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: Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 In-Depth Review: Half the price, half the accuracy?
While the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and new Samsung Galaxy Ring got all the attention during Samsung’s trio of fitness products launch, the reality is that most people are going to end up buying the more affordable Samsung … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra In-Depth Review: Finally Accurate?
In the year of our Lord 2024, it appears Samsung has finally delivered a mostly accurate smartwatch. Sure, it took a decade, but the eagle has probably landed. Mostly. The catch on ‘mostly’ is of course where I’ll spend … Read More Here
Testing Out Samsung’s New 4-Minute Cycling FTP Magician
Last week Samsung touted a pretty bold claim in the middle of their keynote for their newest smartwatch: They could determine your cycling FTP (functional threshold power, the max power you can maintain for roughly an hour). To do … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Ring: Everything you need to know!
Samsung has announced the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, and finally – all of the price and specifications of the Galaxy Ring they announced last summer. There are some substantially big ticket items here in terms … Read More Here
Samsung Announces Galaxy Ring: Everything You Need to Know
Samsung has just announced their Samsung Galaxy Ring, and with it, provided approximately zero details, except a pretty picture. But sometimes, a pretty picture speaks quite a bit. To set the stage, literally, they had just finished talking about a … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic In-Depth Review: Is it Finally Accurate?
Like clockwork each summer, Samsung has released their latest wearables, this time the Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic. This release offers two different form factors, including notably bringing back the physical rotating bezel on the Watch6 Classic edition. Samsung has … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Sports & Fitness Video Review Posted
This is a super quick post for folks waiting on the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 In-Depth review, to note that the video review is now up and available! I’ll have the written review out shortly, but this gets you a head … Read More Here
Samsung Outlines Galaxy Watch4: First New Google WearOS Watch–Full Details
Today, Samsung announced their Galaxy Watch 4, which is the first watch to utilize the new Google + Samsung variant of Wear OS. This new operating system (or, slightly rebranded one) allows access to the Google Play store, while Samsung … Read More Here
Samsung and Fitbit Announce Next Watches To Be Wear OS
Google just turned up the heat on their own wearables platform, by announcing that both Samsung and Fitbit will shift to Google Wear OS going forward. In the case of Samsung, they confirmed they’ll launch their next Galaxy Watch on … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: First Run Impressions Video Up!
We’re gonna follow in the footsteps of last Friday’s super quick post I did around my Apple Watch Series 5 first impressions video, but this time from the Samsung camp. Yesterday morning I unboxed the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Active … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active – Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
***Update: Just a note the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is out, you can see my post about it here*** Each year for a number of years now, Samsung has released fitness-focused smartwatches. Correspondingly, each year they seem to be getting … Read More Here
How to export fitness data from the Samsung wearables (and Samsung Health app)
For each of the last three years or so, I’ve started the review process of a Samsung GPS watch, all variants of either the Samsung Galaxy line or Samsung Gear lineup. And each of those years I get a few … Read More Here
Hands-on with Samsung’s new Gear 360° camera
Tonight was the annual Samsung event at MWC, where thousands of media folk descend on the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona, situated along the waterfront, to see the latest Samsung gadgetry announced. As is customary for my posts in the past from … Read More Here
The Pinnacle of Fitness Failure: Samsung’s Gear Fit Activity Tracker
On Friday I unboxed and got all set Samsung’s Gear Fit activity tracker. This is the company’s first direct attempt at competing with activity monitors from the likes of traditional players like Nike and FitBit, as well as newer entrants … Read More Here
Hands on with Samsung’s new waterproof S5, activity tracker and Gear watches–with built-in heart rate sensors
Tonight in Barcelona, Samsung announced their latest flagship phone – the Samsung S5, as well as three additional devices. Ahead of the event, Samsung touted that fitness would be one of the core pillars of the event, and it didn’t … Read More Here
Samsung to add ANT+ to full range of mobile devices, plus a look at the S Health app
ANT+ being added to all recent and new Samsung mobile devices: Probably the single biggest bit of news that came out of the ANT+ Symposium last week was Samsung’s announcement that they’ll be releasing ANT+ to all S4 devices in … Read More Here