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.
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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.
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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?
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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 2024 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.
Yearly Archives: 2021
Zwift Rolls Out Steering to Wahoo KICKR Smart Bike
Tonight’s Zwift update has enabled steering for the Wahoo KICKR Bike (which are actually in-stock these days). This long-awaited step finally makes it possible to use all features of Zwift in one of the most expensive smart bikes in the … Read More Here
Let’s Talk Security Tech About President Biden’s Peloton Bike
Over the last week there’s been a surprising amount of concerned speculation that President Biden would be unable to take his apparently beloved Peloton Bike to the White House, citing security concerns. The reason is that the Peloton Bikes contain … Read More Here
Suunto Movescount Begins Final Shutdown on Tuesday
There are few sports tech stories that have longer plot lines than a Netflix series – but the turndown of Suunto’s once flagship online platform is giving Game of Thrones a run for its money. But, to quote arguably factually … Read More Here
Wahoo Further Clarifies Canyon/Trek/Giant KICKR Incompatibilities with New Adapter
If there’s anything the internet is good at, it’s sleuthing through imagery to find inconsistent details. Last month when Wahoo and Canyon casually dropped a support update out saying that the Canyon Ultimate CF frames (specifically the rim brake variants) … Read More Here
COROS Rolls Out Update Adding Waypoint Navigation: Hands-on
COROS has begun rolling out a new firmware update today that adds in more exacting time splits for certain sports, as well as a new waypoints-like feature for outdoor route navigation. In addition, the running track mode now supports structured … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It’s been a while since a ‘5 Random Things’ post. Not because I haven’t been doing things, but because they’re a bit less random. With everything pretty locked down, our weekend routine is pretty ‘repeatable’ – especially in the winter. … Read More Here
Stages adds ANT+ Bike Lights Support, Suunto 7 Firmware Update, and Zwift Large Event Update
We’ve got three notable updates going into the weekend that are worthy of a quick chat. Plus one more that might drop sometime over the weekend, maybe Monday. We’ll see. But for now, we’ve got some notable news in the … Read More Here
My Favorite $8 Zwift Apple TV Accessory
If there’s anything I’ve learned in the last few years, it’s that y’all really like hearing about my favorite inexpensive accessories. Be it the $8 Garmin charging pucks or the indoor cycling desk that’s half the price of Wahoo’s – … Read More Here
Google Completes Acquisition of Fitbit: Analysis of What It Means
More than a year after Google first announced their planned acquisition of Fitbit, it’s finally complete. Or at least, complete from the legal standpoint. The real work actually begins now, of figuring out how to integrate the two companies and … Read More Here
GoPro Labs 2021 New Features For Hero 9, Hero 8, Hero 7 and Max
For pretty much the second time in GoPro’s history, they just now added camera features to significantly older cameras – in this case, the Hero 7 in particular (the other time was the GoPro webcam mode). You may remember last … Read More Here
15 Years This Week: The Forerunner 305 Was Released: How does it test now?
It was 15 years ago this past week that the Forerunner 305 was released, at CES 2006 (Consumer Electronics Show). Arguably the device that began it all from a GPS running watch standpoint, its famed reddish color made it easy … Read More Here
Scosche Announces New Rhythm+ 2.0 Optical HR Armband
Here’s your complete details on what’s new and different with the new Scosche Rhythm+ 2.0 optical HR armband, which transmits dual ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart. Read More Here
Quick Heads Up: DC Rainmaker Webinar Livestream on Saturday!
Hey folks, happy weekend! Just a quick heads up that tomorrow (Saturday the 9th), I’ll be doing a Livestream presentation/talk/webinar for one of India’s largest running clubs with more than 17,000 members – the Hyderabad Runners. Unlike most of my … Read More Here
Here’s What Happens When You Order a $35 Power Meter
Remember IQ2? The Kickstarter-based startup that’s been trying to produce a budget power meter for about 33 months now? You might recall late spring 2019 they announced a change in direction from a small crank-arm attached pod to a full … Read More Here
New 2021 GPS Accuracy Issue Impacting Some Garmin, Suunto, other GPS Devices
Update: As of Sunday morning this should be resolved, however, you’ll want to ensure your GPS has fully synced before heading out, and it doesn’t hurt to give it a few extra mins outside before pressing start. Just a super … Read More Here