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.
Garmin Connect IQ Summit–Day 1 Announcements
Today kicked off the annual Garmin Connect IQ Summit. This event takes place at Garmin’s headquarters in Olathe, KS and attracts sports and non-sports partners, and 3rd party software developers for their Connect IQ teams. You’ll find everyone from TrainingPeaks … Read More Here
Optical HR Armband Shootout: Polar OH1+, Scosche Rhythm24, Wahoo TICKR FIT
The last few weeks, well…months really, I’ve been spending an excessive amount of time wearing optical HR sensor straps. It mostly started back in January as I was preparing my Polar Vantage M and COROS APEX reviews, with the optical … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I was up to this past weekend as I prepped for a bit of time across the pond. Enjoy! 1) Getting the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active post out Friday was the day that never quite ended. I got … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 7th, 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
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active – Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
***Update: Just a note the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is out, you can see my post about it here*** Each year for a number of years now, Samsung has released fitness-focused smartwatches. Correspondingly, each year they seem to be getting … Read More Here
Your GPS watch will (most likely) continue to work fine tomorrow (April 6th)
There’s been plenty of chatter in recent weeks and months about whether this weekend’s upcoming GPS Week Number Roller (WNRO) will impact various GPS devices. In short, on April 6th, 2019 some older devices could effectively reset their knowledge of … Read More Here
How To (Sorta) Make Your CompuTrainer Wireless: PerfPro’s CT Smart Wireless Bridge
While the company is no longer in business (and still, nobody seems to know who purchased the CompuTrainer assets specifically from RacerMate), there are undoubtedly many CompuTrainers left in service out there. And aside from a handful connected with the … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
First up, since I don’t have a ‘Week in Review’ post this week, if you didn’t catch the latest podcast episode that went up late Friday, here’s the skinny: We dive into left-only power meters, Apple Watch ECG expansion, early … Read More Here
Four Days of Swim/Bike/Run Amazingness in Mallorca
I’ve been down in Mallorca since earlier this week, for a jam-packed slate of daily swim/bike/run workouts, with a side boatload of photo and video shooting. This trip was almost exclusively about testing a slate of devices set for review … Read More Here
Friday Tidbits: Stages Factory Install, Apple ECG in Europe, and COROS adds Navigation
There’s been lots of interesting tidbits in the sports tech world over the past week that’s worth a quicker dive into…but as always with my tidbit posts, not quite a full-on standalone post. Here’s what happened in the week that … Read More Here
How to export fitness data from the Samsung wearables (and Samsung Health app)
For each of the last three years or so, I’ve started the review process of a Samsung GPS watch, all variants of either the Samsung Galaxy line or Samsung Gear lineup. And each of those years I get a few … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I was up to this past weekend in surprisingly sunny Amsterdam. Apparently a lot of gadget shopping now that I look at the list. Enjoy! 1) Samsung Galaxy Active Unboxing: Friday afternoon I got busy unboxing the Samsung … Read More Here
Week in Review–March 24th, 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
Polar adds ANT+ to two devices, contemplates ANT+ expansion to Vantage series
When you woke up this morning, I’m pretty sure the title of the post was the last bit of news you expected today in the sports technology realm. And if you weren’t at the ANT+ Symposium last fall, that surprise … Read More Here
Polar OH1 Plus Optical HR Sensor In-Depth Review
And just like that, Polar now makes ANT+ devices. The Polar OH1 is one of two devices today that Polar has announced that are getting ANT+ compatibility. The other being the H10. But I cover that (and thoughts around possible … Read More Here
The Podcast (now with GPLAMA) is Back! Available on lots of platforms!
That’s right folks, you may have seen the tidbits or nuggets here and there – but I’m happy to report the DC Rainmaker Podcast is back in full steam, and now back on more platforms than ever before! For those … Read More Here
Week in Review–March 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
Unboxing the YouTube 100,000 Subscriber Award
It’s Friday, and late Friday for me in particular. Heck, it’s already Saturday for those of you on the other side of the globe. As such, it’s quickie post time. Usually I just include my various YouTube videos in the … Read More Here
Garmin MARQ Series Hands-On: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Garmin raised the stakes and announced their most expensive watch to date – the Garmin MARQ, at upwards of $2,500. Actually, it’s five watches. Five different units that mirror Garmin’s existing product lines across all of the company’s divisions. … Read More Here
Fitbit Inspire HR Activity Tracker In-Depth Review
Here’s everything you need to know about the Fitbit Inspire lineup, including what’s new, what’s unique, what works, and what doesn’t. I dive into all the details. Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I was up to this past weekend, enjoying all the rain and wind that Amsterdam has to offer. 1) Riding the fields First up on the docket was an outside ride to take advantage of a few pockets … Read More Here
Week in Review: March 10th, 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 Fitbit Versa Lite Hands-On: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Fitbit launched their least expensive smartwatch to date – the Fitbit Versa Lite. This newish watch essentially takes the existing Fitbit Versa smartwatch and removes the music playback, along with a handful of smaller features like stair counting (and … Read More Here
PowerTap P2 Power Meter Pedals In-Depth Review
It’s been almost exactly 4 years to the week since PowerTap first announced their PowerTap P1 pedals, and it didn’t take long for them to rocket to popularity. The installation required nothing more than a simple hex wrench, and the … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
And just like that, I’m back in Amsterdam. Well, sorta. By the time you read this I’ve already left the continent in search for…umm…colder weather, apparently. But more on that at the end. Let’s dive into what was happenin’ this … Read More Here