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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UK based here! Canada! Germany! France! Spain! Italy!
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Ray Elsewhere
Did you know I write a weekly column over on Slowtwitch?
Check out my Product/Electronics posts in Ray’s Sports Electronics Mailbag - they are packed full of gadget goodness.
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
- 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?
- What are your least favorite countries/places?
- What are you favorite countries/places?
Follow me on Twitter
- @vettenrannalla I see nothing good coming out of that fish! #, 11 hours ago
- Now that I've run out of Swedish Fish, I make no guarantees on how remainder of trainer ride will go. http://t.co/wXXoumPygd #, 14 hours ago
- @emlynsimpson See, I'd lay blame at the act of doing backstroke. ;) #, 17 hours ago
- @seeverist Nothing this time, just a quick out and back. #, 20 hours ago
- @keithcartmell People build strange pool sizes in Paris. I found it best not to try and ask 'why'. #, 20 hours ago
- Observation from swim last night: After normally swimming in 33m pool, then 50m pool on Sunday, 25y feels like a plastic kiddie pool. :) #, 21 hours ago
- @cdwilliams1 Check out Garmin Fenix, or Suunto Ambit's, aimed at hikers. #, 22 hours ago
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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 GPS Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent gadget recommendations guide (2012) – covering almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day to day? I also just put together my complete 2012 ‘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!
Understand technology and sport in the How-To Guides.
I enjoy explaining new things to folks – especially showing people how to get the most from their gadgets. Here’s an ongoing list of “How to” guides.
Read my Top 25 most useful posts.
It turns our I’ve written a fair bit of stuff over the past few years – and after it disappears from my front page, a lot of it never really sees the light of day again without Google’ing skillz. Or a photographic memory…which I don’t have. I’ve taken a look back and found stuff that…continues to find a trickle of readers via web searches or forum links.
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.
Tag Archives: Look
Eurobike Sports Technology Things That Didn’t Fit: Part I
There’s a gazillion things to see at Eurobike, and many of them simply don’t make the cut for a bigger full-sized post. Sometimes it’s because they are too early in the development cycle and lack full details, sometimes because I … Read More Here
Polar Look Keo Power System–Pedal Based Power Meter–In-Depth Review
The Polar Look Keo Power System is the first pedal based power meter to make it to market, meaning, you can actually go out and buy one. Announced nearly two years ago, the units finally started trickling out into the … Read More Here
A working weekend in Vegas
The vast majority of partiers going to Vegas fly in on either Thursday or Friday evening, and by time I boarded by connecting flight in LA over to Vegas late Friday night – it was a clear reminder of my … Read More Here
Garmin’s Vector Power Meter…unwrapped by the FCC
Within the US every device that wirelessly transmits in any way, shape, or form must conform to regulations set by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). This branch of the government requires that companies send in detailed test and reporting metrics … Read More Here
Friday Tidbits: Velodromes, 10K’s, Polar Power Meters, and a bike dishwasher
Good morning! We’re gonna keep this post quick and to the point. Mostly because I’m running out of steam, worked 13 hours today plus a hard (but fun) interval run, and it’s getting late. Further, I’m still contemplating ice cream. … Read More Here
A weekend of new gadgets: Polar Power Pedals, heart rate strap integrated clothing, and more!
This weekend was a bit of a catch-up weekend on items to get unboxing photos on, and ensure I have all the photos I need of a product before I start using it. I’ve long since learned that if I … 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
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Polar/Look Keo Power pedal-based power meter
(Above: The shipping/retail box for Keo Power) By most accounts, the Polar/Look Keo Power pedal based power meter system is the closest pedal based power meter to public availability. In fact, some units are now available at a few shops … 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
Separating product timeline fact from fantasy: Interbike Edition
Now that some of the hype has died down a bit from Interbike, it’s time to take a look at what exactly all these vendors have promised…and which ones might actually meet their promises. But as is always the case, … 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


















