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 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
Week in Review–December 20th, 2020
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
The Peak Design Cycling Case/Mount System: Hands-On
In less than 15 hours the Peak Design mobile mount system Kickstarter will end. I posted about this almost a month ago as part of one of my 5 Random Things, noting that the box of prototypes had arrived, and … Read More Here
Apple Fitness Plus Review: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know
This week Apple launched their new Apple Fitness Plus (also written simply as Fitness+), which is their premium fitness subscription service with guided/coached workouts. It’s designed to compete with not just platforms like Peloton, but also real-world places like your … Read More Here
Week in Review–December 13th, 2020
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
Behind the DCR Cave: How I Made A Smart Package Delivery Box
Last month on my Instagram Stories I published a quick set of photos of assembling a package delivery box. Nothing special per se, but I noted how I also hooked it up to a cheap WiFi sensor so I could … Read More Here
The Massive 2020 Sportswatch Year in Review with DesFit
Back by popular demand, DesFit has just published our sprawling 2020 Sportswatch Year in Review video, where we iterate through nearly 20 different watches from the beginning of the year to the end – discussing the highs and the lows. … Read More Here
Tacx Boost Trainer In-Depth Review
Today Tacx has announced the Tacx Boost trainer. Err…re-announced the Tacx Boost trainer. It was previously, for the last 9 years, the Tacx Booster trainer. But as part of a consolidation of the budget non-smart trainer offerings, the company has … Read More Here
Hammerhead Karoo 2 In-Depth Review
In most ways, the Hammerhead Karoo 2 is probably the most eagerly anticipated bike computer release of 2020. And not just because I feel like we’ve been waiting and talking about this moment for nearly the entire year, but because … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 9 Charging Door Accessory: Video Review Posted
This is a super quick post just for the handful of you that are into action cam stuffs but who might not also subscribe to the DC Rainmaker YouTube channel. Because, that’s where most of my action/cam drone stuff ends … Read More Here
SHIFT Smart Trainer: First Project To Make A Peloton Bike Zwift Accessory
With over 1.3 million Peloton connected bikes in circulation these days (and adding ~250,000 per quarter), they’ve quickly become (by far) the most common model of indoor cycling bike found in people’s homes. And as Peloton popularity soars, so does … Read More Here
Quick App Reviews: Wandrer Tracks Your Quest To Ride Every Road
Every once in a while I get a bit excited to do short app reviews here on the site. Nothing crazy, just talking about smaller apps that I find interesting and that others might never have heard of. The thing … Read More Here
Zwift’s CEO Discusses Smart Bike Hardware Plans, IPO, Rowing, Clubs, and More
Over the past few days Zwift’s CEO has given an interview to Bloomberg, as well as led his annual Thanksgiving Day group ride, which had over 3,000 people join. During both of those sessions CEO Eric Min discussed a number … Read More Here
Massive Sports Tech Deals Complete List!
Here’s your complete guide to sports tech deals, sorted by category and updated constantly throughout the day, often hourly with new deals. Also, if you follow on Twitter, you’ll be the first to know of any super-hot short-lived deals (sometimes … Read More Here
Sports Technology Buyers Guide: Winter 2020-2021
Looking for the best sports watch, cycling computer, or sports tech? Then look no further than this detailed guide where I outline all my 2020-2021 recommendations Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
While the weather gets chillier, the sun has mostly kept itself in view. And atop that, a steady stream of new products makes their way into the cave. Most are more minor in nature, but still certainly interesting. Plus, this … Read More Here
Zwift Bans Two Pro Racers For Altering Data: An Explainer of Sorts
It’ll likely come as no surprise that top racers are once again* cheating on Zwift. After all, cheating and cycling are as intertwined as peanut butter and jelly. And while historically cycling has seen cheating take the form of doping … Read More Here
Wahoo RIVAL Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
It’s Wahoo’s first go of creating a multisport GPS watch, how does it handle, and stack up against the competition? I dive into all the details, literally – complete with a triathlon test. Read More Here
Week in Review–November 15th, 2020
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
Sports Tech Deals for Black Friday 2020!
Here’s your complete guide to sports tech deals, sorted by category and updated constantly daily. Most links here help support the site – which I greatly appreciate! If you know of a sports tech deal (gadget-focused), feel free to … Read More Here
The Smart Trainer Recommendations Guide: Winter 2020-2021
For nearly a decade my trainer recommendations guide has been a staple of this time of year, consolidating all the latest trainers into the do and don’t buy list to consider before spending some hard-earned cash to then suffer inside. … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It’s been a while since the 5 Random Things has been around. Thus as things settle down a little bit, I figured it’s time to catch up. At least, for this past weekend. Here’s some of what I was up … Read More Here
Week in Review–November 8th, 2020
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
DJI Mini 2 In-Depth Review
What’s changed on DJI’s most popular entry level drone? I dig into all the nuances, including how well it works for sports applications, and plenty more! Read More Here
Tuesday Tidbits: Quarq Bitter Battery Warning, COROS Major Firmware Update, Garmin Major FR245/FR945 Updates
I’m spending today and tomorrow wrapping up a few posts for later this week, including an in-depth review, the Annual Trainer Recommendations Guide (which frankly, might just be boiled down to ‘Buy anything you can actually find in stock’), and … Read More Here
Friday Tidbits: Endomondo to get shut down and MyFitnessPal sold off
It’s Friday, and that means it’s the time when companies dump bad news before the weekend. And no better weekend to do that than leading into Halloween or an election early next week. In this case, Under Armour delivers on … Read More Here