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.
DCR Open House Winter 2019 Photo Recap!
This past weekend we held our 6th annual DCR Cave Open House (now the 2nd winter one in Amsterdam, or 3rd counting our first summer edition this past July). It was once again a sold out crowd, for both the … Read More Here
Skydio 2 Autonomous Sports Drone In-Depth Review
If you’re looking for the ultimate in-depth review of the ultimate sports drone, this is it. The good, the bad, and a bit of ugly. Everything you need to know. Read More Here
Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2019 Sports Tech Deals Round-Up!
It’s that time of year again when there are tons of sales on all sorts of sports technology items. Everything this year is pointing to earlier sales than normal, as manufacturers and retailers alike try to lock in your dollars … Read More Here
Sports Technology Buyers Guide: Winter 2019-2020
Here’s everything you need to know to make the right choice in sports tech. Essentially, the mother of all fitness tech buyers guides. Read More Here
Tacx NEO Bike Smart: $700 off, Scratch & Dent Sale
[Story time: Simply skip the end of you want the deal] You know when you hear a story, raise an eyebrow, shrug, and then continue along your day? That’s roughly what happened back about a month ago when I heard … Read More Here
Stages Dash Gets Radar Support, Outlines Future Firmware Plans (and a 30% off sale)
(***In case you missed it, an in-depth review of the Dash L50, M50, and L10 has be posted. Follow the links to check this out.) Today Stages released firmware 2.0.0, which adds a whole bunch of performance tweaks and an … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 5: Sports & Fitness In-Depth Review
It’s been two months since the Apple Watch Series 5 came out, and the watch has been on my right wrist every one of those days. Swim, bike, run…and plenty more. You may remember my initial thoughts on it back … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
I feel like my butt was permanently planted on the cargo bike seat this weekend. Also, paired with the fact that we never stopped moving this weekend. Even when my butt wasn’t on the cargo bike – it was on … Read More Here
The Best Garmin Charger: Only $9 for a Two-Pack of These Pucks
The Girl hates the standard Garmin charging cable. And I can’t really disagree with her. While I appreciate Garmin has mostly managed to standardize on the little four-pin connector for most wearable products in the last 3 years, it’s still … Read More Here
Elite Zumo Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
One. Year. Later. Some trainers arrive on the scene happy as a clam (though virtually none in 2019). Others take a few weeks to mature. Some take months. The Zumo though – it decided to take its time like an … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Despite being a chilly weekend here – at least it was dry. Of course, that ended this morning – but hey, can’t win them all. Here’s what I was up to! 1) So much sale searching A significant portion of … Read More Here
Week in Review–November 17th, 2019
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
The Massive Holiday 2019 Deals Listing!
As promised from yesterday’s post, a slate of new deals are live as of today, including Garmin’s holiday deals, as well as Suunto’s deals. These encompass a huge swath of wearables from both companies, but also cycling items from Garmin. … Read More Here
Huge Fall Sale: 20% off including trainers, power meters, watches and more
Like clockwork, it’s that time of year again! The now annual 20% off sale has begun. Now technically, it’s semi-annual since it happens now and in the spring. But I don’t think anyone’s complaining about the chance to buy a … Read More Here
Zwift Confirms New Hardware Division: Posts Job Positions To Build Indoor Smart Bikes
Ahh yes, the rite of passage for any tech company is posting job positions that give away your future plans. Be it Apple posting autonomous car engineering positions or Uber trying to build flying things, eventually companies have to show … Read More Here
COROS Releases New ‘Running Track’ Mode On Watches, Adds Running Power & Efficiency Pod
Now we’re talking – some legit new features here coming from COROS. First up, they’ve launched a new track mode that increases the accuracy of running on a track, by somewhat ‘snapping’ to the track and even the specific lane … Read More Here
LVL’s ‘Hydration Sensor’ Rises from the Dead, Gets Acquired
A few people have asked this morning my thoughts on the news that BSX’s LVL was acquired by Gideon Health, and further yet gave the backers the option of either getting a refund, or getting a mystery box device at … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
I still fail to understand how it’s mid-November already?!? The rain and ugly weather is mostly non-stop here, but at least that means (yet) more trainer time indoors. With my parents in town this week, here’s what we were up … Read More Here
Tacx NEO 2T Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
The Tacx NEO 2T is the highest end offering from Tacx in the smart trainer realm. Are the changes worth the upgrade, and how accurate is it? Read More Here
Garmin Starts Roll-out of PacePro to FR945 and FR245, Also Adds More Data Fields Per Page
Here’s a Thursday quick heads up for ya – Garmin has begun the roll-out of PacePro to the Forerunner 945 and FR245/FR245M series watches. You might remember PacePro was introduced on the Fenix 6 about two months ago, and essentially … Read More Here
Mid-Week Tidbits: Canyon supports trainer riding and Suunto clarifies platform future
Here’s a couple of updates that have trickled across my desk over the last two days that I figure are worth chatting a moment about. Some of them also have some catches as well, so while you might have seen … Read More Here
Bkool Exits Trainer Hardware Business, Shifts Focus to Training Platform
The fact that indoor cycling company Bkool has just announced today it’s exiting the indoor trainer business isn’t terribly surprising. What is the most surprising thing out of the last 24 hours is the number of active users Bkool has … Read More Here
Google Acquires Fitbit: What it actually means to wearables and the industry
Google has just announced the acquisition of Fitbit for a cool $2.1 billion (USD). The move will undoubtedly drive change in the industry, though, not as much as one might think – at least initially. Don’t worry, I’ll explain in … Read More Here
Smart Bike Shootout: Wahoo KICKR Bike vs Tacx NEO Bike vs Wattbike Atom
The definitive guide, everything you ever wanted to know about the best indoor smart bikes available today. Read More Here
VirtuGO Announces It’s Shutting Down: Where’d things go wrong?
One of the most viable alternatives to Zwift from a graphics standpoint just announced it’s closing up shop. VirtuGO has sent out an e-mail to all registered/paying users that the service will shut-down effective November 25th, 2019. Users will be … Read More Here