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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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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FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
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Search results for: 'zwift'
Strava’s Expands Cycling Best Efforts, and Starts Pushing Routes to All Polar Devices
For this Thursday’s sports tech quickie, I’m going to blend two things with the word Strava into one post. One being entirely Strava-driven, the other being almost entirely Polar-driven. Together, they form one post. With that, let’s dive into it. … Read More Here
Apple Fitness+ Studios Behind the Scenes: From Start to Finish
When it comes to sports tech or high-tech, filming a relaxing yoga class isn’t likely what first comes to mind. Yet, when Apple does it – they’ve got more than a dozen robotic cameras gliding autonomously around the floor and … Read More Here
Zwift Lays off 100+, co-CEO Resigns, Zwift Hub Series Discontinued
Despite Zwift just announcing the new jointly-launched Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One trainer, this hasn’t been a strong week for Zwift as a company. In fact, it’s arguably been the worst week the company has had in its history, with … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One: In-Depth Review
I know, the name is confusing. Look, I didn’t choose it, I just review it. A more explainable name would be the Wahoo KICKR CORE Cog, which is what this is: The Wahoo KICKR CORE, with the Zwift Cog … Read More Here
Apple Vision Pro and Cycling: Indoors & Outdoors Tested!
For those curious about whether or not Apple’s Vision Pro works well in cycling, I dig into all the questions you may or may not have had. Both from an outdoor standpoint, but also an indoor riding perspective on … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR RUN Treadmill: First Run Thoughts!
As a general rule of thumb, I avoid running on treadmills as much as humanly possible. I save the dreadmill for only the most miserable of sideways almost-freezing rain windy of winter nights. Usually, I make a point of going … Read More Here
25 Wahoo KICKR RUN Questions Answered
After yesterday’s announcement by Wahoo of the KICKR RUN, there were a boatload of questions I hadn’t covered in my first-run post/video (check that out here). Some of them were minor spec things (like deck height), while others were … Read More Here
Here's Why Peak Zwift Is Always a Tuesday
It might seem ‘odd’ to declare a Peak Zwift concurrent user high watermark only two weeks into the year, but that’s actually the way it generally works. With the exception of COVID lockdown-induced Zwift moments, the company has virtually always … Read More Here
Week in Review – Jan 14th, 2024
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
Zwift Kills Zwift Hub Classic, Wahoo Further Drops KICKR CORE Prices: Two Companies Increase Partnership
At this point, it’s probably really only a matter of time before we see the Wahoo KICKR CORE with an orange paint job and called Zwift Hub 2. But, before we get there, let’s first explain what Wahoo (and Zwift) … Read More Here
4iiii Precision 3+ Pro Power Meter In-Depth Review
4iiii has just released its latest power meter, the 4iiii Precision 3+ Pro dual-sided power meter. Admittedly, at this point, the naming scheme has gone off the rails (see the chart later), but from an underlying product standpoint, it’s firmly … Read More Here
All Indoor Cycling App Pricing Compared (2023 Edition)
Yesterday, after (many) years of people asking, Zwift has finally added an annual payment option. In doing so, they became the final company to add in annual pricing for their product, joining the rest of the industry. Of course, the … Read More Here
Zwift Hub One In-Depth Review (with Zwift Cog & Click!)
Zwift has just announced two new products today, and arguably changed the way trainers might be sold in the future. The first is the new Zwift Hub One smart trainer, which takes the existing Zwift Hub smart trainer from last … Read More Here
Tech Tidbits: New Zwift Features, New Strava CEO, Apple Watch Siri Health Integration
Here’s a quick round of notable new sports tech things in the last 24 hours or so. New Strava CEO Appointed: After a 10-month search, Strava has announced the name of their new/upcoming CEO – Michael Martin. He will replace … Read More Here
Technogym MyRun Treadmill In-Depth Review
The Technogym MyRun treadmill has been around for over 5 years now, yet despite its age, it continues to be a popular option people are considering for usage with Zwift and other indoor running platforms. As such, the MyRun has … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness to Shut Down RGT Virtual Cycling App
Wahoo Fitness has announced to members that in less than 30 days – on October 31, 2023, the company will shut down the virtual cycling app RGT in an effort to focus “exclusively [on their] structured training content”. Wahoo had … Read More Here
Zwift Increases Zwift Hub Price to $599
Today Zwift announced a slate of new software features for the upcoming season, including new roads in Watopia, Climb Portal updates, an entirely new methodology for racing categorization called Race Score, along with new features to take advantage of the … Read More Here
DC Rainmaker Open House 2023 Recap!
Two weekends ago we held the 8th annual DC Rainmaker Cave Open House, where a couple hundred people descended upon the DCR Cave for an evening of sports tech geekery. As usual, they could explore the entire DCR Cave/Studio, and … Read More Here
How Strava Accidentally Got Their Annual Report Stats Wrong
Welcome to 2024, and the year’s first legit DC Rainmaker Sports Tech Rabbit Hole. Every year Strava publishes their year in review stats, both in individual athlete form (more recently), but many years of total global and regional user-compiled stats. … Read More Here
Wahoo and Zwift Reach Patent Dispute Agreement: Here’s What’s Happening Next
Exactly one year ago today, Zwift announced the Zwift Hub smart trainer – which priced at $499USD, immediately lit a fire across the rest of the smart trainer industry. The product was mostly a rebrand of the existing JetBlack VOLT … Read More Here
Peloton Adds Automated Power Zone ERG Mode: Hands-On
Peloton has launched automation for power zone workouts, allowing the Peloton Bike+ (that’s the fancier of the two models) to automatically adjust resistance according to the power zones specified by the instructor. Previously, the Bike+ would only change resistance levels … Read More Here
Zwift Coastal Expansion Begins Rollout: First Ride Thoughts
(Above: You can simply tap to view my quick ride-through of the new roads, via Canopies and Coastlines, the turn-off from existing pavement to new pavement is at 2m40s) Zwift has just started rolling out their Watopia coastal expansion, … Read More Here
MyWhoosh Selected for UCI Cycling Esports World Championship for 2024-2026: A Few Thoughts
The UCI & MyWhoosh announced yesterday that the MyWhoosh virtual cycling platform has been selected for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships in 2024/2025/2026. Up till now Zwift has been the platform utilized for the online cycling World Championship event, … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness CEO On Future Wahoo Products, Past Mistakes
Last week while visiting Wahoo Fitness, I sat down with the founder and current co-CEO of the company, Chip Hawkins, for a wide-ranging interview discussing everything from past Wahoo initiatives (and failures), to the status of current products, as … Read More Here
Tacx NEO 3M In-Depth Review: Motion and Accuracy at a Price!
After a four-year wait, the next generation Tacx NEO series trainer is here – the Tacx NEO 3M. As one will quickly assess, the ‘M’ in 3M stands for ‘motion’, as this trainer isn’t sitting still. Instead, Garmin/Tacx has … Read More Here