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–July 10th, 2016
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 announces planned optical HR Spartan GPS, sensor details
Yesterday Suunto announced further details of their Spartan series, including the addition of the Spartan Sport, which is basically the cheaper sibling of the Spartan Ultra. The Sport is at 499EUR, vs the Ultra at 649EUR. Neither include the kitchen … Read More Here
Last Week in Review–July 5th, 2016
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 2016 Annual Giveaway Extravaganza Winners!
Wow – another massive Giveaway Extravaganza in the books! Yesterday was pretty crazy for sure, with what can only described as an absolute crapton of people stopping by the site to enter the dozen giveaways. You’ve once again stated loud … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza–The Last One: Garmin Forerunner 735XT
This…is…it: The final giveaway! You’ve made it this far, either because you gave up and had to take a few hours off, or because you are actually staring at the screen with bloodshot eyes right now. Either way, congrats on … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: GoPro Hero4 Silver
So perhaps you didn’t win that 360° action cam earlier today (some 20 hours ago!). Maybe it was because you were lazy and asleep, or perhaps because you were afraid of broadcasting your inevitable crash into a tree from every … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Withings Body Cardio Scale & Activité Pop
You can never weigh yourself too many times, or with too many devices. After all, that’s how I somehow got more than a dozen scales right now. However, none of those scales have Pulse Wave Velocity like the Withings Body … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Tacx NEO Smart trainer
It is but a Star Wars aircraft. The stabilizing wings fold up and down in place, making a solid clunk/click sound once locked securely in position. The design even exhausts out hot air out the back, just like a real … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin Vivoactive HR & Index WiFi Scale
French fries. Or, freedom fries in some circles. The bane fitness and weight loss plans everywhere. However – I’ve got a plan for you that involves keeping your frites: Just run/walk more. What’s that? Don’t want to run? No worries, … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Polar M450 GPS Bike Computer
Polar bears, they’re pretty awesome. They swim around in ice cold water where really nobody else wants to. Heck, they even live on floating ice. And they fish and stuff with their bare hands. Which, is absolutely nothing like the Polar … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: PowerTap P1 Power Meter Pedals
Let there be more power to the people! This time though, double the power. Yup, I’m giving away the dual-sensing PowerTap P1 power meter pedals. You can now measure all the powers! Hopefully, those powers are strong. Wouldn’t want to … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Suunto Ambit3 Vertical
Damn girl, that be some bright bling on you wrist there! Like, construction worker orange, except….green. Neon green. Fear not, I’ll be giving you the option to also choose from more boring colors like blue, white and black. But let’s … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Wahoo ELEMNT GPS Bike Computer
Vowels are overrated. Especially ‘E’. KICKR, TICKR, ELEMNT, RFLKT…all missing an ‘E’ or two. Somewhere in the universe there’s a vast supply of extra E’s, like a Wheel of Fortune dumpster with vultures circling overhead. Homeless and looking for a … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: 4iiii Precision Power Meter (Gen2)
Power to the people! Or, in this case – power from the people. Canadian people that is. The people who bring you maple syrup and endless snowballs have also rummaged up a rather functional power meter. This sub-$400 unit … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: 360Fly 4K 360° Action cam
Do you always miss the shot – looking in the wrong direction when the shark jumps up and grabs that seal? Well, I’ve got the action cam for you: The 360Fly 4K 360° action cam. See, this cam sees everything. … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin Fenix3 HR
And so it begins – the mother of all giveaways! Thus, it seems appropriate to begin with what is effectively the mother of all fitness smart watches: The Fenix3 HR. No other watch on the market has as many features. … Read More Here
First Look: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100–Now with power meter option
Today, every power meter company in the industry just breathed a huge collective sigh of relief: Shimano did not ultimately decide to baseline their long rumored integrated power meter as part of the Dura-Ace standard offering. Instead, they made it … Read More Here
Turn by Turn Navigation Rolls out to Wahoo ELEMNT
When the Wahoo ELEMNT was first announced last fall, it included the claim of being able to do ‘Turn by Turn’ navigation. That capability gives your bike computer the ability to tell you to ‘Turn left on Main Street’, rather … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It’s getting sunnier! As one might expect in summer of course, but after the wet and stormy spring we’ve had in Paris, I was starting to wonder if that would ever happen. Here’s what I was up to the past … Read More Here
Week in Review–June 26th, 2016
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
13 Tidbits from a Week in Park City
I’ve been in Park City (Utah) since Sunday night, having all assortment of meetings and (perhaps more importantly) getting in plenty of time running around the mountains. And riding. And bobsledding. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I figure … Read More Here
In Just 7 Days…
It’s that time of the year again. No, not the start of the Tour de France (though, almost that too). No, not the summer solstice (ok, that was last week). Rather, it’s that time of the year for something far … Read More Here
Hands-on: New Totally Silent STAC Zero Trainer
As many know, when it comes to crowd-funded projects I have a very high level of skepticism. Mostly because most of them overcommit and under-deliver. They may have great ideas, but executing on those ideas often gets muddled once you … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It’s been a busy few days in the DCR world, here’s what I’ve been up to! 1) An openwater swim in Saint-Malo I started off the weekend in Saint-Malo, on the northwestern French coast. We’ve been there a few times … Read More Here
Week in Review–June 19th, 2016
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