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
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Apple Watch Series 10: Every Difference Detailed
Once again, I went down the rabbit hole. This time detailing all the differences between Apple’s two latest models – the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black and Apple Watch Series 10. In total, I’ve gathered roughly 40 differences between … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 10 In-Depth Review
The thing to understand about Apple Watch releases, is they aren’t targeting last year’s buyers. Nor even the year prior. Instead, they’re targeting previous Apple Watch owners 3-5 generations back. And true to that form, Apple each year just … Read More Here
Google Pixel Watch 3 In-Depth Review: The Best WearOS Sports Watch?
To many, the Pixel Watch 3 will be about a (finally) bigger size – now 45mm instead of the previous 41mm size. But to those into sports and fitness, it’s actually much more than just size: It’s the biggest … Read More Here
New DC Rainmaker Cycling & Running Gear Available!
The most astute of followers have noticed over the course of the year I’ve been trialing some new DC Rainmaker branded cycling and running gear. It’s been a number of years since the last cycling kit was available, and plenty … Read More Here
Wattbike Proton Smart Bike In-Depth Review
Wattbike has just announced what they’re billing as the beginnings of a refresh cycle for their entire indoor bike lineup, covering both ends of their indoor bike range – including both electronically controlled bikes, and wind resistance bikes. However, as … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 10: Everything You Need To Know
Today Apple announced Apple Watch Series 10, with a substantial hardware change and upgrade. In fact, so big it’s now got a bigger screen than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (which didn’t see a new hardware version this year, … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 13 Black: The Complete Beginners Guide
Here’s your complete GoPro Hero 13 Black Beginners Guide. In this I cover virtually everything you need to know about the GoPro Hero 13 Black, starting with what’s in the base box, up to how to select resolutions and … Read More Here
Zwift Ride Frame Now Available Standalone, New Zwift Cog 2.0 Available, and More
This past week Zwift announced a number of updates for their hardware. While I got slightly behind this week (more on why in the next few weeks, fear not, it’s all good!), I wanted to touch on this. If for … Read More Here
Wahoo Announces Big KICKR Price Changes
This will be a relatively quick post, as it’s really not all that complex. In conjunction with Zwift’s standalone Zwift Ride Frame announcement, Wahoo has also announced a reduction in pricing across the board. This includes all of their smart … Read More Here
DJI Neo vs The Gauntlet: ActiveTrack Sports Follow-Me Testing
It’s that time of year again, when I go out and see how many times I can crash a drone in a set period of time. And it’s quite likely I set a record this time, both cycling and … Read More Here
FIT File: Garmin Fenix 8 and Enduro 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 the the new … Read More Here
The Garmin Fenix 8 Complete Beginners Guide
Just a quick heads up that I’ve just published on YouTube a super-detailed hour-long complete user guide for the new Garmin Fenix 8 series (covering both AMOLED and Solar versions). And honestly, anyone with an Enduro 3 can basically … Read More Here
Garmin Enduro 3 In-Depth Review: The Cheaper/Better Fenix 8?
The Enduro 3 is here, and seemingly has one mission, and one mission only: Go big on battery. Nearly triple their competitors, upwards of 320 hours in a regular GPS configuration. At least in theory, anyway. But fear not, … Read More Here
Garmin Fenix 8 In-Depth Review: Worth the Upgrade?
The Fenix 8 is here, bringing with it not just new hardware features, but also the end of the Garmin Epix lineup. Or, at least the end of it for now. Fear not though, that ending is merely in … Read More Here
The Google Bike: An In-Depth Review
I was recently out at Google to preview new stuff, including the new Pixel Watch 3, as well as other behind-the-scenes testing and lab pieces. In doing so, I had a packed day on their sprawling campus, and the … Read More Here
Team Car Ride: Tour de France Femmes Behind the Scenes (and Smart Trainers)
As part of the time trial stage, I was checking out all the sports tech goodness the women had on tap. If you remember from my previous post, I dove into the cycling power meters and other pieces. However, for … Read More Here
Tour de France Femmes: Behind the Scenes & Power Meters!
The women’s Tour de France is in full swing this week, and most notably, in my country of residence: The Netherlands. That’s made it super easy to check things out this year, on a few different stages – both … Read More Here
Google Pixel Watch 3 Hands-on: A (Big) Running Focus
Most headlines today will tout the new Pixel Watch 3 finally being available in a secondary larger 45mm size. And indeed, that’s a big deal. It’s no longer the tiny little watch the first two generations of Pixel watch … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 In-Depth Review: Half the price, half the accuracy?
While the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and new Samsung Galaxy Ring got all the attention during Samsung’s trio of fitness products launch, the reality is that most people are going to end up buying the more affordable Samsung … Read More Here
GoPro Camera Control Now Available on Garmin Watches
Garmin has launched an expanded Connect IQ App Store option that allows companies to monetize apps for various fees, and with it, Garmin has launched a new GoPro camera control app on the Garmin Connect IQ App Store, which … Read More Here
SRAM RED XPLR Gravel Groupset & Power Meter In-Depth Review (2024)
SRAM has just released its latest version of its top-end gravel groupset, SRAM RED XPLR. This group is unquestionably the biggest shift in the SRAM gravel realm since its inception, in that it moves from what has effectively been … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra In-Depth Review: Finally Accurate?
In the year of our Lord 2024, it appears Samsung has finally delivered a mostly accurate smartwatch. Sure, it took a decade, but the eagle has probably landed. Mostly. The catch on ‘mostly’ is of course where I’ll spend … Read More Here
Technical Tidbits: Zwift User Breakouts, and Peloton Virtual Running Track Mode
As I wrap up my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review, and a few other review things in the hopper for this week, here’s two quick technical tidbits I thought were interesting. Some geekery here, but, such is this site. Stats … Read More Here
FIT File: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra – Apple Watch Ultra Copycat?
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 the new Galaxy … Read More Here
Quick Tips: Tiny Garmin Watch $8 Keyring USB Charger
There comes a time in every watch user’s life where you get to the hotel in a far-flung city, only to realize your watch battery shows 7%. Of course, the problem isn’t that it shows 7%, the problem is that … Read More Here