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.
Tag Archives: Triathlon
Tri Amsterdam Race Report (Testing Apple Watch Triathlon Mode!)
Earlier this summer, Apple announced WatchOS 9, which is by far the company’s most ambitious push into endurance sports to date for their Apple Watch platform. It includes customizable interval support, running power, and a multisport mode, among many other … Read More Here
Triathlon Anti-Drafting Technology System Unveiled by RaceRanger
When it comes to triathlon, there are basically two core types of races: Those that permit drafting, and those that don’t. If you watch the Olympics, you see short-course style racing, that permits drafting. Whereas if you watch an Ironman … Read More Here
How to: Garmin’s Semi-Secret Triathlon Display Mode (aka ‘Extended Display mode’)
Like any true triathlete, I violate all the rules of common sense. The most important one being to never try something new on race day. But given I have a long history of violating said rule, I figured a few … Read More Here
The HLMRMEER Triathlon Race Report
You know what’s fun? Signing up for local triathlons a few days beforehand with pretty much no plan or appropriate sport-specific training. It almost always guarantees a good time. Sure, I had run and ridden, and even swum…once…in the weeks … Read More Here
Today’s Plan Adds Triathlon Support (Cycling/Running), and Connect IQ Apps
Every once in a while I wander into the software/platform/apps realm for a post. I usually do so sparingly because this category of sports tech changes so quickly that any post I write quickly becomes out of date. That’s less … 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
Hands-on with the new Garmin FR735XT Triathlon Watch
Update – my full and final FR735XT in-depth review is now available! Click on over to that page for all the goodness! Over the course of the cold winter, the Garmin FR235 optical HR sensor-enabled running watch hooked up with … Read More Here
Versailles Triathlon 2013 Race Report
Here’s my first race report from racing a triathlon in France – the Versailles Triathlon. While this isn’t my first sporting event here (that would be the half and full Paris Marathons), it is in fact my first multisport event. … Read More Here
Thoughts on USAT Race Official Staffing
Race Directors have a tough job – there’s no doubt about that. They have to balance putting on a quality event, while still making it work financially. Triathlons are far from cheap events to put on, instead of just one … Read More Here
Thoughts on triathlon bike penalties (USAT & WTC)
I’ve always thought the USAT and WTC penalty system does little to deter racers from committing penalties, in particular – – on the bike. And just to be clear why I care primarily about the bike – the penalties on … Read More Here
The New York Triathlon 2010 Race Report
There are early race start times…and then there’s Nautica’s NYC Triathlon start times. How early you might ask? Well, 5:54AM. I don’t even think the birds are up that early. But…I was. Actually, I was up at 4:00AM. Luckily, I … Read More Here
The NYC Tri Expo and Underwear Run
Quick Administrative Note: In an effort to bring you the latest scantily clad triathletes running around central park, the normally scheduled Weekly Mailbag post will instead appear tomorrow. Thanks! As you might have guessed by the title, I’m up in … Read More Here
Colonial Beach Triathlon Spectator Report
This weekend was mind bogglingly busy with everything from races to training. I had my last weekend’s worth of training prior to next weekend’s ‘A’ race at the New York City Triathlon. Meanwhile, Sunday morning was spent chasing around The … Read More Here
Race Day & Race Travel Checklists
Every time I travel to a race, my biggest worry is that I’m going to forget something. You know, something so tiny – but so important, such as a small-but-required part for my bike, or sometimes something even much bigger … Read More Here
Many many loops….transition practice!
With a race just over 24 hours away, it was time to get in some much needed transition practice. Why practice transitions you ask? Well, it’s easy free time. Sure, people always say ‘free time’, but that’s not exactly true … Read More Here
The ‘I got hit by a car during the race’ Rev 3 Knoxville Race Report
Given you’ve probably read the title of this post, you have a rough idea what happens at some point along the way in this story. That means you also think you know how this story ends, but just for fun … Read More Here
How to fit two triathlon bikes into a really small private airplane
There’s some smart nuggets amongst ya’ll yesterday in the guessing game around details about the picture I posted. You can read all the guesses here. And here’s the original the picture: Some of you picked up on two key items … Read More Here
Can you name details about this picture?
For Tuesday I’m going to go with something a little bit different than a normal post. Last week The Girl and I participated in a bit of an experiment…with our bikes. This experiment took quite a bit of time actually … Read More Here
Thoughts from a (new) USAT Referee (or…what I’m looking for)
In addition to racing this past weekend, I also became a new USAT Certified Official Referee. The process involves wading through an extensive 91 page manual (very in depth by the way, but also fairly well written and easy to … Read More Here
A list of cool tri/running/cycling wallpapers
Back a bit ago I was stumbling around Garmin’s site trying to find something or other and I bumped into their nifty collection of wallpapers that you can download. From there I got curious and started poking around other companies … Read More Here
Seattle Rainman Triathlon 2010 Race Report
If there were ever a triathlon to do, having one virtually named after oneself seems like the kinda event I’d want to start with. I heard about the Rainman Indoor Triathlon back a few months ago, and a bit later … Read More Here
Comparing M-Dot Ironman races to Non-Dot races
If you’ve been around the triathlon block a few times, you probably already know that the official ‘Ironman’ name and race series is actually a trademarked asset of the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). As such, no other races may call … Read More Here
Longhorn 70.3 Spectator Report
I’ve decided that I think the best way to do a 70.3 race is not to race it…but rather to cheer it. Much more relaxing. Yet, still a heck of a lot of walking. Lots and lots of walking to … Read More Here
Balls and Racks
Over the last month or so I’ve been toying with different methods to carry gel on my bike. While this may seem like a relatively straightforward concept – it turns out it’s really not. At least not once you consider … Read More Here
Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Age Group Drug Testing
A few weeks back, the World Triathlon Corporation (owners of Ironman and 70.3 races) announced that it would be increasing and expanding it’s programs around drug testing. However, it’s the follow little snippet that caught everyone’s attention: “Additionally, a Registered … Read More Here