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 Reviews
Hands-on: Garmin’s Forerunner 645 Music GPS Watch
(Update – March 5th, 2018 – My Full FR645 Music In-Depth Review is now available, head over to the link to check it all out!) Finally, Garmin now makes a wearable that plays music. In some ways, that’s sorta all … Read More Here
Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter In-Depth Review
Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about Garmin Vector 3, from sizing and weight, to cornering capabilities, plus accuracy aspects and more! Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin’s New Descent MK1 Diving Watch
Sometimes, I do sports that are actually not swim-bike-run. Be it skiing, or…ok, I guess that’s it. Actually, I scuba dive, which I suppose is still technically swimming. Or swimming done rather poorly. So poorly that you’re never-endingly sinking to … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive 3 In-Depth Review
It’s been about 6 weeks since Garmin first announced the new Vivoactive 3 GPS watch. This watch builds upon the Vivoactive HR by adding in more features including things like contactless payments with Garmin Pay, as well as structured workouts. … Read More Here
Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Garmin announced the Vivofit Jr. 2, which takes their surprisingly successful Vivofit Jr. kids-focused product line and adds in a few features. But most importantly it cements a Disney partnership for branded variants of the activity trackers covering Star … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin’s New Forerunner 30 Running GPS Watch
Hold on, I know what you’re thinking: Didn’t the Forerunner 30 come out last year? Nope, that was the Forerunner 35. At which point you’re wondering how we’re going back in numbers – but that’s just how the cards fell … Read More Here
Garmin Vivosport In-Depth Review
A few weeks ago as part of Garmin’s trifecta announcement of new Vivo-labeled products, they announced the Vivosport (along with the Vivomove HR and Vivoactive 3). In many ways the Vivosport got overlooked as it lacked the fashionista flashiness of … Read More Here
Power Meter Pedal Shootout: Vector 3 vs PowerTap P1 vs Assioma
Update 2022: There’s an updated version of this post including Garmin Rally, Favero Assioma, Wahoo POWRLINK, and SRM X-Power available here! Over the course of the summer we’ve seen both Garmin and Favero roll out new pedal power meters. In … Read More Here
Garmin’s Vivomove HR: Everything you need to know
Sometimes, beauty is only skin deep. And unfortunately in the case of the Vivomove HR – that’s never been more true. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Vivomove HR is the second iteration of Garmin’s dabble … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter
b December 2017 – Heads up – you can now find my full in-depth review of Garmin Vector 3 here! Today Garmin announced their third generation of power meters, Vector 3. This new unit brings sweeping changes both easily seen … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1030 In-Depth Review
** Update: The Edge 1030 has been superseded by the Edge 1030 Plus. Check out the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus In-Depth Review here for the latest info** After over three years, Garmin has updated its flagship GPS navigation computer with … Read More Here
Best Bike Computer 2017: Garmin Edge 520 vs Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT
Looking to find the best GPS bike computer? Time to dive into who does Strava best, which has best sensor support, and of course navigation! Read More Here
Garmin VIRB 360 5.7K Action Cam In-Depth Review
Today Garmin jumped into the 360° fray by introducing their own 360° action camera – the VIRB 360. This camera one-ups everyone in the specs department by mic-dropping 5.7K resolution alongside being completely waterproofed with GPS built-in. Not to mention … Read More Here
Garmin Varia UT800 Smart Bike Light In-Depth Review
Today, Garmin introduced their latest generation front bike light – the UT800. This light builds upon the connected concepts from their first generation lights, such as integration with their head units. With the UT800 though, the company has shifted the … Read More Here
Garmin Vivosmart 3 Activity Tracker In-Depth Review
Today Garmin introduced an updated version of its Vivosmart lineup, the Vivosmart 3. This essentially takes the Vivosmart HR that we saw last year (aka Vivosmart Gen2) and shrinks it down. Then they layered in a bunch of new heart … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 935 In-Depth Review
*** Update: The next generation Forerunner 945 has since been released. For the latest information on this watch series click the link for the Forerunner 945 In-Depth Review*** Today Garmin announced their latest triathlon/multisport…and running-specific focused watch, the Forerunner 935. … Read More Here
Garmin Fenix 5/5S/5X In-Depth Review
*** UPDATE: The Fenix series has had two generation updates since this post. Check out the in-depth reviews for both the Fenix 5 Plus, and the Fenix 6! *** It’s been nearly three months since Garmin first announced the Fenix … Read More Here
Best Action Cam 2017: GoPro Hero5 Black vs Garmin VIRB Ultra 30
In virtually every post or video I make where I use an action cam, I’m asked which camera I’m using and why. And even more commonly since this past fall I’m asked whether to go with the GoPro Hero5 Black … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin’s new Forerunner 35 with optical HR
A day or 13 ago, Garmin announced their new Forerunner 35 (FR35) GPS. But with Eurobike in full swing, I put it on the back burner a bit until the dust settled. Now that things have cleared out a bit, … Read More Here
Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 In-Depth Review
Last week, Garmin announced and released their newest action cam – the VIRB Ultra 30. To summarize this 50-million word in-depth review in the most succinct manner possible: Someone at Garmin finally got it. They created what might possibly best … Read More Here
Everything you ever wanted to know: Garmin’s new $1,500 Fenix Chronos Watch Series
Well then, someone in Kansas is feeling ballsy today. Garmin has just announced three new Fenix units, starting from $900 and topping out at $1,500USD. Or, if you’re so fortunate to be living in the land of maple syrup, it’ll … Read More Here
Hands-on with Garmin’s new Edge 820 with mapping
Today Garmin announced their latest cycling computer – the Edge 820. Well, actually, they announced two cycling computers: The Edge 820 and the Edge Explore 820. The Explore is simply the dumbed down version of the 820. While the Edge … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 735XT In-Depth Review
It’s been almost exactly a month since Garmin announced their latest triathlon watch, the Forerunner 735XT. This watch aims to take the software of the larger FR920XT triathlon watch and compress it down into a smaller package. All while also … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive HR In-Depth Review
It’s been a few months since Garmin announced the Vivoactive HR while at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The unit started shipping last month and I’ve been wearing it on my wrist 24×7 since then. The Vivoactive HR sits in Garmin’s mid-range watch pricing … Read More Here
Hands-on with Garmin’s new Vivosmart HR+ (now with GPS)
They grow up so fast. Less than two years ago the original Vivosmart was a slightly awkward and kinda scrawny activity band. It’s dim display hardly living up to its fitness features. Then just this past fall came the Vivosmart … Read More Here