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 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 2024 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: GoProHD
Initial thoughts on Garmin VIRB sports camera with ANT+ connectivity
My Full In-Depth Review of the VIRB and VIRB Elite has been published! Check it out here! On Tuesday Garmin announced their entry into the sports action camera market – a market currently dominated by GoPro, with a slew of … Read More Here
A short update from the land of palm trees
After weeks (heck, over a month) of crazy work related hours and stuffs, I’ve finally got a week to relax. And relax I shall. Well, mostly relax. I took with me a huge pile of goods that all arrived in … Read More Here
The Escape from Alcatraz GoPro Bike Course video in less than 4 minutes
As I noted in my Escape from Alcatraz Race Report on Monday, I had the GoPro camera clipped on my aerobars for the bike portion of the event. Unfortunately, between the plane flight back and limited battery, I couldn’t quite … Read More Here
Riding along in a fog
Before we get to my foggy ride, we’ll start with my trail run. Coach and I made a last second change of venue to Prince William Forest National Park, instead of Fountainhead. The reason was that he came up with … Read More Here
Lions, Tigers and (more) Gadgets…oh my!
This weekend was (and still is, three-day weekend after all!) packed! Been busy doing lots of stuff. First up on Saturday morning was a 10K race, one that was actually held on my very own street. Crazy! But I’m gonna … Read More Here
CES 2012 Health and Fitness Gadget Roundup: Part II
We left off last week checking out a slew of cool things, so if you missed that pile of gadget awesomeness – definitely swing back and check it out. Without further ado – let’s get into it! First up is … Read More Here
2011 DC Tri Race Report –3rd Overall!
Prior to the race, many folks asked how I thought the race might go – and my only answer was to sum it up simply as a ‘Hail Mary’ of sorts. The last week has been far from ideal as … Read More Here
Analyzing your swim technique in the pool with the GoPro HD
As part of my never ending quest to improve my swim from not-so-great to ‘better’, I’ve been recently playing around with the waterproof GoPro HD camera in the pool. This allows me to record video of my swimming (as well … Read More Here
Enjoying a weekend back in the country
I finally got to enjoy a weekend of Washington DC focused training…and it was great! Beyond that there was of course much cooking around the house – though none of which I was doing, but rather, The Girl was busy … Read More Here
Week in Review–February 13th, 2011
I’ve long since wondered what to do with all the random tidbits of things I collect each week – or the little thoughts that don’t quite make for a full post. But I finally came up with a solution: The … Read More Here
Cycling around South Africa
If you’ve never been to Africa, you probably have a specific representation of what the continent looks like. In your mind, it probably looks a lot like many of my past posts – usually out in the bush, in places … Read More Here
Checking out the EZ-Trainer iPad ANT+ App
With the introduction of the Wahoo Fitness ANT+ Dongle last year, there’s been a flood of iPhone apps that have supported adding ANT+ data (Heart Rate, Power, Speed, Cadence, Weight Scales, etc…). Everything from small apps you’ve never heard of, … Read More Here