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.
First Look: Kinetic R1 Direct Drive Trainer
Update – December 2019: You can find my full Kinetic R1 In-Depth Review here! Which is packed with plenty of real-world details after months of usage. And just like that, Kinetic has joined the direct drive trainer flotilla. But unlike … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend (Tahoe Edition)
From mountain biking around Tahoe to to hiking the mountains, it’s all outdoors all the time! Read More Here
The New Polar Vantage Series: Everything you ever wanted to know
The new Polar Vantage V and Vantage M include a slew of new features, from new training load metrics to recovery metrics. Plus the Vantage V gets running power too. Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR CORE Trainer In-Depth Review
Can the KICKR CORE save you $300 over the regular KICKR? I dig in for all the pros and cons, from accuracy to road feel, apps and more. Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza 2018 Winners!
Another year goes past – and another huge Giveaway Extravaganza is now complete! This year was pretty crazy once again, with boatloads upon boatloads of people stopping by the site to enter the dozen giveaways. As with every year – … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It was a relatively quiet weekend here in Amsterdam – a bit of a calm before the storm of tons of travel, industry events, and plenty of other product related stuff. Here’s what we were up to! 1) Lunch inside … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin Forerunner 935 Multisport GPS Watch
All good things must come to an end, and this folks, it’s the end of the road. At least assuming you’re still on the road and haven’t fallen asleep and found you and your bike crashed into the side of … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: GoPro Hero 6 Black
There’s one product you’ll find with me on every single ride, run, or swim: my GoPro. Specifically, the GoPro Hero 6. Sometimes even two of them, if I’m gettin’ really wild! Now, unlike the GoPro Fusion 360° camera I gave … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Quarq DZero Power Meter
It’s time for another meter. With only a handful of giveaways left in this seemingly never-ending parade of free stuff, we need more power. I suppose I’m probably mostly talking about caffeine and not cycling power…but what’s the difference anyway? … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Fitbit Ionic GPS + Fitbit WiFI Scale
Given the way the day is going and how many of you are tied to your chairs, it’s probably not exactly a good idea to talk about weight scales. But in this second twofer of the day you’ll get exactly … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: DJI Spark Drone
While I have a somewhat absurd collection of drones (and growing), it’s actually one of the least expensive and smallest ones that I prefer the most – the tiny spark. It weighs less than a water bottle and I’ve taken … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: The Anything Unannounced Soon Giveaway!
Back by popular demand this year: What if I could give you the future? Or more specifically, the unannounced future? Yup, I’m going to do just that. Over the next 3 weeks there’s going to be a crapton of new … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Wahoo KICKR CORE + KICKR CLIMB
Boom, mic drop. Or, perhaps more accurately…fork drop. Which, will happen once you connect these two up. You’ll be going up and down like a merry-go-round horse as the KICKR CLIMB replicates the mountains and hills around your virtual world. … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin Fenix 5 Plus
When it comes to features, no watch has as many features as the Fenix 5 Plus. From the watch you can listen to Britney Spears via headphones while concurrently paying for a Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino using contactless payments, all while … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Favero Assioma Duo Power Meter Pedals
Bring on the power! And in this case, power to the people! There’s no doubt Favero has certainly done that in the power meter pedal world with the solid Assioma pedals, even if their product name can be a bit … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: GoPro Fusion 360° Action Cam
Let’s say that you were the dude (or dudette) who always managed to miss the shot. Always had the camera pointed in the wrong direction, or perhaps always had it out of focus. Well, I’ve got a solution for you: … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Wahoo BOLT Cycling GPS
There’s only one bike computer that includes an aerodynamic mount that will, if nothing else, make you feel faster. And thus, I’ve introduced the next product on today’s lineup – the Wahoo BOLT GPS. It’s arguably the unit that kicked … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Suunto 9 Multisport GPS
And so it begins – the annual mother of all giveaways is now underway once again! And while it might be ‘only’ 24 hours of giveaways, it’s gonna feel a heck of a lot longer. Like, 120 hours. Which also … Read More Here
It Begins Monday: Giveaway Extravaganza Time!
Yes, the time is once again almost upon us: The Annual DC Rainmaker Giveaway Extravaganza! While typically mid-summer, we’re going with late-summer for this edition (yes, it’s still summer for another couple of weeks…just barely). Next Monday (September 10th) starting … Read More Here
New York City: GPS Running Accuracy Test Rabbit Hole
Two weeks ago I was in NYC for a slew of events, product pickups, and meetings. Most of which you’ve heard about by now. Be it the DJI Mavic 2 launch, the Garmin Vivosmart 4 announcement, or the Fitbit Charge … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Ok, this post would be slightly behind the curve, but it’s been a super busy last few days, especially yesterday. As one might expect, lots of ‘new stuff’ coming over the next few weeks. September is usually when you see … Read More Here
Week in Review–September 2nd, 2018
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
New Favero Assioma Firmware Adds Full Zwift Bluetooth Smart Compatibility, Additional Features
Today Favero rolled out a pile of firmware updates to their much favored Assioma power meter pedals. These pedals came out just over a year ago (the Assioma pedals were the successor to their first product, the bePro pedals). In … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin Vivosmart 4, now with Pulse Ox and Body Battery
The Vivosmart 4 is Garmin’s first device to introduce the new Body Battery, as well with the Pulse Ox (Sp02). How well does it work? I dig in. Read More Here
First Look: Fitbit Charge 3 Activity Tracker with SpO2 Sensor & Sleep Disturbance Tracking
***UPDATE: Fitbit has since released the Fitbit Charge 4, check out the in-depth review here!*** No matter how you slice it, the Fitbit Charge series is Fitbit’s leading line to date. Having sold over 35 million units amongst the various … Read More Here