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
Our Christmas Tree by Parisian Velib Bikeshare: 2014 Edition
Earlier this week The Girl and I made our sorta-annual trek to pickup a Christmas tree at the nearby market. The first year we returned home via Velib (the bike share system). Last year, we ended up walking it home. … Read More Here
The Basis Peak In-Depth Review
When the Basis Peak was announced earlier this fall it was designed to fill in the gaps as well as build upon their previous product, the Basis B1, that was released about 2 years ago. The Basis watch has always … Read More Here
A short run with the Timex One GPS+, 3G connected running watch
Yesterday I had the chance to go for a brief (and cold) run around the city with the Timex One GPS+ watch. This watch, announced back in August at Outdoor Retailer, contains a 3G chipset within it that enables it … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
First up, just as a quick Black Friday/Cyber Monday update… I’ll be updating the existing post throughout the day as new Cyber Monday items hit. Amazon announces their listings about 12 hours prior, so by time most US folks wake … Read More Here
2014 Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sports Technology Deals
Updated Dec 16th, 2014 12:35PM – TomTom Multisport back on sale for $149, details in Clever Training section. Updated Dec 14th, 2014 1:05PM EST – Added new Garmin FR910XT deals, and new Vivofit deal. Without question one of the most anticipated … Read More Here
My Winter 2014-2015 Sports Gadget Recommendations
(Before we start, my Black Friday post will hit tomorrow and be updated throughout the week. This listing attempts to as best as possible take into account those price changes.) It’s that time of year where tons of folks are … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s the roundup from this past weekend, from domed cameras to tall buildings and night trail runs. 1) Unboxed a 360° Action Camera All sorts of new items floated into the mailbox on Friday. To begin, I had ordered the … Read More Here
The Winter 2014-2015 Trainer App In-Depth Guide
After my recent Winter 2014-2015 trainer recommendations post, many of you have been asking about trainer apps. I decided against combining it with the trainer recommendations post in order to give its full due in a standalone post. In retrospect … Read More Here
DC Rainmaker Paris Open House & Unveiling–December 13th, 2014!
Update – Dec 12th 2014 – If you registered but did not receive location details, simply use the Contact page and I’ll reply to you with the event details (usually within a few minutes). A few folks mistyped e-mail addresses … Read More Here
Hands-on with the Moxy Muscle Oxygen Sensor
Back about 45 days ago during the ANT+ Symposium I had the chance to sit down on a trainer and suffer through a nearly hour long test of both my physical fitness, as well as the Moxy Muscle Oxygen sensor. … Read More Here
Week in Review–November 17th, 2014
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
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s the rundown on what I’ve been up to the last few days! 1) Flew back from Dubai I started off my weekend working my way back from Dubai. It’s only about a 6hr flight from Dubai to Europe, so … Read More Here
Polar rolls out connection for developers, Apple Health & Google Fit integration
This week, Polar has announced the details of it’s various 3rd party development integration efforts – which cover pretty much every way you can get data out of the platform to other services. I’ll dive briefly into the main methods, … Read More Here
Photo of the day: My Gigantic Dubai Palm Tree Run
Every once in a rare while, I plan a route simply because it’ll look cool from space. And so was the case tonight. I had an interval run of sorts to knock out, and after I finished up at work … Read More Here
GoPro Hero4 Silver & Hero4 Black In-Depth Review
(Note: Review updated March 10th, 2015, inclusive of most recent firmware updates) Early last month GoPro completed their annual October ritual of releasing a suite of new units. Like past years, GoPro doesn’t tend to make massive upgrades in their … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days – my first weekend back at home in almost a month! 1) Went for a run with Epson and their new products Friday afternoon one of the Epson folks came … Read More Here
Week in Review–November 9th, 2014
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 Forerunner 920XT In-Depth Review
Last month just ahead of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, Garmin announced their latest triathlon watch – the FR920XT. At the time I wrote a relatively long first look at the watch, but now I’ve had a solid month … Read More Here
My Winter 2014-2015 Bike Trainer Recommendations
It’s that time of year again – trainer season. When it generally gets cold and miserable to be outside, well, unless you live Down Under. I started doing the Trainer Recommendations post two years ago, and I know many of … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend in Thailand
Okey doke – here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days, since leaving off with the New Zealand waking up before the sun don’t shine spin class to go check out that cycling studio. Enjoy! 1) Flew back … Read More Here
Week in Review – November 1st, 2014
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
My analysis of the 2014 Kona bike count power meter numbers
Ok, so it’s been a few weeks since Kona. No worries, by now all those who went to the Big Island have returned from the Big Dance. Which obviously makes it a perfect time to discuss the findings. A bit … Read More Here
A Morning At Velo Boutique–A Full KICKR Group Cycling Studio
Earlier this week while down in Auckland for work a reader (Marc M.) shot me a note via Facebook letting me know that there’s actually a full-on Wahoo KICKR studio setup just a few blocks away from my hotel. They … Read More Here
A few quick thoughts on Fitbit’s new activity trackers, GPS watch (with optical heart rate!)
(Update February 26th: I’ve published my Fitbit Surge GPS In-Depth Review here and my Fitbit Charge and Charge HR In-Depth Review here. Go head over to those posts to get all the details!) This morning Fitbit announced a bundle of … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend In New Zealand
I’ve been down in Auckland, New Zealand for a few days now for what is about 10 days of a work trip here. But this past weekend I was able to enjoy what has been some rather nice weather during … Read More Here