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
Garmin Vivoactive 5 In-Depth Review: Now With An AMOLED Display!
To the surprise of many, Garmin has just announced the Vivoactive 5 – which is essentially a mini-Venu 3 (both in price and features). Garmin has killed off the MIP-based display of the previous Vivoactive series, instead adopting a … Read More Here
‘Name That Watch’ Gameshow with DesFit, Chase the Summit, and Matt Legrand
(Spoiler Avoidance: If you want to first try the game yourself, hit the short unlisted video here first, which is exactly what we’re seeing. Write down your answers, then enjoy the hilarity above.) Just wanted to drop a super quick … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 12 Black: The Complete Beginners Guide
I’ve just published my full GoPro Hero 12 Beginners Guide, as a follow-on to past beginners’ guides – including the GoPro Hero 10 Beginners Guide, which has amassed more than 1.4 million views. In this guide I take you … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 9: What’s New and Hands-On
In addition to the new Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple has also refreshed its regular Apple Watch lineup with the new Series 9. These units share a ton of new features, both from a hardware standpoint, but also a … Read More Here
Zwift Increases Zwift Hub Price to $599
Today Zwift announced a slate of new software features for the upcoming season, including new roads in Watopia, Climb Portal updates, an entirely new methodology for racing categorization called Race Score, along with new features to take advantage of the … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Hands-on and What’s New
Apple has just announced the new Apple Watch Ultra 2, alongside the also-new Apple Watch Series 9. Both of these units see largely hardware upgrades, mostly focused on performance and the display, while also adding one notable new feature … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT: Hands-On and Initial Thoughts
Today Wahoo announced a more affordable version of their high-end KICKR BIKE, the new KICKR BIKE SHIFT. This slices $1,000 off the price in exchange for a few trade-offs, notably removing the built-in CLIMB-like up and down incline simulation, as … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR Move Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Wahoo has just released two new indoor training products for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere indoor training season, a new top-end smart trainer that moves forward and back to add a bit of movement during your ride. In addition, they … Read More Here
Tacx NEO Bike Plus: A Quick Update on Accuracy & Steering
As we slowly slide into fall (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere), I’m working my way through updating various reviews and data sets on relevant indoor smart trainers and smart bikes. Especially in cases where previous reviews found … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 12 Black Announced: Here’s What’s New!
GoPro has just announced the new Hero 12 Black, which has a slate of new features – some hardware, some software, and some even app driven. This includes everything from doubling the battery life in certain modes, to adding Bluetooth … Read More Here
Wahoo and Zwift Reach Patent Dispute Agreement: Here’s What’s Happening Next
Exactly one year ago today, Zwift announced the Zwift Hub smart trainer – which priced at $499USD, immediately lit a fire across the rest of the smart trainer industry. The product was mostly a rebrand of the existing JetBlack VOLT … Read More Here
Elite & Wahoo Reduce List Prices on Trainers
Over the past 7 days, both Elite and Wahoo have reduced prices on a few models of their trainers that directly or indirectly compete with the direct drive based Zwift Hub smart trainer. That trainer was announced one year ago … Read More Here
Garmin Venu 3 Complete Beginners Guide
Here’s your complete Garmin Venu 3 Beginners Guide, which covers everything you need to know about how to use the watch day to day. This is a bit different than my review videos (or the Garmin Venu 3 In-Depth Review … Read More Here
DJI Air 3 Complete Beginners Guide
Just a quick heads up for those looking to pick up the DJI Air 3 (or, recently got it), I finally completed my DJI Air 3 Beginners Guide. This one is even more detailed than my previous DJI Mini 3 … Read More Here
Garmin Venu 3 In-Depth Review: More Sleep Analytics, Power Meters, and More!
Garmin has just launched the new Venu 3 series, which goes back to having two separate sizes, while adding in a slate of features – some of which are the first time we’ve seen them on a Garmin wearable. … Read More Here
Strava Adds More Photo-Based Tools to Route Planning
Strava has added a new feature for Subscribers that lets you see photos while route planning on desktop now, and more specifically, lets you see the exact location of said photos. This is a major upgrade over the Strava route-photo … Read More Here
Apple Adds Cycling Power Meter Recording to Fitness+ Workouts
Apple has quietly added power meter and cadence data to your completed workout data in Apple’s Fitness+ cycling workouts, which is their coached platform where trainers iterate through structured workouts. This addition is supported in the latest public betas of … Read More Here
Tech Tidbits: LIMITS Power Meter Company Liquidates, COROS Firmware Update, Skydio Leaves Consumer Drones
Here’s a few tech tidbits from today, the last few days, and the last week or so (in the case of Skydio) that are worthy of note. We’re back at the point where companies are warming up for what I … Read More Here
MyWhoosh Selected for UCI Cycling Esports World Championship for 2024-2026: A Few Thoughts
The UCI & MyWhoosh announced yesterday that the MyWhoosh virtual cycling platform has been selected for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in 2024/2025/2026. Up till now Zwift has been the platform utilized for the online cycling World Championship event, … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic In-Depth Review: Is it Finally Accurate?
Like clockwork each summer, Samsung has released their latest wearables, this time the Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic. This release offers two different form factors, including notably bringing back the physical rotating bezel on the Watch6 Classic edition. Samsung has … Read More Here
4iiii Adds Apple Find My Feature to Power Meters: Hands-On
4iiii has become the first power meter company to add Apple’s Find My support to their devices. This capability is called ‘Find My’, but is essentially the 3rd party program Apple has that allows companies to make a variant of … Read More Here
DJI Action 4 In-Depth Review Video
For those not subscribed on YouTube, I’ve posted my complete DJI Action 4 In-Depth review video up there, including tons of comparison footage to the GoPro Hero 11 Black. The Action 4 is mostly a minor upgrade compared to the … Read More Here
DJI Air 3 Active Track: Ultimate Test & Tips Video
For those into seeing how autonomous sports tracking in drones continues to progress, I’ve just hit publish on my latest video covering the DJI Air 3. I dig into a ton of different scenarios from over the past month into … Read More Here
Women’s Tour de France: Time Trial Behind The Scenes & Smart Trainers
The last stage of the 2023 Women’s Tour de France wrapped up with plenty of sports tech and other tidbits to check out. In the above video I walk through all the team bus/technical areas to see what’s floating around, … Read More Here
Women’s Tour de France: Bike Computers and Power Meters
As was the case with last year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (the women’s Tour de France), I swung down to check out all the sports tech. This first post will cover all the bike computers and power meters, … Read More Here