I’m DC RAINMAKER…
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
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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.Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
- Do you have a privacy policy posted?
- Why haven’t you yet released a review for XYZ product you mentioned months ago?
- Will you test our product before release?
- Are you willing to review or test beta products?
- Which trainer should I buy?
- Which GPS watch should I buy?
- I’m headed to Paris – what do you recommend for training or sightseeing?
- I’m headed to Washington DC – what do you recommend for training?
- I’m from out of the country and will be visiting the US, what’s the best triathlon shop in city XYZ?
- What kind of camera do you use?
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Tag Archives: 5 Random Things
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Despite being a busy holiday weekend around these parts, we packed in quite a bit of sports tech and sportiness, with thankfully sunny weather to help keep sanity in check. Plus, tons of products in the hopper for upcoming releases … Read More Here
A Few Random Things I Did This Weekend
Things are heating up! No, not the weather, but finally a bit more normalcy around these parts. And if you know anything about me and July, it tends to be one of the busiest months of the year, though usually … Read More Here
A Few Random Things I Did This Weekend
With things slowly getting back to some portion of normal here in the Netherlands, it’s probably time to bring back the ‘5 Random Things I Did This Weekend’, perhaps even with some element of consistency too. But, given things aren’t … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
While the weather gets chillier, the sun has mostly kept itself in view. And atop that, a steady stream of new products makes their way into the cave. Most are more minor in nature, but still certainly interesting. Plus, this … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It’s been a while since the 5 Random Things has been around. Thus as things settle down a little bit, I figured it’s time to catch up. At least, for this past weekend. Here’s some of what I was up … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It’s no longer summer. But hey, things are heating up in the watch realm instead – so I’ve got that for ya! Here’s what I was up to this past weekend as the leaves start to change, and the weather … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Summer marches on! Sometimes that includes indoor activities, and sometimes that’s including the great outdoors. But more importantly, sometimes that includes pizza. Here’s what I was up to this past weekend. 1) Zwift L’Étape du Tour Stage 2 Well….right. As … Read More Here
5 Random Things I did This Weekend
As we usher in July (already?), here’s what I was up to this past weekend. Overall, for the most part here in the greater Amsterdam region, unless you were planning on partaking in some event, things are mostly back to … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Yes, this series is back! It’s been a while, but as the weather warms up, and people start getting a bit more freedom back in their lives, it seemed like a good time to bring back the weeklyish ‘5 Random … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
While it was a much more relaxing weekend than the go-go-go weeks of the past few months, we still got plenty done. Especially since the weather was largely quite acceptable. Here’s what I was up to the last few days. … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Gone is the warm weather of Australia and Singapore, and now it’s back to the mostly dreary weather of Amsterdam. Though honestly, it wasn’t that bad this weekend. In fact, it felt unseasonably warm for the first weekend of February. … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend in Singapore
Phew – it’s been a whirlwind last 10 days! Flying to Australia for the Tour Down Under (with more posts to come, especially some cool behind the scenes bits on tech), and then now just getting back home this morning. … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
As we wind down the year, it seems just as busy as ever before. Here’s what we were up to on this holiday, geek, and bike-themed weekend wrap-up! 1) Year-end photo consolidation (Warning: Photography geekery ahead, skip to the other … 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
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
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
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Another fairly busy weekend. I’m sure it’ll calm down eventually. However, first, a quick note about three specific trainer-type deal sales, since I didn’t publish a ‘Week in Review’ this weekend: CycleOps Hammer 1 – $699 (from $1,000): This is … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Finally, it’s getting warmish here. Not like Florida warm, but like acceptable levels of warmth warm. So, here’s what we were up to! 1) Openwater Swim Afternoon I kicked off the weekend with an openwater swim Friday afternoon. It finally … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Ahh yes, finally getting some re-warmth into the springtime weather here in Amsterdam. Not a massive amount of warmth, but I’ll take any bit I can get. Here’s what I was up to this weekend, with family in town as … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend (Sea Otter Edition)
I’m just wrapping up my long weekend here in Monterey, CA hanging out at the Sea Otter Classic bike festival/event. While I’ve got a couple of tech-focused posts coming up over the next 24-36 hours, I figured I’d dive into … 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
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
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
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
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend: Last Cape Town Edition
Ok, a bit belated on this ‘5 Random Things’ post – but it’s been a whirlwind of a last few days, and I finally have a few minutes to write out some stuff as we complete our last flight of … Read More Here