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: DCR Cave
DCR Open House Winter 2022 Photo Recap!
Last weekend (well, weekend prior), we held the 7th annual DCR Open House! These winter editions are usually held in early December, though we did one summer one in 2019 (something we hope to continue in summer 2023 – more … Read More Here
DCR Open House Winter 2019 Photo Recap!
This past weekend we held our 6th annual DCR Cave Open House (now the 2nd winter one in Amsterdam, or 3rd counting our first summer edition this past July). It was once again a sold out crowd, for both the … Read More Here
DC Rainmaker Cave Video Tour – January 2019
It’s been almost two months since the DCR Open House, when nearly 200 folks descended on the DCR Cave to take their first look at things. And while I’d like to say that things are dramatically different – the reality … Read More Here
The 4th Annual DCR Open House– 2017 Recap and Photos!
This past Saturday was the 4th annual DCR Open House. It’s when I open up the doors to the DCR Cave (and Bertie’s Cake Studio) and we also organize a morning run around the best sights Paris has to offer. … Read More Here
The 4th Annual DCR Cave Open House–December 2nd, 2017
It’s that time of year again! Time for you to start planning your trek to the 4th annual DCR Cave Open House! Yup, it’s gonna be the fourth open house already – how time flies since we did all that … Read More Here
The 3rd Annual DCR Open House–Recap and Photos!
Third time’s the charm! And so it was – the 3rd annual DCR Open house this past weekend. This year I had folks from not only all across Europe, but also even the US join in! Plus, we had more … Read More Here
The 3rd Annual DCR Cave Open House–December 10th, 2016!
It’s that time of year again! Time for you to start planning your trek to the 3rd annual DCR Cave Open House! Yup, it’s gonna be the third open house already – how time flies since we did all that … Read More Here
The 2nd Annual DCR Open House–Recap and Photos!
This Saturday was the 2nd Annual DCR Open House. I announced it back in November, and was super-excited that so many folks made the trek to the DCR Cave in Paris, both from just across town as well as all … Read More Here
The 2nd Annual DCR Cave Open House–December 12th!
It was roughly one year ago that I announced the DCR Cave (along with Bertie’s Cake Studio). Following that in December, we did an open house one Saturday evening for folks to come check it out and just in general … Read More Here
DCR Behind the Cave: The CLUG bike mount system
Since I unveiled The DCR Cave a few months ago, I’ve continued to get a number of questions on one particular item that has no electronics at all in it: The CLUG. It’s the tiny little blocks that are holding … Read More Here
Friday Fun Video: How we got the treadmill underground into the DCR Cave
Earlier this week in my post about the DCR Cave, I noted the addition of a treadmill to the space. However, getting the treadmill to where you saw it was not quite the cake-walk we had hoped it would be. Rather, … Read More Here
The new DC Rainmaker Cave…and new Bertie’s Cake Studio in Paris!
This announcement has been a super-long time coming. As in, babies have been made in less time. Almost exactly one year ago The Girl and I started looking at expansion space – both for The CupCakery as well as a … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Woah, this was a crazy busy weekend for us. Pretty close to about as jam-packed as I think we can make things fit. Here’s the low-down (and this is skipping all sorts of stuff like a company that came and … Read More Here