springs @ Piles Peak Athletics.
This weekend was simply awful weather- 40F, sideways rainsleet (seriously), near gale force winds. So my workouts consisted of running to and from my car as fast as possible.
well there was 60mm of freezing rain buildup in on the roads/ground in Toronto so it was trainer time while longingly looking out the window.
A weekend of freezing rain means Zwift!
In the midst of a week long training camp, so last weekend was the beginning…
Ski tour on the Chandalar Shelf in the Brooks Range, AK.
140k bike + 10k trail run training for an Iroman event!
I’ve always been one to ride alone, but this weekend I was in my first group ride. Awesome! is the best way to describe the experience, I pr’ed a section I road the day before by 10 minutes! I am looking forward to future group rides.
Jogged a little marathon in Boston, wishing I’d packed SCUBA gear.
Planned to go to a road race in monterey, but plans changed as I spent the weekend dealing with stomach flu.
Went on road bike ride with new to me bike :)
short wide with the wife and little peach.
lower back injury so was flat on my back
45 min circuit/cardio training, 4 mile run, 500 yard swim. perfect sunday.
Aussie running festival (Canberra) 5k run
I did my longest run EVER this past weekend! 20 miles and even felt good afterwards :)
A hilly run and some trainer time helped me ignore the falling snow.
If you consider driving to Las Vegas a recovery weekend, that’s about it!
Actually hurt my ankle but was still able to do a Zwift ride, still recoverying.
Didn’t have much time, so it was a 4.5 mile run.
Left Zwift and tried the real world for a couples of hours.
Long hike and a couple of indoor trainer rides
I promise I’ll to go out and run…
I did a training run for my first race that is in a month and then a nice recovery crawfish boil to round out the day.
Strolled with a babystroller
Running the hills of the Ohio River in Ashland, KY then bourbon tours in Lexington.
I did 6km run on Saturday plus easy bike ride with my children on Sunday, I think it is quite athleticish as for me
More than ready for warmer weather to be here. In the mean time, I’m holing up inside to bypass the rain.
Indoor bike and treadmill run. Winter needs to end now!
I ran a nine mile long run around the neighborhood. Keep the awesome reviews coming Ray!
5k race! Plus strength training!!
I did my last run in Japan before returning to America.
It was a recovery weekend indeed, though a Garmin FR 645 or Fenix 5 would help to get back on track…
Trying to improve my half marathon training time so I ran 3miles on Friday and 6 miles on Saturday and Sunday.
This past weekend I did a Spartan Super race. It rained hard and was extremely wet, but I survived and finished!
Had to rest up cause of groin issues… how about a belated birthday gift to me!
Xterra Malta. Off-road triathlon.
A nice relaxing weekend shoveling the sleet and snow while trying not to break my neck getting a recovery run in.
One week after running the Hannover Marathon, I started prepping for upcoming shorter-distance races. Did a 5.4km interval session (5x ~1/3km at ~3’05” pace) on Saturday, after the heavy rains here in Bremen had subsided. On Sunday afternoon, I enjoyed the uprising warm and sunny Springtime doing a 12.8km long-run-turned-tempo. Athletic enough, me thinks! But I should definitely work on controlling my pace… ‘;-D
10 mi easy/long run
Turned into a cold weekend, so a bit of zwift and a bit of recabling my bike.
Rode 9W from Fort Lee NJ to Nyack NY and back. Even through a little run in on the end, it was like 75 for the first time this spring finally!
Lots of walking to and from DC museums
I mapped out a somewhat hilly 28 mile route on local back roads in Strava and downloaded it to my Garmin 520. Had a great ride but unexpectedly discovered that about 2 miles of it were on gravel and part that had recently been graded. That was the adventure part!
Climbed Mt Cheaha on the road bike. It’s the highest point in Alabama.
Logged back-to-back days of wind-battling, profanity-ripping rides…happily…except for the pollen.
Long Bike tour in the sun!
A spin up the Alp de Zwift on the Kickr because I was on call.
I did a recovery weekend but didn´t only sit still.
It was great weather to do the gardening to prepare everythingfor summer :)
Spend with daughter on badminton tournament. She won first place :)
5k run @Z4 on Saturday and a 80k bike ride on Sunday. Race season is about to start for me so it’s full gas these days!
Another weekend in the eternal struggle to balance training, family and 36 hour work shifts: I got in 1 hour of indoor trainer riding, and one 10k on a treadmill at work. Yay.
I spectated the BAA 5K, running to and from the race pushing the running stroller. Then I ran 12 miles the next day.
Did a 10k race last Sunday in Varadero as basis to improve overall time in triathlon
Michel
Spent the weekend with a full maintenance of the bike used for winter commutes, to get it ready for the summer. On the athletic side I watched my daughter’s floorball weekend cup games.
Speed Friday. Distance Saturday. Easy Sunday.
Did a 15mi tempo run on Sunday. Other than that, family time.
Just a walk in my town.
Completed epic walk after surgery!
This past weekend went up into the mountains for a Hashing weekend. Me and my dogs are beat.
$500 would go a long way to a power meter.
At the end of my run I felt so good that I couldn’t resist hitting the gym for a quick workout.
Did crunches getting up from the couch