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
Strava Adds Direct Messaging Feature: How It Works In 2 Minutes!
This is not a complex feature, nor hard to use. Starting today, the “social network for athletes” includes the most social of features: Texting. Or rather, direct messaging. This new feature lets you (optionally) accept direct messages from nobody, … Read More Here
100+ Holiday 2023 Sports Tech Deals!
Here’s your complete list of sports tech deals for the 2023 holiday season~! The biggest deals from the list below include: Garmin Epix for $449: Seriously, this is insane. Mainly because it’s getting the same firmware (thus far) as the … Read More Here
The 2023 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
So, it’s been two years since I last updated this list, and it’s clear many of you would like a refresh. As I always note though, I’m not a person of change. At least when it comes to gear. My … Read More Here
Zwift Kills Zwift Hub Classic, Wahoo Further Drops KICKR CORE Prices: Two Companies Increase Partnership
At this point, it’s probably really only a matter of time before we see the Wahoo KICKR CORE with an orange paint job and called Zwift Hub 2. But, before we get there, let’s first explain what Wahoo (and Zwift) … Read More Here
All Indoor Cycling App Pricing Compared (2023 Edition)
Yesterday, after (many) years of people asking, Zwift has finally added an annual payment option. In doing so, they became the final company to add in annual pricing for their product, joining the rest of the industry. Of course, the … Read More Here
COROS Pace 3 In-Depth Review: The Best Bang for The Buck?
As I’ve said for many years, COROS as a company is most deadly when it’s competing on price. And back three iterations ago, their first breakout product that really introduced the company to the world was the original COROS … Read More Here
Tech Tidbits: Peloton Rolls out Netflix, Apple Satellite SOS Extended, RideWithGPS QuickNav
Things are quieting down in the sports tech world as companies tend to take a breather after the busy fall season for most of them. Still, there’s always a few items that pop-in around this timeframe, and this post is … Read More Here
Strava Launches Activity Video Flyover Feature: Hands-on
Strava has just announced and launched the first stage of their video flyover function. This feature creates a 3D map video fly-over of your activity, showing an orange line and a moving blue dot alongside the line. It’s roughly … Read More Here
Suunto Race In-Depth Review: The Best Suunto Yet?
Look, I’ll spoil it upfront (headline included): The Suunto Race is easily the best watch Suunto has ever made. It’s not even close. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. For those details, you’ve got nearly 10,000 more words … Read More Here
Polar Vantage V3 In-Depth Review: The Comeback Kid?
The Polar Vantage V3 is arguably the most important product for the company in at least a decade, if not ever. It’s no secret that Polar has had a rough last few years, as it struggles to find its … Read More Here
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