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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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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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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.
Nice watch I would actually wear daily.
Was wondering when they would get you to review it! Very excited about the Nevo, especially given the deep discount in comparison to the Withings
Hi,
I`m already buy one, and waiting march to come…
But I`m still balancing between the NevoWatch and the Withings Activité.
Huge price difference between the two
I think the Run/Swim combo is a gap in the market currently, would be nice to have that option for customers.
Looking at pictures on their website and Indiegogo it kind of looks like the watch case is made via a casting process, but it’s really hard to tell. As far as watches go, it looks a little crude from a finish standpoint, or maybe that’s just the look they were trying to achieve, or the prototypes are different from the final product. The Withings Activité looks more like a fine watch. Of course this is an impression from pictures and is subjective. Can you give an assessment of the fit and finish?
@ Larry
I assume you didnt actually look at the indiegogo page since it shows pictures of the watch being machined…. So even if it is cast primarily, it is then machined. Also the description says that it is then Ion Plated – so the finish should actually be pretty decent.
There are also 3 finishes, available.
As far as fit & finish, it was consistent with a late stage prototype device. They noted up front there were a few things that they were still working on, such as the buttons/etc…
Looks like a nice piece of engineering for late stage prototype. These are the kind of people Intel needs to make their product viable.
This is an activity tracker I would actually use and wear. I’m going to check out their indiegogo page now.
I decided to back it
Handsome watch, would definately go unnoticed during business meetings compared to others. I am getting my Moto360 for xmas though, and really looking forward to it! :)
Is tracking steps just a big marketing gimmick? Anyone losing weight by tracking their steps?.
According to my iphone 6+ to myfitnesspal i may burn a paltry 60 calories on a good day of dog walks.
walking doesn’t burn much calories at all. The time would be better off utilized with HIIT of some sort or actual running which then shouldn’t be double dipping into the steps tracking #.
I’m curious if the garmin 920xt does this – steps and my running…
Regarding the watch – it looks nice but it would look strange at a gym because it looks so dressy. Still a nice option for those “casual” runners you speak of.
Josh has hit the nail on the head on most things. But, note that walking burns the same amount of calories as running does in most cases (as disappointing as that may seem). Simply a mass*distance equation (except at the upper extremes of VO2).
Josh – Thanks for the response and the info on the MET Plan.
Ray – would you say someone who is regularly active – step counting is just non essential?
i use myfitnesspal/garmin connect to track my calorie intake and burn. i crossfit & weight train 5 days a week – along with swimming, running, & biking albeit not as intense since i’m in the “off season” of tri training.
Gabriel –
I can’t comment on whether anyone is losing weight – BUT if you know your basal calorie requirements – you can set that as your baseline in something like MyFitnessPal, and linking through their APP capability you can then allocate more or fewer calories to take in based on how much you move in a given day.
Additionally, if one of the ‘apps’ you’ve uploaded into MyFitnessPal includes your Garmin Connect you can also add in activities (runs/swims/bike rides etc.).
I’m in North America/so offseason, and I’m doing this so that I don’t explode weight wise over the winter. I’m also adopting a Metabolically Efficient Training Plan – see Seehobar author to learn more – so it’s important not to eat too much on days when I’m effectively tied to my desk.
So I’d say that when used correctly, step counters (even if not entirely accurate from a sports perspective but just generally directionally accurate) probably are gimmicky, but can also contribute to a fit lifestyle.
And, yes, the 920xt does track steps. It’s not the default setting but you can turn it on. I think it tracks sleep too, but I don’t use that functionality.
I hope this comment is helpful.
I recently bought an activity tracker. Interesting to see the amount of steps that add up in a busy workday at an express shipping company–over 37,000. Also, take my dog for 2 mile walks on days we don’t run. So I’d say that steps burn more than a few calories for me. And for those that are trying to begin a more active lifestyle, like my wife, activity trackers can be a step in the right direction. I know, bad joke…
Backed this on Indiegogo yesterday. Thanks for the information about this watch Ray and happy holidays.
See something familiar on this page?
link to androidworld.nl
Sigh. Just left a comment. Not sure why it’s so hard to ask – or at least credit.
Which do you recommend, the The Névo or the Withings Activité?
It’s honestly too soon to tell. The Activite is available now, the Nevo could be soon, or it could be 3+ months from now if you hit delays.
Also, at that level, it does come down to a fair bit of style preferences.
Thanks for your prompt response. The Nevo for me is leading the way, just bc of pricing.
First of all, a big thanks for the pre-view of nevo. I just want to mention that we just have a few more days of our pre-sale on Indiegogo.
There are still discounted nevos available. Please check it out guys and drop me a line if you have any questions.
joseph – nevo
Hi,
Thanks for this hands on.
What do you think about thinckness of this watch ? (In comparaison to normal watch And withings activité).
It seems quite big !
Thanks
I have had my watch for two weeks and the top button has already come off. It is a cool watch but service is poor or non-existent. No response to a request for warranty or repair.
can you unlock your phone with a swipe or similar and not a passcode while wearing the watch? and does it have a “locate” feature (as long as it’s within blue tooth range, of course)?
thanks