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 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.
Clever Training & DCR Exclusive Deal on Garmin Edge 800: $279
August 1st, 2013 – please note: This deal is now expired. Thanks for supporting the site! Just a quick heads up that Clever Training worked out a deal to offer exclusively to DC Rainmaker readers to pickup the Garmin Edge … Read More Here
First look at new Magellan Echo smartphone enabled running watch
This morning Magellan announced their newest entrant to the fitness market – the Magellan Echo. Unlike many running watches, this unit takes a bit of a different approach to things. Instead of containing a GPS chip within the unit, it … Read More Here
Watching the Tour de France finish in Paris
While we moved to Paris last year just before the Tour began, I unfortunately had to go on a work trip the day the Tour finished in Paris – thus missing the famous finale. Given this year was the 100th … Read More Here
A day spectating on Alpe d’Huez at the Tour de France
After spending the week wandering around France we got back late last night following an exciting day on the climb to Alpe d’Huez at the Tour de France yesterday. While I’ll circle back over the next day or so with … Read More Here
A road trip to Alpe d’Huez and the Tour de France
The Girl, myself, and a few friends are working our way across France down to Alpe d’Huez and the surrounding area for later this week. As such, things will be fairly quiet for the first part of this week while … Read More Here
A look at how Strava has begun cutting off your data access and removing functionality
Strava recently snubbed their partners and 3rd party apps, along with some users. I dive into how this impacts you and what this means for Strava users. Read More Here
A day at the Tour de France time trials headed to Mont Saint-Michel
Yesterday was a rather long day. It started at 5AM, leaving home in Paris and driving approximately three hours to the site of Stage 11 of the 2013 Tour de France. This year that was an individual time trial consisting … Read More Here
Stowe Triathlon 2013 Race Report
This weekend I took a bit of a journey to continue my European triathlon scene adventures. I didn’t actually decide on this race until just over a week beforehand. I had narrowed down the weekend (July 6th/7th), and then narrowed … Read More Here
4iiii’s Viiiiva ANT+ to Bluetooth Smart Bridge & Heart Rate Strap In-Depth Review
A bit under a year ago 4iiii’s announced the first device on the market to bridge the gap between ANT+ accessories and Bluetooth Smart enabled phones. In doing so, they potentially opened up the door to saving users from having … Read More Here
The Amsterdam Runaround
As a general rule for Runarounds, they tend to run…well…around something. Usually that’s a city. In most cases I start at the hotel and then make a big loop back to my starting point. In some occasions (such as in … Read More Here
TomTom Runner & Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
How does TomTom’s first athletic device rank compared to the incumbents? I go deep on the device to find out. Read More Here
Finally summer! A look at my brick-taper weekend.
It’s been a nice relaxing summer weekend back at home in Paris – the weather seems to be largely pleasant, versus the normal cold and rainy. For example, Thursday night we went out walking along the Seine and it was … Read More Here
Week in Review–June 30th, 2013
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
Photo of the day: The Riverside 100m dash
It’s been a while since a photo of the day post. But last night The Girl and I were out along the Seine enjoying a new ‘park’ that opened up this past weekend – the Berges des Seine. It stretches … Read More Here
The Giveaway Extravaganza Winners!
Now that everyone has had time to take a breather (though likely still waking up in a bit of a post-giveaway extravaganza hangover), it’s time to announce the winners! First up, I want to say a huge thanks to everyone … Read More Here
Hands on with the Sensoria sock activity monitoring system
(Quick Giveaway Extravaganza Note: First, I’m not giving away a Sensoria system, back to normal posts :). Second, winners will be announced sometime today (Thursday), as I’m working through cleaning up any duplicates and picking the winners. Thanks for the … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: The ‘iPack’–Wahoo RFLKT, 4iiii’s Viiiiva, Blue SC, and more!
All good things must come to an end…and the end is regrettably here. And by here, I mean after explaining this last giveaway. I decided to make a bit of a basket of things for the iPhone/iPad/iPod carrying person. First … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin Edge 510 or Edge 810
Sometimes you just can’t decide. Like when eating donuts. Apple fritter or maple bar? That’s sorta how it was for this giveaway. I couldn’t decide between the 510 or the 810. Some folks want mapping, and some want a slightly … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Wahoo Fitness KICKR Trainer
I told you I wasn’t going to stop with just watches and power meters…. While it may be a few days into summer for those of us up north, that doesn’t mean you can’t spend some quality time on the … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin FR910XT GPS Multisport watch
Sometimes you just need a friend when you’re going out and swimming, cycling and running 140.6 miles. No, not scuba fins like Finman. But something more technologically advanced, like, the FR910XT. This multisport watch will track your swims, bikes, and … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: SRAM Quarq Riken Power Meter
What? You thought I’d be just doing watches today? Oh how wrong you are…you just wait…I’m only getting warmed up. The Quarq power meter allows you to more accurately pace your race and training efforts, ultimately increasing the likelihood of … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Timex Run Trainer 2.0 GPS Running Watch
Yes, that’s a glass of chocolate milk. When I went sifting through my library of product photos for the single shot to use for the Timex Run Trainer 2.0 giveaway, I stumbled upon the above photo. It was in a … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Polar RC3 GPS Running Watch
There’s no question that the RC3 is my most favored Polar product to date. It’s the first Polar unit to fully integrate GPS into the watch itself. The unit is primarily aimed at the running crowd, but can easily do … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Suunto Ambit 2 GPS Multisport Watch
First up this year, the Suunto Ambit 2! This triathlon focused watch crossed over from starting off as a hiking/ultra-runners watch and then within the Ambit 2 line, they added in all triathlon sports (swim/bike/run/multisport). Of course, even if you … Read More Here
Starting in 24 hours! The DCR Giveaway Extravaganza!
For those loyal readers who were around last year, you’ll remember the massive Giveaway Extravaganza I launched last year about this time. Normally when I do a traditional giveaway, I giveaway a single item and the entry period lasts a … Read More Here
