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.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
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 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
Zwift Hub One In-Depth Review (with Zwift Cog & Click!)
Zwift has just announced two new products today, and arguably changed the way trainers might be sold in the future. The first is the new Zwift Hub One smart trainer, which takes the existing Zwift Hub smart trainer from last … Read More Here
Polar Vantage V3 Hands-On: Everything You Need to Know
Nov 13th 2023 – You can find my full in-depth review of the Polar Vantage V3 posted now! This includes tons of accuracy testing, reliability testing, 12-hour treks, and more. Dive in! Polar has just announced their newest watch – … Read More Here
Elite Aria Smart Trainer Fan In-Depth Review
The Elite Aria fan is seemingly the smartest of smart trainer fans out there today, linking to a wide assortment of indoor cycling tech – be it power meters, smart trainers, heart rate sensors, and even body temperature sensors. … Read More Here
Pixel Watch 2 Hands-On: Here’s everything that’s new!
[Heads up: The full in-depth review of the Pixel Watch 2 is now available here, including accuracy testing and much more!] Google has just announced the Pixel Watch 2, and as expected by the rumors, it’s largely incremental upgrades this … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness to Shut Down RGT Virtual Cycling App
Wahoo Fitness has announced to members that in less than 30 days – on October 31, 2023, the company will shut down the virtual cycling app RGT in an effort to focus “exclusively [on their] structured training content”. Wahoo had … Read More Here
DJI Mini 4 Pro: The Complete Beginners Guide
Just a quick heads up that I’ve posted a full DJI Mini 4 Pro Beginners Guide, that takes you from start to finish with the drone, including virtually all the features and how they work in real life. The previous … Read More Here
Fitbit Announces New Charge 6: What’s New and Different?
Fitbit has just announced an update to their most popular fitness tracker series, with the new Fitbit Charge 6 (obviously, replacing the existing Fitbit Charge 5, from September 2021). The Fitbit Charge 6 has much the same form factor as … Read More Here
Hammerhead Announces New Hardware: Quick Hands-On with HMS
After years of hardware draught, for the first time since the Karoo 2 back in April 2020, cycling GPS maker Hammerhead has announced some new hardware (actually in April 2020, that’s when they announced plans for the announcement, different from … Read More Here
DJI Mini 4 Pro Active Track Review (Sports Focus)
It’s not that I set out to cause misery for drones, rather I view it more as a service that you’ll be able to use to determine which environments you can take your drone into while doing whatever sports activity … Read More Here
Suunto Releases 14 New SuuntoPlus Watch Apps
September is a busy month for many watchmakers, and that includes Suunto. Over the past few days, the company has released some 14 new SuuntoPlus apps. SuuntoPlus apps are essentially really advanced data pages to add to your sport profile … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Apple iPhone 15: Action Test!
For those not subscribed on YouTube, just a quick heads up that I dropped the above video today, which is a comparison between two totally different cameras, yet ones that also have significant overlap. And in this case, focusing … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 9 In-Depth Review: A Sports Focus
Apple’s latest mainstream watch, the Apple Watch Series 9, has arrived. And with it comes minor incremental hardware updates, but a slate of software updates focused on sports and fitness. The hardware upgrades are entirely internal, focused on faster … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra 2 In-Depth Review: Focused Sports Progress
With the launch of the 2nd edition of the Apple Watch Ultra series, Apple has set the tone for an annual release cycle. As they’ve done with the existing/regular Apple Watch lineup, that cadence has focused on incremental updates … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive 5 In-Depth Review: Now With An AMOLED Display!
To the surprise of many, Garmin has just announced the Vivoactive 5 – which is essentially a mini-Venu 3 (both in price and features). Garmin has killed off the MIP-based display of the previous Vivoactive series, instead adopting a … Read More Here
‘Name That Watch’ Gameshow with DesFit, Chase the Summit, and Matt Legrand
(Spoiler Avoidance: If you want to first try the game yourself, hit the short unlisted video here first, which is exactly what we’re seeing. Write down your answers, then enjoy the hilarity above.) Just wanted to drop a super quick … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 12 Black: The Complete Beginners Guide
I’ve just published my full GoPro Hero 12 Beginners Guide, as a follow-on to past beginners’ guides – including the GoPro Hero 10 Beginners Guide, which has amassed more than 1.4 million views. In this guide I take you … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 9: What’s New and Hands-On
In addition to the new Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple has also refreshed its regular Apple Watch lineup with the new Series 9. These units share a ton of new features, both from a hardware standpoint, but also a … Read More Here
Zwift Increases Zwift Hub Price to $599
Today Zwift announced a slate of new software features for the upcoming season, including new roads in Watopia, Climb Portal updates, an entirely new methodology for racing categorization called Race Score, along with new features to take advantage of the … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Hands-on and What’s New
Apple has just announced the new Apple Watch Ultra 2, alongside the also-new Apple Watch Series 9. Both of these units see largely hardware upgrades, mostly focused on performance and the display, while also adding one notable new feature … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT: Hands-On and Initial Thoughts
Today Wahoo announced a more affordable version of their high-end KICKR BIKE, the new KICKR BIKE SHIFT. This slices $1,000 off the price in exchange for a few trade-offs, notably removing the built-in CLIMB-like up and down incline simulation, as … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR Move Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Wahoo has just released two new indoor training products for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere indoor training season, a new top-end smart trainer that moves forward and back to add a bit of movement during your ride. In addition, they … Read More Here
Tacx NEO Bike Plus: A Quick Update on Accuracy & Steering
As we slowly slide into fall (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere), I’m working my way through updating various reviews and data sets on relevant indoor smart trainers and smart bikes. Especially in cases where previous reviews found … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 12 Black Announced: Here’s What’s New!
GoPro has just announced the new Hero 12 Black, which has a slate of new features – some hardware, some software, and some even app driven. This includes everything from doubling the battery life in certain modes, to adding Bluetooth … Read More Here
Wahoo and Zwift Reach Patent Dispute Agreement: Here’s What’s Happening Next
Exactly one year ago today, Zwift announced the Zwift Hub smart trainer – which priced at $499USD, immediately lit a fire across the rest of the smart trainer industry. The product was mostly a rebrand of the existing JetBlack VOLT … Read More Here
Elite & Wahoo Reduce List Prices on Trainers
Over the past 7 days, both Elite and Wahoo have reduced prices on a few models of their trainers that directly or indirectly compete with the direct drive based Zwift Hub smart trainer. That trainer was announced one year ago … Read More Here