I’m DC RAINMAKER…
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:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
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.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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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.
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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!
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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.
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My Photography Gear: The Cameras and Equipment 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! It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
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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.
Monthly Archives: August 2012
First look at the Kinetic by Kurt $200 Bluetooth Smart inRIDE power meter trainer accessory
NOTE: My full inRide In-Depth Review has been recently posted (click here), with far more detail and analysis than the below post. Enjoy! This is definitely the week of power meters, and there’s no shortage of new products – for … Read More Here
Hands on with a $200 Bluetooth Smart power meter and precision distance/speed sensor
A few weeks ago I got in touch with the folks behind Velocomputer, who have been working on a Bluetooth Low Energy Speed/Cadence/Power Meter. The unit is no bigger than your current standard speed/cadence sensor that you mount today to … Read More Here
An early hands-on look at the Mio’s new ANT+ cycling computers
One of the areas I was looking forward to checking out with coming to Eurobike this year was companies which aren’t offering products in the US market – but rather focus on the European market exclusively. Of course, within the … Read More Here
The update without an update: Garmin Vector Power Meter
[Please Note: Garmin Vector has been released, you can see my first look at it here. In the interest of keeping things clean, I’ve disabled new comments here, and all comments should head over to that post. Thanks!] Over the past … Read More Here
The fun side of Eurobike: Day 1 in photos
Ok, I’ve written enough power meter posts for one evening. But don’t fear, I’ve still got more to write, rather I’m just deferring them until the ferry boat ride tomorrow morning. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some … Read More Here
Power2Max announces updates to power meter, upgrades for existing owners starting at $10
Power2Max has announced a software and hardware update to their existing Power2Max ANT+ crank based power meters. The update adds emulated/calculated left/right power balance, as well as a temperature sensor to aide providing accurate power measurement and correcting drift issues … Read More Here
First look at Pioneer ANT+ left/right power meter and head unit
Note: Updated 8/31/2012 at 5:15PM Easter Time This year at Eurobike, Pioneer has finalized and announced details of their upcoming power meter solution, which is due to be out ‘roughly’ in January 2013. The unit has made the rounds on … Read More Here
First look at new ROTOR Power Meter
This week ROTOR announced their first entrant into the power meter world with their new ‘ROTOR Power’ product. The ANT+ compatible head unit measures and reports individual left/right power output – making it one of numerous new power meter products … Read More Here
First look at Wahoo Fitness KICKR ANT+/Bluetooth Smart Trainer with power meter
The KICK may very well be the most interesting trainer ever made. Here’s a first hands-on look at the unit, and the features it’s going to offer both consumers and developers alike. Read More Here
On the move to Eurobike, what do you want to see?
Later this afternoon we’ll pack up shop, grab a rental car and make the 7-hour trek to Eurobike. Well, actually, we’ll make a 7-hour trek to a town in Switzerland across the lake from Eurobike. Thursday morning I’ll tackle the … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 10 (FR10) GPS watch In-Depth Review
The Garmin FR10 is the companies first almost-sub-$100 GPS watch. At a slight premium over the sub-$100 crowd, does it contain enough differences? Read More Here
Observations from our first indoor pool swim workout in Paris
Last Friday night The Girl and I walked a few short minutes away to ‘our’ new pool. By ‘our’, I mean the closest one to us, and the one we’ll likely end up getting an annual pass at. Given it’s … Read More Here
Running past topless demonstrators–and other antics from my weekend
This weekend was a bit of a hodgepodge of things, everything from touristy sight-seeing, to running in new places, to writing lots (and I mean LOTS) of product review content for stuff coming up – much of which is tied … Read More Here
Week in Review–August 26th, 2012
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Photo of the day: Racing (triathlon?) bikes on water
Last weekend while bumbling around at the northern of the two Paris beach areas, I caught sight of three people racing across the canal’s watery mass…on bikes. At first glance, it would be an aquatic race – but then upon … Read More Here
After 30 years, Ironman Canada ends –Challenge Penticton it becomes…or not?
Earlier today, the city of Penticton along with the Challenge Family announced that next August, there will now be a single iron-distance race called ‘Challenge Penticton’, at the same time which Ironman Canada has been for the past 30 years … Read More Here
Nike+ FuelBand In-Depth Review
The Nike+ Fuelband is one of many activity monitors on the market today. Up against the likes of FitBit, Jawbone UP, and others – how does it stack up? Read More Here
Paris Blog: The Beaches (Paris Plages)
Let’s make this clear up front – Paris is nowhere near a beach. The closest oceanesque body of water with sand is roughly 200 kilometers away – and the water there isn’t terribly warm either (the nice stuff is down … Read More Here
A weekend with a lot of walking, running, and comparing power output
I’ve been testing the Nike+ Fuel lately, and by the amount of walking I’m doing – there’s been no better time to do so than the present! For example, Saturday ended up with more than 27,000 steps! Below, here, towards … Read More Here
Week in Review–August 19th, 2012
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Paris Blog: Closing Time
When we first got to Paris back in June, many folks made reference to shops closing during August to allow for vacations. Having been to Europe dozens of times before, I was certainly aware of the practice – which enables … Read More Here
My thoughts IMNYC2013: $1,200 entry fee, 90 minutes shorter, and now no race at all
After the successful running of the inaugural Ironman New York City (IMNYC) this past weekend, a few folks have asked what my thoughts are on some of the changes planned for next years event (at least those that were announced). … Read More Here
How to fix heart rate strap chaffing issues
A day or two ago, someone posted to Slowtwitch with an issue where they were getting chaffing issues with the Garmin soft strap, to the point of the skin being red and raw. This was primarily in the area of … Read More Here
First look at the new Polar RC3 GPS–the first integrated GPS watch from Polar
NOTE – Sept 27, 2012: My Full In-Depth Review is now available for the Polar RC3. You can view that here. Today Polar announced their new RC3 integrated GPS watch – the first fully integrated GPS watch coming from Polar. … Read More Here
Week in Review–August 11th, 2012
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
