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 2023 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
Google Pixel Watch 2 In-Depth Review
It’s been a month since Google announced the Pixel Watch 2, and with it, it’s spent the last month on my wrist – compared to a variety of other watches at various purposes and price points. During this timeframe, … Read More Here
Race Ranger Hands-On: To Be Used At Ironman Florida This Weekend
It’s been a few years since I last talked about Race Ranger, the triathlon-focused tech company that puts sensors on bikes to help athletes and refs more precisely determine and avoid the draft zone (which isn’t legal in most long-course … Read More Here
FORM Adds HeadCoach Real-Time Analysis Feature: Hands-On
There are few sports tech companies that have really been as laser-focused on their niche as much as FORM has (makers of their heads-up display swim coach/goggle), doubters be damned. About the only other comparison in the sports tech landscape … Read More Here
Wahoo Begins User Interface Revamp on ELEMNT Bike Computers
Wahoo has issued what it sees as the first step in updating various aspects of the user interface on the ELEMNT bike computer series, dubbed ‘Ready to Ride’. This first update essentially adds a home dashboard, which includes some quick-action … Read More Here
Technogym MyRun Treadmill In-Depth Review
The Technogym MyRun treadmill has been around for over 5 years now, yet despite its age, it continues to be a popular option people are considering for usage with Zwift and other indoor running platforms. As such, the MyRun has … Read More Here
Garmin Adds More Features to Fenix 7/Epix Series, Including Nap Tracking
Garmin has just pushed out the first public beta iteration for their 4th quarter update, which will likely hit production in 4-6 weeks (assuming typical timelines hold true). This update appears to be including a blend of both recently introduced … Read More Here
Zwift Coastal Expansion Begins Rollout: First Ride Thoughts
(Above: You can simply tap to view my quick ride-through of the new roads, via Canopies and Coastlines, the turn-off from existing pavement to new pavement is at 2m40s) Zwift has just started rolling out their Watopia coastal expansion, … Read More Here
Fitbit Charge 6 In-Depth Review
The Fitbit Charge 6 is an incremental update to the existing Charge 5, focusing on a blend of physical usability enhancements (bringing back the side button), while also increasing day-to-day usability (letting you access all the sport/exercise modes on … Read More Here
Garmin Removes Course Point Limitation in Instinct 2 Series
This will likely seem like a niche post, and I’m OK with that. But, buried in a side-load only, no-new-feature, beta release 14.05 for the Instinct 2 series yesterday was a notable line item: “Removed the limitation on the number … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive 5: The Complete Beginners Guide
I just realized today that I still had this post in my drafts folder from a week ago, after I had published a complete Garmin Vivoactive 5 Beginners Guide over on YouTube. So, if you were subscribed to YouTube, you … Read More Here
How to use Garmin ECG Feature: Fenix 7 Pro, Epix Pro, and Venu 3
Garmin has just announced the availability of ECG (Electrocardiogram) functionality for the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro, Garmin Epix Pro, Garmin Tactix 7 AMOLED, and Garmin Venu 3/3S units/series. These four different sets of watches all share the same new … Read More Here
Suunto Race Hands-on: Everything You Need to Know!
Update – Nov 13th, 2023 – My full Suunto Race in-depth review after 30 days has been posted here, where you can dive into accuracy, long-term usage, and plenty more. Suunto has just announced their newest watch, the Suunto Race. … Read More Here
Zwift Hub One In-Depth Review (with Zwift Cog & Click!)
Zwift has just announced two new products today, and arguably changed the way trainers might be sold in the future. The first is the new Zwift Hub One smart trainer, which takes the existing Zwift Hub smart trainer from last … Read More Here
Polar Vantage V3 Hands-On: Everything You Need to Know
Nov 13th 2023 – You can find my full in-depth review of the Polar Vantage V3 posted now! This includes tons of accuracy testing, reliability testing, 12-hour treks, and more. Dive in! Polar has just announced their newest watch – … Read More Here
Elite Aria Smart Trainer Fan In-Depth Review
The Elite Aria fan is seemingly the smartest of smart trainer fans out there today, linking to a wide assortment of indoor cycling tech – be it power meters, smart trainers, heart rate sensors, and even body temperature sensors. … Read More Here
Pixel Watch 2 Hands-On: Here’s everything that’s new!
[Heads up: The full in-depth review of the Pixel Watch 2 is now available here, including accuracy testing and much more!] Google has just announced the Pixel Watch 2, and as expected by the rumors, it’s largely incremental upgrades this … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness to Shut Down RGT Virtual Cycling App
Wahoo Fitness has announced to members that in less than 30 days – on October 31, 2023, the company will shut down the virtual cycling app RGT in an effort to focus “exclusively [on their] structured training content”. Wahoo had … Read More Here
DJI Mini 4 Pro: The Complete Beginners Guide
Just a quick heads up that I’ve posted a full DJI Mini 4 Pro Beginners Guide, that takes you from start to finish with the drone, including virtually all the features and how they work in real life. The previous … Read More Here
Fitbit Announces New Charge 6: What’s New and Different?
Fitbit has just announced an update to their most popular fitness tracker series, with the new Fitbit Charge 6 (obviously, replacing the existing Fitbit Charge 5, from September 2021). The Fitbit Charge 6 has much the same form factor as … Read More Here
Hammerhead Announces New Hardware: Quick Hands-On with HMS
After years of hardware draught, for the first time since the Karoo 2 back in April 2020, cycling GPS maker Hammerhead has announced some new hardware (actually in April 2020, that’s when they announced plans for the announcement, different from … Read More Here
DJI Mini 4 Pro Active Track Review (Sports Focus)
It’s not that I set out to cause misery for drones, rather I view it more as a service that you’ll be able to use to determine which environments you can take your drone into while doing whatever sports activity … Read More Here
Suunto Releases 14 New SuuntoPlus Watch Apps
September is a busy month for many watchmakers, and that includes Suunto. Over the past few days, the company has released some 14 new SuuntoPlus apps. SuuntoPlus apps are essentially really advanced data pages to add to your sport profile … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Apple iPhone 15: Action Test!
For those not subscribed on YouTube, just a quick heads up that I dropped the above video today, which is a comparison between two totally different cameras, yet ones that also have significant overlap. And in this case, focusing … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 9 In-Depth Review: A Sports Focus
Apple’s latest mainstream watch, the Apple Watch Series 9, has arrived. And with it comes minor incremental hardware updates, but a slate of software updates focused on sports and fitness. The hardware upgrades are entirely internal, focused on faster … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra 2 In-Depth Review: Focused Sports Progress
With the launch of the 2nd edition of the Apple Watch Ultra series, Apple has set the tone for an annual release cycle. As they’ve done with the existing/regular Apple Watch lineup, that cadence has focused on incremental updates … Read More Here