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
Paris-Roubaix 2016: A Day On The Route
Yesterday I made the trek to watch Paris-Roubaix. While you might think that’d be as simple as a walk across town, the reality is that Paris-Roubaix hasn’t started in Paris in many decades. Instead, it starts in Compiègne, which is … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 11th
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 slashes Vector pricing & adds Shimano pedals, Edge 25/810/Varia Radar & PowerPod on Sale
Phew! Ok, it didn’t all really fit in the title – I tried. I used my bestest Twitter-like shorthand skills, but alas, it just looks messy. So much stuff, so little space! So instead, here’s the quick bulleted version: A) … Read More Here
Trying Out The New NUT-R Wheel Action Cam Mount
You know what I like about quick releases? They’re quick. No, not just for the purposes of attaching your wheel – but rather, for the purposes of this post. I mean seriously, how long a post could I possibly write … Read More Here
A Weekend Skiing in Les Arcs
This past weekend I headed up skiing with my friend David. We wanted to squeak in one last weekend of skiing before the resorts closed, and we hoped we’d also get some beautiful spring skiing days. 1) Journey to Les … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 3rd, 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
Why your Garmin GPS is better off taking EPO
Last week, a DCR reader reached out to me to ask why his Garmin was storing EPO on it. After all, EPO is one of the most widely known drugs for performance enhancement in cycling and other sports. We certainly … Read More Here
The DCR Easter Bunny $600 Gadget Giveaway Winner!
This past weekend I held the Easter Bunny Giveaway, aimed at giving you a side of gadget to go along with your chocolate Easter eggs. Some 6,193 of you entered over the weekend – which I believe is a new … Read More Here
Wahoo ELEMNT GPS Bike Computer In-Depth Review
It’s been exactly 30 days since Wahoo started shipping their first GPS bike computer, the Wahoo ELEMNT. The unit was announced last year at Interbike in September, and while they had planned to have it in your hands by Christmas, … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I’ve been up to over the last few days! 1) Some swim & bike brickage First up on the weekend docket was a late Friday afternoon swim followed by a very short bike session. I got to the … Read More Here
Week in Review–March 27th, 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 DCR Easter Bunny $600 Gadget Giveaway
First off, no, I’m not giving away the Easter Bunny. That’d involve going to a nearby shopping mall and somehow kidnapping the poor guy as he gets photos taken with small children. And I’m pretty sure that’d be awkward for … Read More Here
Testing in the Win(d) Tunnel: Garmins, Action Cams, Mounts, and more!
Back this past fall I got the chance to spend a day in the Specialized Win Tunnel to test all sorts of gadgets out. Yes, it’s actually called the ‘Win’ Tunnel, not the ‘Wind’ Tunnel. But of course, a wind … Read More Here
Paris Super Sprint Triathlon 2016 Race Report
This past Sunday was the Paris Super Sprint Triathlon, which is an indoor tri held annually here and put on by Expatriés – one of the local triathlon clubs. Like all early season indoor triathlons, it’s a great way to … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Another busy weekend in the city, albeit supposedly the first day of spring – it was definitely still holding back a bit on the warm weather front. I think it’s fair to say that weather came last weekend instead. 1) Product … Read More Here
Week in Review–March 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
How I configure my watches (and bike computers)
It’s been a number of years since I last wrote about how I setup my different GPS devices when it comes to screens for training and racing. Given it’s one of the most popular questions around these parts, I figured … Read More Here
Garmin VIRB X & XE Action Cam In-Depth Review
Every once in a while in the DCR Review Realm I go ahead and pull out a slightly longer review cycle. This would be one of those times. In this case, I’ve used the Garmin VIRB X & XE action … Read More Here
Spring 2016 Power Meter Pricing Wars Update
It’s been almost a year since I did a big power meter pricing chart. Sure, I talk about pricing in my annual power meter buyer’s guide, but pricing continues to fluctuate a bit. So I figured I’d do a recap on … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
We’re back home in Paris! Our floors are all finished and first thing up was unboxing and installing some new gadgets that have just started shipping. Let’s dive right into it! 1) Got WatTeam PowerBeat all installed The first order … Read More Here
Garmin releases Connect IQ for Edge 520 & Edge 1000
It’s been about 5 months since Garmin announced Connect IQ would be coming to the latest Edge cycling units. This would extend the Connect IQ platform from being previous wearables only (i.e. wrist worn things), to other Garmin device types. … Read More Here
The Feiyu Tech GoPro Action Cam Wearable Gimbal In-Depth Review
I know, approximately 97% of you are looking at the title right now and going “Who the fudge is Feiyu Tech?” And then about 65% of you are saying “What the heck is a gimbal?” (and is it related to a gumball?). Fear … Read More Here
PowerPod In-Depth Review
Back this past fall the PowerPod power meter was introduced on Kickstarter and funded within a few days. It started shipping a few months later, within a week or two of their planned date (a rarity these days) in late … Read More Here
A Week in the Canary Islands (and a bit of Africa)
You’ll remember last week we left off leaving Rome (after Barcelona for Mobile World Congress), in our bid to burn a few weeks of time while our landlord pulls up and renovates the flooring in our apartment. So for the … Read More Here
Week in Review–March 6th, 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