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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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: Behind the Scenes
Behind The Scenes: Super League Pro Triathlon on Zwift–How it all works
Yesterday I went for a quick meander down to Rotterdam to check out the first major Super League Triathlon Arena Games event. Of course, unlike a typical Super League Triathlon Series event, there were virtually no spectators, no cheering crowds, … Read More Here
Behind the Scenes at Quarq HQ
A while back (ok, a long while back), I went on a bit of a circuit around the US and visited a number of companies. One of those was Quarq. As long-time readers know, I occasionally do Behind the Scenes … Read More Here
The DCR US Roadtrip: The Crazy Week That Was!
Here’s what I’ve been up to the last 5 days, with just a mere single photo per company or function. For the companies, you’ll see more detailed ‘Behind the Scenes’ type posts in the coming weeks as I dig out … Read More Here
Behind the Scenes at Polar’s Headquarters
On Monday I made a slight detour off of my previously planned journey from France to North America to visit the headquarters of Polar Electro, well known maker of heart-rate focused sport devices. By ‘slight detour’, I mean an approximately … Read More Here
Behind the Scenes at Wahoo Fitness HQ
Last week on the way to Outdoor Retailer I made a slight diversion to stop by the ‘world headquarters’ of Wahoo Fitness. They’re based in Atlanta, GA – just a bit outside of the downtown area in a relatively quiet … Read More Here
Behind the scenes at Adidas Global Headquarters, plus updates on future of miCoach and Smart Run GPS
Earlier this week I made the short (very early morning) flight to Nuremburg, Germany to visit the worldwide headquarters of Adidas. The purpose of the trip was twofold. First, it was to get a bit of an understanding of the … Read More Here
A short behind the scenes visit to Suunto and Omegawave
Last Friday as I finished up my frozen adventures in Finland, I had a couple of hours after my work meetings wrapped up before my flight back home. So rather than spend that time hanging out in the Helsinki airport … Read More Here
An In-Depth Visit Behind the Scenes at Saris/CycleOps/PowerTap Headquarters
The night before arriving at the home of CycleOps I looked up the address on Google using Streetview, simply to know what I’d be looking for the next morning as I made my way over. But after the resultant imagery … Read More Here
An In-Depth Visit Behind the Scenes at Garmin Headquarters
Before I dive into the main focus of today’s post I just wanted to briefly note how saddened both The Girl and I are over the attacks in Boston on Monday. I didn’t hear about it until some hours later, … Read More Here
Behind the Scenes at Recon Instruments
I’m never one to turn down the opportunity to chat with folks in the sports technology industry about what all of you want in consumer products. So last Thursday night I made a beeline for the airport, first catching a … Read More Here
Behind the scenes: The DCRainmaker Gadget Cave
Back a while ago I had shown a photo of the heart rate strap collection I have, where I stash the massive number of heart rate straps that I seem to have obtained (usually just because they came with various … Read More Here
Behind the scenes: LeMond Fitness
The guys at LeMond Fitness offered a tour of their facility over a year ago, when I first met the at the 2010 ANT+ Symposium. Given I’m often in Seattle to visit family, it was just a matter of time … Read More Here
Behind the scenes on my aquatic product review posts
Monday night I had my usual Monday easy swim, and since it’s summer, I was able to do it outdoors in the town pool (during the winter, I’m stuck indoors). I had planed afterwards to spend a bit of time … Read More Here
My photo shoot day at Men’s Health Magazine
(Quick side note: If you saw yesterday’s post regarding wireless downloading from the FR310XT straight to the web via an iPhone without a computer, I’ve updated it with new comments from Garmin. In short, they’re looking for feedback as to … Read More Here
Behind the scenes on product reviews
It occurred to me recently that it might be a bit entertaining to get a ‘behind the scenes’ view on how product reviews come together. While product review posts actually total a very small number of the total posts I … Read More Here