Heads up!!! Here’s your massive holiday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $419, the Apple AirTag 4-Pack for just $69, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $249, (or the brand new Hero 13 or $299!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ deals here!
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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:
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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.
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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 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.
Hi Ray,
any idea/infos, why Garmin discontinued the Garmin Tempe sensor?
That would be a disappointment. I’m not aware of alternatives and the tempe sensor was (at the time) one reason to switch from Suunto to Garmin.
Interesting, didn’t know it was discontinued.
I’d guess that after a decade or so, virtually nobody bought one anymore. Back when it first came out, temp sensors weren’t common in their watches (since many didn’t have baro altimeters). Of course, it was more than watches, also bike computers and handhelds. And even today, with watches it’s still not ideal to use wrist temp.
But I suspect ultimately, I’d struggle to see many people buying these. :(
Since I’m not the athletic type of “sports-person” (more the recreational type) I like to look at the temperature graph of cross-country skiing afterwards. And occasionally look at (or later brag about) the outside temp when camping in winter ;-)
So far as I know, the original reason for the Tempe is that wrist based temperature on the original Fenix just wasn’t accurate, since it’s wrapped around a 98.6 F arm. I don’t see that anything has changed in that regard. I still have my original Tempe bought with my original Fenix, and now about 5 other Tempes, since I bought more both for use with Garmin watches and when I got a 1040, since temperature from a little greenhouse on the handlebars is also not going to be accurate when the sun is out. I’m sad to see it go, and hope someone will come out with a replacement of some sort.
I’m sad to see it go, and hope someone will come out with a replacement of some sort.
Same here, and I hope this doesn’t mean they’ll pull Tempe support from the watches any time soon. Just ordered a new one as a backup for the unit that’s done me great service for the last ten years.
Me! I bought one about 3 months ago as the only reliable way to record temperature during long (ie overnight ultra) runs.
There’s hope that support for the Tempe won’t disappear, since it amounts to supporting a simple ANT+ profile. Said profile didn’t get supported on Edge devices until recently, though. They still support their VIRB cameras, and they stopped selling those about 5 years ago. On the Edge 1040, though, support is nominal (you can pair a VIRB, you just can’t control it in any way from the Edge), unlike my earlier Edge devices. My Epix 2 still controls my VIRB 360. But we’ll see going forward. I’m hoping that support for existing Tempes will continue, since I haven’t had one die yet.
I’ve had one for years. It normally resides on the laces of my running shoes but frequently goes hiking or camping. It’s the only way to get reliable temperature during an activity pushed to Connect. Also, great for getting the temp outside the tent on a cold morning if you leave it outside the tent. I better grab another as a backup.
With the move to MTP, will we still be able to install free maps?
Yup, no problems. You can still copy/paste without issue.
That said, there’s sorta little reason to on the x40 series, since you can download free maps from Garmin directly, which are of far better functionality (have heatmap data built-in), than what you’d get from OSM directly.
There’s a massive benefit to not using Garmin’s own maps when travelling, and that’s for the situation when you get to your destination and realise that you forgot to download the maps for the country you’re visiting. Garmin map downloads are enormous (10GB+), and there’s no chance of doing this on a hotel WiFi connection, and half the time it fails on a fast connection at home anyway.
Being able to grab a single area from Openstreetmap for less than 25MB and drag it onto the device is a huge bonus.
Dear Garmin: please let me download a specific area / state / country instead of half the world at a time.
Totally agree on that piece.
Couldn’t agree more. I travel a lot between Europe and the USA and it’s a paing to make sure I have the right areas loaded. The files are so big and syncing them takes ages. As a result I’ve been using OpenStreetMap thanks to Ray’s guide he published a while back.
I got bit by MTP today. I installed the beta Saturday night after seeing Shane’s video. Yesterday went normally, syncing via WiFi before I even got inside, and I plugged the 1040 into my Mac mini just to see that Express saw it via MTP. Today was one of those rare non-sync days where the activity just didn’t sync. I tried with the iPhone, tried with Express, nothing. So I had to go through the extra steps. Exit Express on the Mini, including the background app. Start up Android File Transfer, drag the file off the 1040 onto the Desktop and manually upload to web Connect. Annoying.
I just wish Android File Transfer was consistently functional. Or any of them for that matter. I’ve had slightly better luck with MacDroid, but even that’s been finicky for me (as I speak, trying to get a Polar Vantage M3 to properly mount to copy maps onto it).
Apple should just support MTP properly.
Hmm, I have a Raspberry Pi that I keep running and up to date but otherwise don’t use. I wonder if Linux has any/better support for MTP? I’ll have to try, since if I can do it, I won’t have to nuke Express on a Mac each time I want to get a file on or off a Garmin MTP device.
Hi Ray,
Any chance Garmin will release a new scale this year?
Garmin’s only released two versions of the scale, and it’s hard to develop any sort of pattern on it.
That said, it’d be highly unusual for any company to release new consumer products after the end of October. Especially bigger companies that want to have all assortment of holiday buying guides/etc in the pipeline through traditional media done.
Garmin/Tacx and many retailers have big discounts on the Neo 2T, Flux 2 and Flux S trainers (REI says the sale ends 12/31/24). Is Garmin just shedding excess inventory or is this a sign that they will be introducing new mid and lower tier models to compete with trainers like the Jet Black Victory and the Elite Avanti.
I too will miss the Tempe sensor. I used to clip one to my summer and winter packs. sadly, mine has gone missing.
Garmin pretty much always puts stuff on sale from now till Dec 31st. As for the trainers, they’ve been on sale for quite a long time now.
Hello from Omaha Nebraska…
I am wondering if you quickly can recommend a fitness watch (not an apple) that caters to a person who does not run or bike outside for long distances.
I am a fitness person,….
I work out every day and engage in
-walking on tred
-elliptical (bad knees keep me from running)
-stationary bike
-out door ebike, 10 – 15 miles per trip.
-3x per week weight lifting.
-yoga class.
-while I do not own a Peloton piece of equipment, I LOVE their classes!
I feel like many of the trackers have capabilities that I do not want/need/use.
Thanks!!!!!