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: Interbike
LOOK’s new dual ANT+/BLE Power Meter Pedals: A bit more information
Back at Eurobike, LOOK quietly showed off their new dual ANT+ and BLE pedals, which effectively upstage long-time partner Polar in what used to be a dual venture between the two companies. These new pedals are physically similar to the ones that … Read More Here
Hands on with the Dyno Velo power meter
At Interbike this past week a startup company was showing off a new entrant into the crank spindle power meter world. The Dyno Velo power meter is currently planned to hit production next year, for a target price of $399. … Read More Here
Kinomap rolls out new Strava-focused app, Intervals app, and Tacx Trainer Bluetooth Smart support
Kinomap, one of the more popular trainer apps out there has expanded their platform with two new apps, one focused on Strava, and the other for Intervals. In addition, they’re going to become the first 3rd party app to roll-out … Read More Here
CompuTrainer to add WiFi controller, ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart support
RacerMate, the maker of the CompuTrainer, is preparing to release a new controller that includes support for WiFi, ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart. They had the head unit (controller) on hand within their booth this year at Interbike, and were able … Read More Here
TrainerRoad shows off new desktop app, plus Android plans
Today at Interbike TrainerRoad demo’d their upcoming desktop app refresh. The goal of the app update, aside from looking prettier, is to lay a better foundation for new features going forward. And to a large degree to just make finding … Read More Here
BSX Announces BSXinsight 2.0: Adds Muscle Oxygenation, KICKR Control, and More
(Update – Jan 22nd, 2016! I’ve now published my in-depth review of the Gen2 unit. So you’ll want to swing over to that post for all my thoughts after months of real-world usage. Enjoy!) Today BSX announced the second iteration of … Read More Here
Stages drops prices, down to $529US
Two weeks ago Stages tweaked their European pricing, along with announcing their first carbon crank offerings (and talked about dual left/right power meters). Today at Interbike they announced their US pricing, bringing the lowest model pricing down to $529USD – … Read More Here
Wahoo’s new GPS bike computer–ELEMNT: Hands-on first look
Heads up April 2016 – Update! My Wahoo ELEMNT In-Depth review post is now available and published over here. Definitely swing over for all the details! Wahoo has made their first entrant into the GPS bike computer world, with ELEMNT … Read More Here
Heads up: Eurobike & Interbike (and more) soon!
Just a super-quick heads up that next week begins the annual 5-week long sports technology sweep (or sprint) that starts with Eurobike, continues with Interbike, and then rounds out with the ANT+ Symposium. It’s predictably packed with new products, cool … Read More Here
Watteam’s PowerBeat: A first look at prototype/beta power data
Last week while at Interbike I got to not only check out, but actually install, the much talked about $499 PowerBeat system on my bike to take it for a short test ride. This proved useful in getting a first … Read More Here
A look at BSX Insight, a bloodless lactate threshold testing device
(Update – Jan 22nd, 2016! I’ve now published my in-depth review of the Gen2 unit. So you’ll want to swing over to that post for all my thoughts after months of real-world usage. Enjoy!) Last week while at Interbike I got … Read More Here
Tuesday Garmin Tidbits: New Fenix2 Edition, new/free Vivokeeper safety bands
There are two minor and quick pieces of news from the Garmin camp. One of which hit today, and the other was from roughly the last week or so. Garmin Fenix2 Multisport Special Edition: First up is Garmin has released … Read More Here
SRM: Their iOS app, PC8, and their thoughts on low-cost power meters
While at Interbike I sat down with the SRM crew that’s working on their updated PC8 head unit. While our discussions started there, they roamed to areas such as the iOS app, rechargeable power meters and the general trends around power … Read More Here
Recon Jet Update: Hands on, and a discussion with their executive team
It’s been a while since I last talked about the Recon Jet around these parts, aside from passing on the occasional newsletter update. For those unfamiliar with the product, it’s effectively a heads up display of sorts with a sports … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness begins shipping TICKR X, and a few other tidbits
Earlier this week, Wahoo Fitness quietly began shipping the TICKR X heart rate strap that they showed off back in January at CES. The TICKR X completes the lineup of TICKR straps that include the regular TICKR, TICKR RUN, and … Read More Here
CompuTrainer begins to open up access to apps, Kinomap demos WiFi CompuTrainer control and announced Android app
This week at Interbike, both CompuTrainer and Kinomap have made a number of announcements around application control and usage with the CompuTrainer trainer. Let’s dive into them. CompuTrainer’s ‘Open Source’ First up is potentially the beginning of CompuTrainer opening up … Read More Here
TrainerRoad shows off new iOS app
To begin, for those unfamiliar with TrainerRoad, it’s a training platform that has developed a bit of a cult-like following over the past two or so years since they came on the scene. The platform (PC/Mac) works by having a … Read More Here
Brim Brothers announces Zone power meter production, my first ride impressions
It’s been a number of years since Brim Brothers unveiled their power meter concept, and today they’ve launched pricing and availability details. The Zone power meter is a cleat based power meter that is affixed to your cycling shoe, allowing … Read More Here
4iiii’s Introduces $399 Power Meter, Precision: My First Ride With It
4iiii’s has kicked off what will be a frenzy of power meter activity here at Interbike this week. In doing so, as the post headline implies, they’ve jumped onboard with the plans to further drive the price of power meters … Read More Here
A look at the competitive booth games of Interbike
With all of my 2013 Interbike product-related posts now completed, I figured it’d be fun to briefly look at some of the booth competitions that were found on the show floor as I wandered around. Of course, this is really … Read More Here
Interbike News That Didn’t Fit: Tacx iPad App, iBike, BikeSpike, Pioneer, Garmin FR220/FR620 notes, and more!
As I wander around the show floor there’s plenty of little things that don’t fit and/or really have enough content to create a full post from. Usually little snippets of information I found interesting, and/or you requested more information about. … Read More Here
A look at the new (and crazy silent) Elite Turbo Muin trainer with power output
Over the last week many of you asked me to look into Elite’s new Turbo Muin trainer, which was just announced by the Italian cycling company. So I did just that, thus, let’s dive right into things. The 17kg (37.4lbs) … Read More Here
Hands on with the Shimano’s Di2 ANT+ SCIO shifting bike computer
Well, actually, my title is probably a bit misleading. Thus, I should probably be more honest in my titles in the future. See, it isn’t actually ANT+, but rather private-ANT. Second, it doesn’t actually control your Di2 system – rather, … Read More Here
K-Edge adds new mount options for GoPro, Sony Action Cam, and Garmin Edge units
This week at Interbike, K-Edge showed off a number of new mounts that will be hitting the market starting October 7th. While K-Edge has been selling Garmin Edge compatible mounts for a while now, these mounts either update some of … Read More Here