Heads up!!! Here’s your massive Cyber Monday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $429, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $619, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, (or Hero 13 bundle for $339!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ deals here!
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.
i have a water bottle cabinet, but the water bottles are stacked perpendicular than you in your photo and i don’t think it’s as good…
(to clarify, i think your method uses the space better than mine)
My biggest problem is with the cleaning method following water bottle use. When I get home I am too tired and lazy to put said water bottle in the sink or dishwasher. When I take a look inside the water bottle, I tend to find nasty things one should never see clinging to the bottle. What is it about sports drinks that creates such nasty bacteria so quickly?
Sugar. Bacteria needs energy to reproduce.
Pro tip I learned from my time in the Marines (and further proven by my degree in Biochemistry) –
If you’re too lazy to clean out your water bottle immediately after a workout – put it in the fridge until you can. Bacteria don’t like cold climate, so it’ll inhibit their growth. I’ve found that if I do this immediately after my run or bike ride, I can shower, clean my bike or other gear and my water bottle won’t be a petri dish. But Soren is right. The combination of warm water, moist air from condensation in the bottle, and the sugars in protein or fitness drinks is ideal climate for growing bacteria.
this post musta been inspired after my pic in the “hump day haiku.”
aha!!! i see now grasshopper. i must stack them horizontally. then there will be room for all the ones that aren’t fitting in my cabinet right now!!!
you have a dishwasher?? LUCKY DUCK!!!
and the lack of martini glasses is just sad. sad how triathlon just overpowers our previous drinking life…
I like the way you have thrown a martini glass into the mix!
It that pre or post exercise nutrition?
I have a water bottle cabinet too but mine is not organized as nice as yours. I think I’m going to have to do some switching around.
This adds another chapter to your structured organized training plan.
My wife would KILL me!!!!!
I wish had that much energy to clean the water bottles as soon as I got off the bike. Mine lay in sink for hours and sometimes days… but I guess thats the good thing about my own water bottle cabinet… you can’t have too many of them!
yeah, my water bottle cabinet is a big mess. it all falls out when i open the door– definitely doesn’t lead to frustration when i’m getting ready for a 5am workout…
they are like socks….you find them everywhere in the house…
i just rinse it with water..
i put them above the fridge..every once in awhile it like in a comedy…open cabinet, and 5 fall out
What goes into a Hammer Gel martini?
And you may be able to autoclave a Nalgene bottle, but even that will not remove the growth resulting from a protein shake.
creme brulee ramekins?? non-essential??? What time is the party?!
You know what’s really funny? I only own ONE!
I use sterilising tablets that are used for sterilising baby’s bottles when my bottles get skanky. Or when they are too bad I throw them away, after all they are less than $5 and Elite bottles are biodegradable.
Seems like a lot if bottles I collect them two but probally should just toss out all but a few.