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.
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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 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
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
Tour de France Bike Computers & Team Zone Behind The Scenes!
It’s time to look at bike computers of the Tour de France. I finished up the video first, above, but haven’t quite had a moment to write up all the details yet. Though, in short it’s very similar to … Read More Here
Testing Out Samsung’s New 4-Minute Cycling FTP Magician
Last week Samsung touted a pretty bold claim in the middle of their keynote for their newest smartwatch: They could determine your cycling FTP (functional threshold power, the max power you can maintain for roughly an hour). To do … Read More Here
Huge Amazon Prime Day 2024 Sports Tech Deals Tracker!
It’s back again – Amazon Prime Day…err…Days. That means that most (all?) Amazon country/regional properties are doing pretty substantial deals across the board on all sorts of products for today and tomorrow (July 16th and July 17th). Update July 17th! … Read More Here
Apple’s New Training Load & Vitals App: After 30 Days of Usage
A bit over a month ago at Apple’s WWDC event, the company announced their newest versions of WatchOS, the software platform that the Apple Watch uses. It also announced new versions of iOS and various other operating systems. All … Read More Here
Eurobike Sports Tech Roundup…and COROS Dura Delay
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, Ray and Des talk about the … Read More Here
COROS Sorta Delays Dura Cycling GPS Till September
COROS has announced they’re delaying new shipments of the previously announced COROS Dura cycling GPS. The unit was set to start shipments next week, on July 15th, but due to a potential mounting tab breakage issue, customers can choose … Read More Here
Tour de France Behind The Scenes & Sports Tech!
The Tour de France is in full swing, and with it, a few days ago, the time trial stage. That’s always an interesting opportunity to check out which sports tech riders are using, such as bike computers, trainers, as well … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Ring: Everything you need to know!
Samsung has announced the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, and finally – all of the price and specifications of the Galaxy Ring they announced last summer. There are some substantially big ticket items here in terms … Read More Here
FIT File: Zwift CEO Eric Min // Zwift Ride, Zwift Tron Bike, Price Increases, and the Future of Zwift
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 sit down with Zwift CEO … Read More Here
Eurobike Sports Tech Roundup: Cool & Quirky
Above I’ve got a bit of a round-up video of sorts diving into a few different things I found floating around the Eurobike show floor. Some of it’s cool, some of it’s quirky, and some of it might well … Read More Here
Zwift CEO Interview: What worked, what didn’t, and what’s coming?
I recently sat down with Eric Min, one of the co-founders and current CEO at Zwift, to dive into a whole slate of topics. This is actually a bit of a two-part interview set. This interview is heavily focused … Read More Here
JetBlack Victory: New $399 Direct Drive Smart Trainer Hands-On
The JetBlack Victory is a product announcement that needs more room in a post title. If I could have used all the words in the title, it’d probably say: “First Look at JetBlack Victory, the $399 Direct Drive Smart … Read More Here
Elite’s New Square Smart Frame, Avanti & Justo 2 Smart Trainers First Look!
Elite has just announced a new smart-bike setup of sorts, as well as two new trainers. The new smart bike is effectively an upscale take on the also recently announced Zwift Ride, seemingly addressing the three most common complaints … Read More Here
FIT File: Summer Sports Tech Season is Heating Up! Zwift Ride, Edge 1050, Suunto Race S, and More!
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 Zwift … Read More Here