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 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: Live Tracking
Lachlan Morton’s Tour de France Alt Tour: How the Tracking Device & Site Works
(Lachlan Morton and his full self-supported setup, credit: Grubers) By now you’ve undoubtedly heard of Team EF Education First’s Lachlan Morton’s so-called ‘Alt Tour’. In short, he’s solo riding not just the entire Tour de France route, but also all … Read More Here
Behind the Scenes on Zwift’s Tour de France TV Broadcast, Plus Zwift’s New RaceView
Over the years I’ve often dug into the behind the scenes technical aspects of the biggest cyclist races in the world. From rider live tracking to the facilities that TV broadcasters use to get that race coverage to you. And … Read More Here
Garmin Live Event Sharing: Everything you ever wanted to know about it
Over the last month as part of Garmin’s new devices extravaganza, there was barely a mention of ‘live event sharing’ for certain devices. It was almost listed as fine print, right next to ‘if you do something stupid using our … Read More Here
A Look At Velon’s Live Race Tracking System
Since a change in leadership at the UCI in 2013, we’ve seen an increase in the number of data tracking platforms that are following the pro peloton. For example, last year at the Tour Down Under I highlighted one solution … Read More Here
Wahoo Rolls Out ELEMNT/BOLT Live Tracking with Data & Routes
One of my biggest complaints about live tracking on Wahoo’s platform over the last year and a half is that it sucked. I mean, not just a little suck, but a big suck. Previously when you enabled live tracking on … Read More Here
Tour de France Behind the Scenes: How Dimension Data Rider Live Tracking Works
If you’ve been watching the Tour de France over the past week and a half, you’ve likely seen either the little gizmos pointing off the back of rider’s seats, or the constant stream of data on your TV about where precisely … Read More Here
Tour Down Under 2017: A look at the Satalyst Racer Tracking System
Of the 19 men’s teams at the Tour Down Under this year, one stands apart from the rest. No, not because they’ve got superstars on the team. Nor because they’re riding the most expensive bikes in the field. In fact – … Read More Here
Quarq Qollector In-Depth Review
Today Quarq introduced their first consumer product that isn’t a power meter, the Qollector. Long-time sports tech followers may remember when Quarq first tossed around the idea of something named Qollector years ago. That device was aimed at simply sucking … Read More Here
Tech Tidbits: Basis closes up shop, Strava announces live tracking platform
Here’s my thoughts on two noteworthy news pieces that just hit the interwebs. Basis firms recall, shuts down services You may remember earlier this summer when device maker Basis announced that users should cease using their Basis Peak devices due … Read More Here
SRAM/Quarq announces Quarq Race Intelligence and SRAM RED eTAP Wireless Shifting
Today is the day of SRAM & Quarq making official many unofficial and open-secret things. The first I’ll cover is the new Quarq race tracking service – Quarq Race Intelligence system. And then I’ll dive into certain tech aspects of … Read More Here
A Maltese Jellyfish Openwater Swim…with Live Tracking, Heart Rate, Live Video…and more!
Last week while in Malta I broadcasted a few of my swim sessions live to those that wanted to watch as I slowly plodded across the warm tropical waters of the islands. I had sent out the link via Twitter … Read More Here
Do you use an app with live tracking in it? Tell me about it!
I’m often asked to do phone app reviews, but as I explain in my FAQ page (which, btw, continues to grow), the rate of change of phone apps makes reviews all but meaningless within days or weeks. So instead, I … Read More Here