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
GPS Accuracy Issue Impacted Garmin, Suunto, and Polar Watches Over Past Week
Over the past 7 days there’s been a slew of folks with certain GPS watches seeing accuracy issues, whereby the GPS track is offset from reality (usually in a specific direction). This often results in GPS tracks where the visual … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 255 Complete Beginners Guide & Features Overview
Just a super quick note for those that don’t subscribe on YouTube, that I’ve posted my massive 40-minute-long user guide for the Forerunner 255 series. This guide covers virtually every feature of the Forerunner 255 from start to finish, taking … Read More Here
Tour de France 2022: Which Smart Trainers Do They Use?
When it comes to the massive logistical challenge that is transporting a team and all their cycling gear across 21 stages and four countries for the 2022 Tour de France, one perhaps unexpected bit of gear is their smart trainers. … Read More Here
Elite Justo Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Elite is kicking off the Tour de France with a new high-end trainer, the Elite Justo (Justo is Italian in Venetian dialect for right/correct, referring to the accuracy). This trainer not only looks different from the outside, matching the more … Read More Here
Saris Begins Process To Sell The Company: The Backstory On How It Ended Here
Over the last 3-4 months, Saris has worked tirelessly behind the scenes trying to avoid the fate that no business ever wants to face. However, in the last few weeks, it became clear there was no other option, as Saris … Read More Here
Garmin Starts Beta Rollout of Forerunner 955/Edge 1040 Features to Fenix 7/Epix
Today’s update begins the first wave of firmware updates stemming from the Forerunner 955 & Forerunner 255 models, which include new features like Training Readiness, Running Power, HRV Status, as well as a slate of Race Calendar/Event-related features, and … Read More Here
Gymrail Momentum X1 Smart Trainer Movement System In-Depth Review
In many ways, smart trainers themselves have largely flat-lined in terms of new features. Sure, we’ll continue to see new models with relatively minor tweaks, but much of the focus for the indoor smart trainer world has been on accessories … Read More Here
Cargo Bike Crit Race Report: With a Power Meter
w As is the case when signing up for most races, you usually think it’s a good idea. In hindsight, about 75% of the way through said race, you usually regret your life choices. When I signed up for the … Read More Here
Strava Launches Tour de France Hub with Routes/Segments/Rider Uploads
Back a few months ago, Strava teased an upcoming Tour de France hub that’ll allow you to track riders, stages, segments, and more – for both the men’s and women’s races this year. Today, that new hub launches ahead of … Read More Here
Apple Watch Running Power Data Comparison (vs Garmin/Stryd/Polar/COROS)
Two weeks ago Apple announced a slate of huge sports-focused updates to the Apple Watch platform (called Watch OS). That platform will not only end up on current watches, but far more importantly on whatever watches Apple will likely … Read More Here
Week in Review–June 19th, 2022
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
Strava Adding Video Support: Here’s how it works!
Strava has begun rolling out video support, allowing you to upload short video clips to your workouts, which will appear in your feed in the same manner as photos today. All users will be able to view the videos on … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1040 (with Solar) In-Depth Review
With Garmin’s introduction of the Edge 1040 Series they’ve become the first GPS bike computer to not only add solar panels to it, but also add multiband GNSS, dramatically increasing the accuracy of the GPS tracks – especially in tougher … Read More Here
Apple Watch Adds Native Running Power & Triathlon Support: All New watchOS 9 Features Detailed
Today, as part of announcing watchOS 9, Apple rolled out a massive slate of new sports and fitness features including running power, triathlon mode (including automatic transitions), custom workout support, and plenty more. Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), which … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 955 Complete Beginners Guide & Features Overview
Just a super quick weekend note for those that don’t subscribe on YouTube, that I’ve posted my massive 50-minute-long user guide for the Forerunner 955 series. This guide covers virtually every feature of the Forerunner 955 from start to … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 255 In-Depth Review: Now A Full Multisport Watch
The Forerunner 255 is now a multisport triathlon watch. Sure, it’s also a running watch, but it can now swim/bike/run with the best of them, including featuring Garmin’s high-end multi-band/dual-frequency GPS chipset. This is the lowest priced watch we’ve … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 955 (with Solar) In-Depth Review
It’s been 3 years and 2 days since Garmin announced the Forerunner 945, and today, it’s finally properly refreshed with the Forerunner 955. Except, it’s actually two watches – the Forerunner 955 & the Forerunner 955 Solar. Today’s announcement marks … Read More Here
Quick Heads Up: Garmin Instinct 2 Series Beginners Guide Posted
Just a super quick Saturday heads up that I’ve published a full beginners guide video on the Garmin Instinct 2 series, covering the Instinct 2, 2S, and Solar editions. I hands-on with a long-form feature explainer showing all the new … Read More Here
Shimano Forces Hammerhead to Remove All Di2 Related Functionality From Karoo
Effective next Thursday, Hammerhead will remove all Di2 functionality from the Hammerhead Karoo series, via firmware update. This is at the request/demand of Shimano, who according to Hammerhead, now sees them as a competitor. This means all Di2-related functionality including … Read More Here
Decoding Shimano’s New Power Meter Pedaling Metrics
As first reported by Cycling Tips, Shimano has released their advanced pedaling metrics, called Force Vector (no relation to Garmin Vector, also a power meter that first displayed force vectors). This is now available as a software update for their … Read More Here
Garmin Revamps and Expands Beta Program With Dedicated Platform
Over the last few weeks Garmin has been rolling out a new beta program, which aims to streamline the process of trying out beta features, while also making it easier to file bug reports for issues that you find. … Read More Here
Big Sports Tech Sales Return: 20-30% off Power Meters, Trainers, Watches, and Plenty More!
It’s that time of year again, when a boatload of sports tech things go on sale for a few weeks. No, not Black Friday, but rather, end-of-May. While the previous two years were a bit funky in that regard, historically … Read More Here
Quick Tips and Tricks on Downhill Tracking For Running (or Cycling) with A Drone
I hadn’t really planned a post around this. It was a last-second idea while headed out for a run. Since I don’t normally have hills near where I live/run, this was a good opportunity to try out something that a … Read More Here
Garmin Varia RCT715 Camera + Radar In-Depth Review
It’s been 7 years since Garmin introduced their Varia radar. Similarly, it’s been 8 years since Cycliq first introduced their Fly6 bike-focused rear safety camera. For years, people have been begging for a hybrid blend of those two products … Read More Here
COROS Rolls Out 10 New Features To Vertix Series, APEX Pro, Pace 2
While COROS skipped their usual seemingly unofficial monthly new feature updates last month, they’re back at it again this month with a pretty solid update – including both app and firmware features. Below I dive into everything that’s new, and … Read More Here