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.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
5 Easy Steps To The Site
1
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.
2
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!
3
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.
4
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!
5
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.
Thoughts on USAT Race Official Staffing
Race Directors have a tough job – there’s no doubt about that. They have to balance putting on a quality event, while still making it work financially. Triathlons are far from cheap events to put on, instead of just one … Read More Here
Power Meters and Pop-Tarts
While the summer may be winding down, my training certainly isn’t. I’ve still got three races (well, technically four) before the end of my tri season. And that’s before I end up figuring out what I’m doing running wise for … Read More Here
Weekly Mailbag–August 29th, 2010
Here’s this week’s edition of the weekly mailbag. This is a weekly series where I feature a handful of the e-mailed questions I received from the previous week or so. I try and pick a wide variety of questions. Some … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 800 In Depth Review
What exactly is the Edge 800 you ask? Well, it’s a new bike computer that aims to provide all of the cycling features you’d expect from the Edge series (ANT+ support, power meter compatibility and configuration, GPS route recording and … Read More Here
Tuesday Training, Trainers, and Trimming
It’s been a busy summer with travel of all kinds. I haven’t spent a full week home since late May – so the next two weeks are my only opportunity to get in two solid – complete – and well … Read More Here
A solution to heart rate dropouts/spikes with Garmin HR Soft Straps
You may remember back a few months ago when I published my Top Tips to reduce HR strap issues. That’s since become a pretty popular posts, especially amongst Garmin Premium Soft Strap HR users. And for the vast majority of … Read More Here
A return to Skyline!
(Quick Administrative Note: If you don’t normally read the Weekly Mailbag – I’m looking for some feedback on whether or not you’re interested in having integrated ANT+ sensor technology in Smart Phones, particularly Android ones. This would allow you to … Read More Here
Weekly Mailbag–August 21st, 2010
Here’s this week’s edition of the weekly mailbag. This is a weekly series where I feature a handful of the e-mailed questions I received from the previous week or so. I try and pick a wide variety of questions. Some … Read More Here
Newfoundland Part II: Moose everything
My second week up in Newfoundland was almost as busy as the first, despite the fact that this time we didn’t attempt to drive around the island. Instead, we focused on things that were local – and just generally enjoying … Read More Here
My 2010 Athletic GPS Device Recommendations
Please see my updated 2011 GPS recommendations here. The vast majority of folks who end up here do so in search of one of the many different athletic GPS devices out there on the market. In most cases, once you’ve … Read More Here
Weekly Mailbag–August 17, 2010
Due to the busy weekend, I offer you the rare mid-week Weekly Mailbag! Think of it like sighting an elusive wild animal…like a moose…only from the comfort of your own computer. Here’s this week’s edition of the weekly mailbag. This … Read More Here
My first week in Newfoundland
I’ve been up here in Newfoundland, Canada for the past 10 days now in total – though, that’d be a week since the St. John’s Triathlon last Sunday. This past week has been a whirlwind tour of the island, as … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 310XT Giveaway Results!
This has been the biggest giveaway around these parts thus far! Over 1,024 individual comment entries into the giveaway, and another bunch from Active Duty folks. That’s a lot of peeps! I then took all the entries and sorted through … Read More Here
New–Washington DC Tri Resource Section/Post
I get a ton of requests for the best places for triathletes to train, so I started putting them all together in a single cohesive (updatable) post. Now, there are a gazillion places to train in the DC area, but … Read More Here
Guest Post: ‘The Girl’ Speaks!
(Quick note from Ray: The following was actually written before we got engaged this past weekend. She had no idea about that, and she put together this post a few months back and I hemmed and hawed waiting to post … Read More Here
She said ‘Yes!’
Oh – and because all you girls will say “Show us the ring!”…here ya go: And with that…The Girl (or perhaps now, The Fiancee!) and I are off camping for the rest of the week. Enjoy!
St. John’s Newfoundland Triathlon Race Report
Sometimes…things go well, like really well. And sometimes, things don’t go so well, like rather badly. As for this race…well, the number three wasn’t just the number of sports I did today. But let’s start at the beginning. The beginning … Read More Here
Weekly Mailbag–August 7th, 2010
Here’s this week’s edition of the weekly mailbag. This is a weekly series where I feature a handful of the e-mailed questions I received from the previous week or so. I try and pick a wide variety of questions. Some … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 310XT Giveaway
Can you believe it’s August already? You know what that means? Well, not a whole lot really…except that we’re now simply one month closer to the end of summer. :( So in an effort to counteract that – I’m going … Read More Here
Shark Week Time (Starring Me?!?)
If you’ve been around these parts long enough, you know I like sharks. Really any type of shark…but generally the bigger the better. Thus, this week on the trainer has been full of Shark Week action: So much so that … Read More Here
Timex Ironman GPS Global Trainer In Depth Review
When the Timex Global Trainer was announced earlier this year, most folks were quite excited to see a new entrant into the triathlon watch/device scene. With the watches ANT+ capabilities and full waterproofing it would make ideal training partner for … Read More Here
A weekend at home (finally)
I’m gonna keep this post short…mostly because I’ve spent the last few hours putting the final touches on the Timex Global Trainer review (to be posted at 12:01AM EST Tuesday), and thus, my keyboard and mouse are basically asking for … Read More Here
Weekly Mailbag–July 31st, 2010
Here’s this week’s edition of the weekly mailbag. This is a weekly series where I feature a handful of the e-mailed questions I received from the previous week or so. I try and pick a wide variety of questions. Some … Read More Here
Swimming into a policed compound…in a foreign country
I arrived under cover of darkness into Santo Domingo on Tuesday night, after my 48 hours in Guatemala City. When I left nearly two weeks ago, the Dominican Republic wasn’t actually on my travel itinerary, but a last minute change … Read More Here
Thoughts on triathlon bike penalties (USAT & WTC)
I’ve always thought the USAT and WTC penalty system does little to deter racers from committing penalties, in particular – – on the bike. And just to be clear why I care primarily about the bike – the penalties on … Read More Here