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
First Look: The Suunto 3 Fitness: Lightweight Non-GPS Sports Watch
Today, on the eve of CES opening its doors, Suunto cracked the lid on their latest watch, the Suunto 3 Fitness. These small and incredibly lightweight watches are somewhat aimed to compete with the likes of Polar’s M430 watches, as well … Read More Here
GoPro exits drone business, but also drops price on GoPro Hero 6 Black
In a move that will surprise approximately nobody, GoPro officially announced they’re exiting the flying camera business. This was rumored over the weekend with the slashing of some 245 jobs, but solidified today in their earnings call. Of course, while … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin’s Forerunner 645 Music GPS Watch
(Update – March 5th, 2018 – My Full FR645 Music In-Depth Review is now available, head over to the link to check it all out!) Finally, Garmin now makes a wearable that plays music. In some ways, that’s sorta all … Read More Here
Wahoo TICKR FIT Optical HR Sensor In-Depth Review
Today Wahoo announced their latest device – the Wahoo TICKR FIT. The TICKR FIT is simply an optical heart rate sensor that transmits ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart. Basically, it’s like a Scosche Rhythm+ or to a slightly lesser extent like a … Read More Here
The New Bike Build is Complete: All the details!
Back in November I posted a mention of doing some research for a new bike that I wanted to build. This included the components as well as my general thinking on it. Finally, a month or so later, I’ve completed that … Read More Here
5 Sports Tech Tidbits: Hammerhead Karoo, Garmin Vivofit 4, Shimano Power, New Bike Build, CES 2018
Happy New Year! As you’ve likely noticed, it’s been a wee bit quiet around here the last few weeks. I wish I could say it was because I was relaxing on a beach, but alas, I’m exhausted from it all. … Read More Here
Getting the Christmas Tree Home via Velib: 2017 Edition
Each year since moving to Paris, we’ve ended up buying our Christmas tree not terribly far away at the flower markets. While these markets are on the long list of tourism things to see in Paris, for us it’s more … Read More Here
Week in Review–Dec 17th, 2017
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
Week in Review–December 11th, 2017
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
Garmin Running Power App: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Today, Garmin released their running power app that they announced back in October. The functionality requires a Garmin RD-POD, Garmin HRM-TRI, or HRM-RUN strap. It also requires the latest Garmin watches, specifically either a Fenix 5, Chronos or a FR935. While … Read More Here
Fitbit rolls out slew of apps to Ionic…and…umm…virtual cats
It’s been just over three months since Fitbit announced their Ionic GPS smartwatch, and about two months since they started shipping it out into the wild. The watch is generally seen (by themselves and others) as critical to Fitbit’s revival … Read More Here
Hands-on: The COROS Omni Smart Helmet
It’s been one year since COROS burst onto the scene with their COROS Linx Smart helmet. The main appeal of the helmet was that it had not only jawbone conduction speakers built into the straps (which don’t block outside noise), … Read More Here
The 4th Annual DCR Open House– 2017 Recap and Photos!
This past Saturday was the 4th annual DCR Open House. It’s when I open up the doors to the DCR Cave (and Bertie’s Cake Studio) and we also organize a morning run around the best sights Paris has to offer. … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Brrr…it got chilly here in the city this weekend, which I suppose only makes it appropriate for winterish things like holiday parties and Christmas trees. Here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days! 1) A lunch date: The … Read More Here
Week in Review – December 4th, 2017
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
Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter In-Depth Review
Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about Garmin Vector 3, from sizing and weight, to cornering capabilities, plus accuracy aspects and more! Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It got kinda chilly here this weekend. Not like Finland cold, or Siberia cold. But the kinda cold that reminds you to ensure you’ve got colder running stuff at least on deck. In my case, I still ran in shorts…just … Read More Here
Week in Review–Nov 26th, 2017
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
Don’t forget the Massive Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals Page!
Happy Thanksgiving! For those of you in the US, I hope you’re prepping the Turkey for a good Thanksgiving today, or for that turkey trot! For everyone else – welcome to…Thursday. Of course these next few days are unique in … Read More Here
Winter 2017-2018 Sports Technology Recommendations
(Before we start, you can find my massive Black Friday 2017 deals post here, expect a massive churn on that post over the next 5 days, as we go through both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This guide attempts as … Read More Here
Wattbike Atom In-Depth Review
It’s been just shy of three months since Wattbike announced their new Atom unit, which was designed to compete with higher end smart trainers like the Tacx Neo and Wahoo KICKR. Up till now, Wattbike’s indoor bikes have been rather … Read More Here
Zwift Releases Apple TV App: Everything you need to know
Today Zwift released their long-awaited Apple TV edition, allowing you to get riding on the platform with a relatively small investment compared to a full desktop computer or expensive tablet. The Apple TV variant has been under external testing since … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what went down over the weekend here at DCR HQ! Speaking of DCR HQ, don’t forget that we’re just under two weeks away till the Annual DCR Cave Open House! Be sure to register! 1) Delivery Friday! Friday turned … Read More Here
Thoughts on Zwift’s Infamous $5 Price Increase
There are approximately four ways you can start off writing about the Zwift price increase, depending on which way you want to spin the increase. I’ve used two of them thus far in my post, but to recap, your four options … Read More Here
Hands-on: Cycliq’s new Fly6 CE & Fly12 CE with Garmin integration and more!
Update – Jan 2021: Just for clarity, this hands-on post was from 2017, and about an older version of the product. It is not the latest ‘Gen 3’ variant that was announced mid-2020. They are substantially different products with substantially … Read More Here