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–February 8th, 2015
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
A look at GoPro’s new firmware updates, including time lapse capability
Yesterday GoPro pushed out updates for their Hero4 lineup of cameras (the Hero4 Black and Hero4 Silver). These firmware updates, while announced back in January at CES, edge GoPro further ahead of competitors in certain categories, while bringing them up … Read More Here
Under Armour (owner of MapMyFitness) buys both MyFitnessPal and Endomondo
A bit of background: Apparently someone at Under Armour had a bit of spare cash lying around today, and decided to go on a bit of a pre-Valentine’s Day spending spree. Today, they bought not just MyFitnessPal, but also Endomondo. … Read More Here
Sports, Drones, and Follow-Me Aerial Action Imagery: A State of the Industry
There’s been a ton of interest as of late in using drones within sports. This interest comes from many different angles. First is the more traditional approach of simply using the unmanned aerial vehicle as a platform for videography and … Read More Here
The Zeal HD2 Snow Goggles with Built-In HD Camera In-Depth Review
This past weekend I spent three days using the Zeal HD2 goggles. These goggles have a built-in action camera in the upper edge of them, making them potentially perfect for recording your slope adventures. It includes both photo and video … Read More Here
A quick update on Polar’s planned software updates
Since Polar announced the V800 triathlon watch at CES 2014 (just over a year ago), there’s been a steady stream of firmware updates to the unit increasing functionality of the multisport watch. At the same time, there have also been a … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
A rather busy weekend home in Paris, but also quite an enjoyable one. It almost seemed relaxing actually. 1) Friday night lights…err…run. I did both a longer run and a shorter Friday night run this weekend. While the longer run … Read More Here
Week in Review–February 1st, 2015
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
Stryd: Hands-on with the first running power meter
Ever wonder what it’s like to run with a power meter? Here’s all the details (+data) on my first runs with the worlds first wearable power meter. Read More Here
Understanding Live Streaming Video Options for Action Cams: GoPro, Sony and HTC
The ability to stream in real time (live) video footage from action cams remains a bit of the holy grail of sports action. Today, 99.99% of what you see on TV is done via broadcast quality cameras and equipment, with … Read More Here
A Weekend Skiing in the French Alps
We had long ago planned an extended weekend with Friends down in the French alps, and finally the time was here. We’d be heading to Val Thorens, which is part of the Three Valley’s area (that includes other resorts I’ve … Read More Here
Fitbit Surge In-Depth Review
It’s been a few months since Fitbit announced a trio of products, including their first GPS watch – the Fitbit Surge. This joined two other activity trackers, the Fitbit Charge and Charge HR within the announcement (my review of the … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days since getting back home to Europe. 1) Flew home from the US: Friday we arrived back in Paris from what’s been a nearly two week long trip to the US. First, … Read More Here
Week in Review–January 18th, 2015
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
A Sneak Peek at the Cycliq Fly12 Front Mounted Bike Camera Light
Update: My full in-depth review of the Fly12 is now posted! Swing over and check it out here. Some of you might remember last year my post on the Fly6 rear-facing bike camera and light. This unit was a combination … Read More Here
Garmin acquires Backtracker bike radar system (and company iKubu)
This morning Garmin has announced the acquisition of iKubu. Of course, nobody knows the name iKubu, but many of you likely remember them by their product name – Backtracker. I took a look at this product back in July during … Read More Here
The ‘Guess How Many Steps I Walked at CES 2015’ Giveaway Winner!
Over the weekend I held a rather unique giveaway where I asked folks to guess how many steps I walked at CES from Sunday till Monday. Closest person was the winner, simple as that! The most accurate answer then got … Read More Here
A look at Sony’s new 4K action cam, crazy concurrent multi-cam support
Last week at CES Sony announced their latest action cam, the Sony FDR-X1000V, which is capable of shooting 4K video. They also updated their HDR-AS camera line with a new 200V version (HDR-AS200V). These came as a surprise to approximately … Read More Here
A brief look at the Mio Alpha2 optical heart rate watch
Mio was on-hand at CES showing off both their recently announced devices from this past fall (Mio Fuse and Mio Velo), as well as demoing their just announced device: The Mio Alpha2. The Mio Alpha2 builds upon the features found … Read More Here
Garmin Connect IQ: An in-depth introduction to the platform you can now use today
This past week Garmin not only launched a slew of new devices, but perhaps more importantly – launched availability of the first portions for Connect IQ. Garmin Connect IQ is the application development platform for newer Garmin wearables that enables … Read More Here
Polar announces M400 footpod support, also smartphone notifications for V800/M400/A300
Today at CES Polar has made two fairly solid and notable announcements. Both of these updates continue to increase the competitiveness of the products included, but especially the M400 – which was already my top pick for a sub-$300 running … Read More Here
A sneak peek at two new PowerTap products
Like almost every other company in the sports technology world, everyone is here at CES. And that’s true even when you don’t actually have a booth, such as the case with CycleOps/PowerTap. Despite the lack of floor space I had … Read More Here
The Guess ‘How Many Steps I Walked at CES 2015’ Giveaway!
When it comes to walking, I have no week at any point during the year where I tally up a greater number of steps than that of CES. And this year was definitely no different. It’s been a crazy packed week (with … Read More Here
An update on the Dash, the wireless heart-rate monitoring music headphones
Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated products out there is The Dash, by Bragi. This tiny little set of pods sits in your ear and measures a cornucopia of athletic metrics from pace and distance, to heart rate and … Read More Here
An update on the 4iiii Precision Power Meter
Quick update/note – July 27th, 2015: Many of you have asked when my review of the 4iiii Precision Power Meter will be released. While I received a number of test units back this spring, I’ve run into a bug/issue that … Read More Here