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
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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 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.
Author Archives: Ray Maker
New Garmin Fenix 7/Epix/Enduro 2/MARQ 2: Beta Program Features Update!
Not one to be outdone by Apple’s big firmware updates this week, Garmin has launched the beginnings of their next quarterly update release. As you may remember, Garmin switched to the quarterly release scheme for feature updates, but that also … Read More Here
Apple Watch Updates: Running Track Mode, Race Route, and Extended Battery Times
This has been a busy last week or two for Apple, especially in the watch realm. But also in other areas like expanding out iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via Satellite to some European countries. In this quick post, I’m going … Read More Here
DCR Open House Winter 2022 Photo Recap!
Last weekend (well, weekend prior), we held the 7th annual DCR Open House! These winter editions are usually held in early December, though we did one summer one in 2019 (something we hope to continue in summer 2023 – more … Read More Here
Apple Watch SE (2022/2nd Gen) In-Depth Review
This fall we saw a slew of Apple product releases. From the much anticipated Apple Ultra Watch, to the hugely popular Apple Watch Series 8. But slotted below those in price is the Apple Watch SE (2nd gen). This has … Read More Here
DJI Mini 3 In-Depth Review: A $469 Drone!
Today DJI has announced their latest (and least expensive) drone, the DJI Mini 3. This variant takes elements of the previous DJI Mini 3 Pro unit launched this past spring, and packages it up at a $469 price point – … Read More Here
The Massive 2022 Sportswatch Year in Review with DesFit
It’s that time of year again – the massive 2022 Sportswatch Year in Review video is up! This is now the 4th year in a row, and with it – by far the biggest and most epic year yet in … Read More Here
Astounding Data Stream Hack Gets UCI World Championship Qualifier Banned
I’ve never been good at writing titles. They’re all too factual, and usually too boring. The titles I considered writing here were: 1) UCI Esports World Championship Qualifier Banned after Spicy Real-Time Manipulation of Data Stream 2) Zwift Race Cheating … Read More Here
New Shimano Di2 Workaround for Hammerhead Karoo 2
Hammerhead Karoo users may remember last spring when Shimano and Hammerhead had a falling-out over Hammerhead’s existing Shimano Di2 integration, which has been in the product for years. They demanded that Hammerhead remove the Di2 functionality that showed shifting status … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness Dismisses Smart Trainer Lawsuit Against JetBlack, Sets Timetable Against Zwift
As you may be aware, earlier this fall Wahoo Fitness decided to sue Zwift over Zwift’s introduction of their $499 Zwift Hub smart trainer into the market. Wahoo argues that the Zwift Hub infringes on a number of patents utilized … Read More Here
Diving with the Apple Watch Ultra & Oceanic+ App: Everything You Need to Know
Huish Outdoors, in conjunction with Apple, has today launched the new Oceanic+ dive app for the Apple Watch Ultra. As you may remember, the Apple Watch Ultra has built-in depth gauge hardware that’s certified to 40m/130ft. However, the also built-in … Read More Here
The Massive Cyber Monday Sports Tech Deals List!
Here’s your complete guide to sports tech deals, sorted by category and updated constantly throughout the day, often hourly with new deals. Most links here help support the site – which I greatly appreciate! These four DC Rainmaker partner sites … Read More Here
Tacx NEO Bike Plus In-Depth Review
Garmin has just launched their newest smart bike, the Tacx NEO Bike Plus. This new model is a modest update to the previous edition, but does significantly overhaul the handlebar shifters, making them virtually identical to real road bike shifters. … Read More Here
Apple’s Satellite Emergency SOS Feature: A Review & Deep-Dive Explainer
Starting today, users in certain countries will be able to use their iPhone 14 units to trigger an emergency SOS, even in areas without cellular coverage. It does this using a network of 24 low-earth orbit satellites that the iPhone … Read More Here
Peloton Bike In-Depth Long Term Review: Three Years Later
It’s been nearly three years since I bought the original/base Peloton Bike, and lucky for you it’s still the same model being sold now. Sure, there’s the newer and more expensive Peloton Bike+ (for which I have a review on … Read More Here
Zwift Adds New Roads, Brings Back Other Features, Apple TV 4K 2022 Update Timelines
Consider this post a Zwift potpourri of updates. Depending on your time zone on this planet, last night Zwift rolled out a new update that adds a bunch of new pavement (and dirt..and sand) to the platform, while also bringing … Read More Here
Polar Ignite 3 In-Depth Review: AMOLED Display & Multiband GPS!
Polar has just announced their newest watch – the Ignite 3. And despite being a watch typically focused on the mid-range price bucket, they’ve gone ahead and put their most advanced technology to date into it. It features a stunningly … Read More Here
Garmin Instinct Crossover Series In-Depth Review: It’s Got Hands!
The Garmin Instinct 2 apparently shacked up with a prettier colleague from the Vivomove series division, resulting in this new hand-laden Garmin Instinct edition, aptly called the Instinct Crossover. As with most Instinct things, whether or not it’s pretty is … Read More Here
Suunto 9 Peak Pro In-Depth Review
The Suunto 9 Peak Pro is both a modest update and a major update, depending on how you look at it. Internally, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro is substantially different – with almost everything revamped: Processor, GPS chipset, heart rate … Read More Here
DJI Mavic 3 Classic Active Track Sports Review: Highspeed Versus a Tree
Just a quick note that I’ve published a fun long-form, basically unedited, cycling test ride video with the newly announced DJI Mavic 3 Classic and its autonomous follow-me Active Track mode, up on YouTube. After the first 2-3 minutes of … Read More Here
COROS APEX 2 and APEX 2 Pro In-Depth Review
Today COROS has announced the long-teased COROS APEX 2 series watches, including both a base model and a Pro model. While I had considered doing entirely separate reviews for both of these, the reality is they’re virtually identical watches same … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra vs New York City: GPS Accuracy Test!
In the event you aren’t subscribed over on YouTube, I’ve posted a full comparison of the Apple Watch Ultra vs Garmin Epix in New York City, on an epic route through the city, including up and down some of the … Read More Here
COROS Pod 2 In-Depth Review: A Missed Opportunity
COROS has announced a new ‘Pod’, now becoming the second edition of such Pod units. This pod is a blend between a glorified footpod for smoother and more instant running pace, as well as a running efficiency metrics pod that … Read More Here
Wahoo Adds Voice Chat to RGT Racing & Training, Further SYSTM Expansions
Wahoo has announced its major changes for the Wahoo SYSTM & RGT apps (Wahoo acquired RGT this past spring), including new routes in both platforms, as well as being the first major platform to add integrated voice chat between riders … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini Delayed
GoPro has announced they are slightly delaying their previously announced GoPro Hero 11 Mini camera, which was set to start shipping today (Oct 25th). This change is fairly last-minute, as things were still on-tap to start shipping just a couple … Read More Here
Apple Releases New Secondary Lower-Power Apple Watch Ultra Workout Mode
When the Apple Watch Ultra was announced last month, it included an initial lower-power mode across the entire watch that mostly just reduced some background features while preserving workout fidelity. Meaning, heart rate and GPS sampling rates remained the same … Read More Here