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!
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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.
Author Archives: Ray Maker
TrainingPeaks Announces Price Increase For Annual Subscribers
Almost exactly two years since the last time TrainingPeaks increased prices, they’ve announced today an increase for annual Premium subscribers (only) by 8%, going from $124.99/year to $134.99/year. This change will only take effect once your subscription renews, as well … Read More Here
Rouvy Announces FulGaz Platform Will Remain
If there’s anything I like around these parts, it’s short easy-to-write posts with good news. And this one pretty cleanly falls into that category. Though, admittedly, it doesn’t have all the answers. I’ll give a quick background up front, and … Read More Here
FIT File: All The Indoor Training Updates!
For those not subscribed to the FIT File (it’s free!) via your regular podcast app or on YouTube, here’s a quick post with the highlights from the most recent episode. In this episode, we chat all things indoor training … Read More Here
Decathlon Van Rysel D100 €249 Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
The Decathlon D100 smart trainer is easily the best budget smart trainer on the market today. With a normal price of 249EUR, and occasional sale price down to 199EUR, it’s impossible to beat no matter how or what you … Read More Here
Garmin Backtracks: Expands ECG Functionality to EU Fenix 7 Pro & Epix Pro Users
Last month, Garmin announced access to its ECG feature within the European Union (and Australia) for Fenix 8, Venu 3, and Venu 2 Plus users. However, Fenix 7 Pro & Epix Pro users were left in the literal January cold. … Read More Here
Beats PowerBeats 2 Pro Fitness & Heart Rate Review: Does it Actually Work?
The new PowerBeats 2 Pro earbuds have a slate of new features for audio-related purposes. However, for sports-specific usage, they have one big new feature: Built-in heart rate sensing. This would not only be the first time Apple has … Read More Here
Polar’s New Journal Publication is Surprisingly Good/Geeky/Scientific
This past September, it appears Polar started the “Polar Journal”, a monthly publication about all things sports/fitness/etc. Given it launched in September, it easily got drowned in the gazillions of other sports tech news stories that occupy that historically slammed … Read More Here
Rouvy Adds Zwift Cog/Click/Ride Virtual Shifting: Battle Royale Begins?
Rouvy has just done what everyone has been asking for: Added virtual shifting to Rouvy, using Zwift hardware*. This allows you to use virtual shifting in Rouvy, just the same as Zwift, using the Zwift Click or Zwift Ride … Read More Here
Garmin Instinct 3: Complete Beginners Guide (AMOLED & SOLAR)
Here’s your complete Garmin Instinct 3 (SOLAR & AMOLED) Beginners Guide, which covers everything you need to know about how to use the watch day to day. This is a bit different than my review videos (or the Garmin … Read More Here
TrainerRoad & Zwift Integration Finally Arrives: Full Details
The much-awaited Zwift+TrainerRoad integration has finally arrived, allowing you to execute TrainerRoad structured workouts directly within Zwift. And while this isn’t the first Zwift integration we’ve seen over the last 9 months, it’s the first one to include a new … Read More Here
Elite Avanti Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
The Elite Avanti was introduced last summer as Elite’s new mid-range option for direct drive trainers. Unlike some of their competitors, Elite went all-in on specs on this one. They didn’t hold back: Adding WiFi, Zwift high-speed Race Mode, … Read More Here
Race Ranger Sensor Tech Coming to Age Group Racing
It’s been a hot minute since we last checked in on Race Ranger, and last week they made an announcement that I think is pretty notable. For those not familiar, Race Ranger is essentially a sensor system that’s used in … Read More Here
Garmin Instinct 3 (AMOLED & SOLAR) In-Depth Review
The Garmin Instinct series has enjoyed enormous popularity since its launch over 6 years ago. The rugged-looking watches have always aimed to deliver some of the longest battery life in the wearable-GPS world, while still maintaining much of the … Read More Here
The Big Garmin Watch Crash Issue (Jan 2025): Explainer & Fixes
Here I was, just minding my own business trying to take photos for my Instinct 3 review, when some, but not all, of the watches kept crashing and rebooting every time I opened up the sports menu. Little did … Read More Here
Week in Review – January 26th, 2025
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Ironman Sells FulGaz to Rouvy, and Plenty More
In a move that will probably surprise nobody within the industry, Ironman has decided that owning an indoor cycling platform wasn’t really their jam. As a result, Ironman has sold off FulGaz to Rouvy. Meanwhile, Ironman has concurrently announced a … Read More Here
Week in Review – January 19th, 2025
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Garmin ECG Now Available in EU (But not Fenix 7 Pro & Epix Pro)
After a very long process, Garmin’s ECG feature is now available in the EU and Australia, along with previously available countries, including the US and a slate of countries in Asia. At least for the Fenix 8, Enduro 3, and … Read More Here
Garmin Instinct 3 vs Garmin Fenix 8: Every Difference Detailed!
The Instinct series and Fenix series are Garmin’s two main ‘outdoors’ and adventure-focused watch series. And while these two models have continued to converge, there are a ton of differences. Somewhere in the 100+ differences range if you were … Read More Here
FIT File: Garmin Instinct 3…Let’s Chat
For those not subscribed to the FIT File (it’s free!) via your regular podcast app or on YouTube, here’s a quick post with the highlights from the most recent episode. In this episode, we chat about new 2025 CES … Read More Here
Polar Update Adds Maps Points of Interest, Charging During Workouts, and More
As promised back in the fall, Polar has released their Q1 firmware update for the Polar Vantage V3 and Polar Grit X2 Pro, under the FW3.0 umbrella. This update brings with it the following new features: – Adds mapping points … Read More Here
AmazFit Active 2 Hands-on: $99 Sportswatch with Mapping!
AmazFit has just announced the new Active 2, a smartwatch at $99 (or $129 for the Premium model with a sapphire screen and genuine leather strap). Otherwise, both watches feature identical software features – and for $99, as is usually … Read More Here
Garmin Instinct 3 Series Hands-on: Everything You Need To Know!
(Heads up – Jan 30th, 2025: My full Instinct 3 in-depth review is now available, go check that out instead!) Garmin has just announced the Instinct 3 series, as well as the Instinct E and new HRM-200. The Instinct … Read More Here
Garmin HRM-200 In-Depth Review
Garmin has just announced their HRM-200 chest strap, a product designed to be their affordable chest strap option, for scenarios that might not work as well with an optical HR sensor. But perhaps more interesting, is that it’s the … Read More Here
AmazFit T-Rex 3 In-Depth Review: What’s the Catch?
The AmazFit T-Rex 3 has garnered much attention over the past few months since its announcement. In many ways, that attention is deserved, albeit a wee bit overstated. Still, the watch has been on my wrist now non-stop for … Read More Here