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
Tech Tidbits Friday: PowerPod’s new $199 model, Fenix 5 (non-Plus) gets Galileo, Tacx lowers prices, Eurobike preview
Ok, rounding up some of the week’s news in sports tech, here’s a few little tidbits that are definitely worth mentioning. And some of them are hot off the press, primarily the totally unexpected Galileo one! PowerPod’s new $199 model … Read More Here
Garmin Fenix 5/5S/5X Plus In-Depth Review (with Maps, Music, Payments)
Everything you could ever want to know about the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus lineup, which includes the 5/5S/5X, and maps, music, contactless payment and PulseOx. Read More Here
Thursday Tech Tidbit: Garmin Rolls Out Sleep Cycle Details, including REM Sleep
(This is the second half of what should have been ‘Twofer Tuesday Tech Tidbits’ earlier this week, until this tidbit broke free and decided to go live on Thursday instead. Thus…enjoy!) As of this morning Garmin has rolled out additional … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music: Everything you ever wanted to know
Here’s all the details on the new Vivoactive 3 Music, complete with how the music transfer and usage works, as well as GPS and heart rate accuracy. Read More Here
Tuesday Tech Tidbit: Wahoo sprouts ELEMNT BOLT in Red & Yellow
Today was supposed to be ‘Tuesday Tech Tidbits’ – note the plural aspect within ‘Tidbits’. Unfortunately, 7 minutes before this post was set to go live I got note that the other tidbit jumped ship. Like a Tim Horton’s donut … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Mid-last week we loaded up the family and jetted across the pond for a couple week visit to both of our families. In this case, they were both conveniently currently located in Florida, making the jaunt between them far less … Read More Here
Week in Review – June 10th, 2018
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
Hands-on: The New Suunto 9 Multisport GPS Watch
Everything you need to know about Suunto’s latest and highly anticipated GPS device, and the successor to the Spartan series. Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Woah! This weekend flew by, it started in Amsterdam and had Paris squished into the middle of it all. We’re already back in Amsterdam and playing catch-up as always, but here’s what went down! 1) Got the keys to the … Read More Here
SIGMA ROX 12.0 Sport Cycling GPS In-Depth Review
Everything you’d ever want to know about this solid contender against the Garmin Edge 820 and 1030 series bike computers. From mapping to Strava and more. Read More Here
Week in Review: June 4th, 2018
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
How it works: Zwift’s New Training Plan Platform
Zwift continues to expand its platform, and this week was no exception when they rolled out interactive structured training plans. Previously the workouts were mostly just in a giant folder structure of sorts. That meant you had to pick and … Read More Here
Hands-on: STAC Zero Halcyon Smart (Totally Silent) Trainer
The STAC Zero Halcyon trainer is not only a legit smart trainer now, but also totally silent. I dive into the details on how well it works with multiple apps. Read More Here
Hands-on: SRM’s new EXAKT Power Meter Pedals
All the details you need to know about SRM’s EXAKT pedal based power meter, from sizing and weight, to accuracy and price. Plus first ride details. Read More Here
Week in Review – May 27th, 2018
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
Suunto 3 Fitness In-Depth Review
By and large, Suunto has been a company that’s been focused on endurance users. Be it people climbing to the top of a mountain, racing a triathlon, or doing something else that justifies eating large quantities of donuts without feeling … Read More Here
Connect IQ Summit Tidbits: My Keynote, New Features, and More
Ok, so it’s been a month since the Garmin Connect IQ Summit. That’s Garmin’s annual conference for 3rd party developers to come to Kansas and drink all the Connect IQ juice about developing on their platform. This would be the … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
This weekend The Girl was off enjoying the weekend away in Austria, giving me full reign of the two kiddos. As such I was a bit limited in terms of doing things like outdoor rides on a road bike…but I … Read More Here
Week in Review–May 20th, 2018
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
What’s Baseline on a Smart Trainer in 2018?
Last week Shane Miller posted his review of the TechnoGym MyCycling Smart Trainer. For those not familiar (which is almost all of you), TechnoGym makes a direct drive trainer, sorta like the Wahoo KICKR, except missing all the stuff that … Read More Here
Hands-on with Road Grand Tours and their new update: Is it a viable Zwift competitor?
(This is the second post in the ‘Is it a viable Zwift competitor’ series, the first being VirtuGO earlier this year. Like Disney’s Star Wars plans, this titled series may continue until the next millennia without any real plot twists). … Read More Here
Huge Spring Sale: 20% of all trainers, many power meters, and plenty more
It’s that time of year again – the semi-annual VIP 20% off sale! As with last fall and last spring, there are some amaze-balls deals in here. And while my title says all trainers and many power meters, the reality … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
This weekend was jam-packed with tidbits, many of which where left on the 5 Random Things cutting room floor. Still, here’s what made the cut! 1) A Massive GoPro Selfie Stick Friday afternoon I was on a mission – I … Read More Here
Week in Review–May 13th, 2018
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
Fitbit Versa In-Depth Review
*** UPDATE: The Versa 3 is out! Check out the in-depth review here!*** Do you know what happens when you remove GPS and style from the Fitbit Ionic? You end up with a Fitbit Versa. Which is probably the easiest … Read More Here