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: Power
Garmin Quietly Rolls Out Cross Country Skiing Power
For those that sifted through their junk mail folders over the past few weeks, you might have seen an e-mail from Garmin announcing cross-country skiing power, akin to cycling power, but more in line with how running power data is … Read More Here
The Power Meters Buyer’s Guide–2017 Edition
Once again, it’s time for the annual power meter buyer’s guide! It’s where I round-up every cycling power meter on the market, and talk through what’s happened in the last year. I give my opinions of every single power meter … Read More Here
Xert rolls out free real-time FTP app on Garmin devices
Earlier this week Xert rolled out a new Connect IQ app. Now I don’t normally cover too many Connect IQ apps. In fact, I think I’ve only covered maybe 2-3 ones in total so far as standalone individual posts go. … Read More Here
Garmin releases Edge 500 update, adds TSS/NP/IF & more
It’s been nearly 10 months since the announcement that TSS/NP/IF metrics would come to the Edge 500, and as of 11AM central time – it’s finally available. For those that want to get right to the action, you can swing … Read More Here
SRAM RED 2012 Quarq Power Meter In-Depth Review
Earlier this year Quarq announced their new SRAM RED Quarq 2012 power meter, alongside the SRAM RED 2012 group set. This would mark the first full new product release for Quarq since being acquired by by SRAM. It would also … Read More Here
CES 2012 Health and Fitness Gadget Roundup: Part I
I spent a crazy busy 24 hours in Las Vegas on Wednesday, as part of speaking at a session/panel on Wednesday there (which I’ll be posting on here shortly). During that time I talked to just about everyone that I … Read More Here
A brief update pictorial on Polar’s upcoming Keo power meter
For a quick Friday post I want to focus your attention towards a group of photos released by Polar on their FaceBook page on Thursday. These are the first photos showing their new pedal-based power meter that they previously announced … Read More Here
Interbike Power Meter Seminar Wrap-Up
The last two weeks have been crazy busy – but perhaps one of the more interesting parts of Interbike was the Power Meter Seminar, which was held Wednesday morning just prior to the show floor opening up. The seminar (now … Read More Here
Analysis and Discussion with Garmin and MetriGear about new Vector Power Meter
Note: Please see in depth post on Vector “Everything you ever wanted to know about the Garmin Vector pedal based power meter” posted here (it’s a whole lot more detailed and in depth, and includes comprehensive Q&A with the Garmin … Read More Here
A look at Quarq’s new Power Meter Configuration/Diag App, and Dual-SRM mode
Power Meter manufacturer Quarq made a number of announcements on Wednesday related to power meters, so let’s get into the quick recap: 1) Introduction of a mountain bike power meter unit 2) Announced upcoming compatibility of Cinqo’s with SRM Power … Read More Here
Polar/Look Power Meter Session
While I’ve previously outlined the new Polar/Look power meter, I wanted to touch on it again now that I’ve had a chance to poke at it first hand. Also, in order to make this post really awesome for those of … Read More Here
The Polar/Look Power Meters & Power2Max Power Meter
(Administrative note: Looking for the usual Weekly Mailbag? No worries, it’s still a staple – but I’ve got some cool news coming about that on Tuesday…so hang onto your helmets and we’ll get there.) Some of you may have seen … Read More Here
Weekly Mailbag–June 12th, 2010
Here’s this week’s edition of the weekly mailbag. This is a weekly series where I feature a handful of the e-mailed questions I received from the previous week or so. I try and pick a wide variety of questions. Some … Read More Here
Friday Tidbits
Without a doubt, the most important item to call out this morning, actually occurred this past Sunday morning. As some of you will remember, my Mom’s been training for her first triathlon this summer. And on Sunday, she officially became … Read More Here
Weekend Part I – Luray Triathlon
For all three of you who may have noticed, I haven’t posted since last Thursday (almost a week ago!). That’s been due to a lack of internet, land telephone or even cell phone coverage where I’ve been staying since Friday. … Read More Here
A Power Primer – Cycling with Power 101
If you watched any of the Tour de France this summer, you probably heard the commentators and on screen graphics showing ‘Watts’, and if you went ‘What?” – this this post is for you. As part of laying the groundwork … Read More Here