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.
You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! Plus, you'll be more awesome. Click above for all the details. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here!
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.
-
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?
-
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
Here’s a roundup of the weekend gone by. Lots of fun city stuff the last few days. 1) Rented an entire boat on the Seine Back about a month ago two local friends of ours got married, but did so in … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what we’ve been up to over the last few days here on the home front. 1) A bit of a long run Saturday afternoon I headed out for my long run. In this case it was about 1hr and … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It’s been a busy weekend, with a lot of new devices on the plot – here’s what I was up to the last two and a half days. 1) Starting using the Garmin Vivoactive After I landed from Bahrain early … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Wow, this has definitely been a whirlwind weekend. Yet somehow, it didn’t feel all that busy. Almost even sorta relaxing. Go figure. 1) Flew home From South Africa This one is pretty self-explanatory, and I touched on it Saturday in … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days. As always, it’s been a wee bit busy. 1) A Saturday Long Run I headed out mid-afternoon on Saturday for a bit of a run around the city. I didn’t … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
A rather busy weekend home in Paris, but also quite an enjoyable one. It almost seemed relaxing actually. 1) Friday night lights…err…run. I did both a longer run and a shorter Friday night run this weekend. While the longer run … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days since getting back home to Europe. 1) Flew home from the US: Friday we arrived back in Paris from what’s been a nearly two week long trip to the US. First, … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
First up, just as a quick Black Friday/Cyber Monday update… I’ll be updating the existing post throughout the day as new Cyber Monday items hit. Amazon announces their listings about 12 hours prior, so by time most US folks wake … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s the roundup from this past weekend, from domed cameras to tall buildings and night trail runs. 1) Unboxed a 360° Action Camera All sorts of new items floated into the mailbox on Friday. To begin, I had ordered the … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s the rundown on what I’ve been up to the last few days! 1) Flew back from Dubai I started off my weekend working my way back from Dubai. It’s only about a 6hr flight from Dubai to Europe, so … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days – my first weekend back at home in almost a month! 1) Went for a run with Epson and their new products Friday afternoon one of the Epson folks came … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend in Thailand
Okey doke – here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days, since leaving off with the New Zealand waking up before the sun don’t shine spin class to go check out that cycling studio. Enjoy! 1) Flew back … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend In New Zealand
I’ve been down in Auckland, New Zealand for a few days now for what is about 10 days of a work trip here. But this past weekend I was able to enjoy what has been some rather nice weather during … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend in Malta
For the past 7 days I’ve been hanging out on the small islands of Malta, which are located just east of the African country of Tunisia, within the Mediterranean (or just south of Italy). For those unfamiliar with the specific … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Yikes, crazy busy weekend as we work our way through October. Here’s what went down the last 48 hours or so: 1) Had Zwift over to get setup on the beta We started off things late Friday with Eric Min, … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s a complete rundown (or, in this case, swim/bike/rundown) of what was happening this past weekend in my little world. 1) Did a bit of a rush hour triathlon of sorts With a final Garmin FR920XT unit in hand, I … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
We’re almost to the end of September, which means that I’m almost past what is a crazy busy time of year around these parts. Just one more bounce back across the Atlantic this week before at least a week or … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
While I was technically home this weekend for about 40 hours, it somehow seemed like only about 8 hours. Nonetheless, here’s how I spent those 40 hours. 1) Made my way back from Eurobike First order of the business for … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
My weekend was effectively the weekend that wasn’t really a weekend. Here, let me explain. 1) Flew down to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia First up was a really early flight that had me up and getting ready to go to the … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Ok, with all my Outdoor Retailer related posts out the door, here’s what I’ve been up to otherwise. 1) Flew back home from Salt Lake City Friday I made my way back from Salt Lake City, where I had spent … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
While many of you read my Alpe d’Huez triathlon race report yesterday, here’s what the rest of the weekend entailed. And, because I was on vacation – I’m using the term ‘weekend’ with a little more flexibility…so it’s more like … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s a look at the last few days here in rather warm France… 1) A Sweltering Friday Night Brick Friday night was brick night. Not a hard one, just a short and intense one. Unfortunately, the temperature on Friday reached … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
And here’s how the first weekend in July went down, onwards! 1) Celebrated July 4th (yes, in France!) When it comes to holidays that we miss while living in France, there’s nothing more American or distinctly American than the 4th … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Past Weekend
Ok, it’s not entirely true all this happened this past weekend, but it did all happen in the last 5 days or so. So, think of it like an extended weekend, or 5 Random Things in 5 days. 1) I … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I’ve been up to over the past few days. 1) Enjoying a bit of New York City After my time Friday morning on the TV show, we spent the rest of the day wandering around the city (10 … Read More Here