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…
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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.
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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
1
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.
2
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/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!
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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.
as a fellow business traveler who is not a morning person…how do you shower after that? Or do you magically not sweat much? Or just figure baby wipes works and hope people on the plane don’t care? Or do you work something out with the hotel?
Generally I find hotels are quite willing to let you use their fitness/spa area later the same day you checked out. If in a non-US airport most airport lounges (if you have access) also have showers.
In my case my booking was actually till Wednesday anyway as I didn’t know which day I’d wrap up, so I had a room there still.
I love that your next trip being a week away is a long time for you! Whilst the rest of us normal people only go away once or twice a year!
Keep up the good work Ray!
Really looking forward to your thoughts on Recon Jet Ray! Will it be a full in-depth review or some preliminary thoughts?
It’ll be more of a first-look type post. They’ve iterated a ton recently (with lots more in the next few weeks), and I don’t quite feel comfortable giving a ‘full in-depth review’ based on that beta iteration.
Your post has brought back memories of a 3 month posting I did in Doha a couple of years back and the cute names we gave all the buildings. Referring to image 5, you are standing at the base of starship enterprise – behind it is the cheese grater and the vase. I will leave the yellow one up to your imagination :-)
Just stayed at that W a couple of months ago. Did you get a chance to swim in the (very cold) hipster pool?
No, didn’t get a chance unfortunately. Kept meaning to check it out, but dark all nights I got back and didn’t quite seem warm enough outside (air tempt) to tempt me down there.
Yeah, nice to have a full 25m pool at the hotel, but man, it was cold in February when I was there. Also, the pool closes at 6pm because the pool patio is, umm, part of the hotel’s night club.
It was 25m? Crap, now I really wish I had gone down there. Figured it was just some cutesey looking pool.
Yep. Full 25m. In fact, either it was actually even a bit longer than that, or jet lag was slowing me down. :) Long and skinny pool, but wide enough for two people to do laps at once without bumping into each other.
Just curious, when you say you have a whole 7 days before your next trip, does that mean you’re off work? I always wondered how you had time to travel, train, go to all the product conferences and write this blog!
No, not off work when at home. I landed at 7AM or so this morning, and worked till around 6PM, with one stretch of about 5 hours of straight conference calls. :-/
Hey Ray, any update on when your podcast will be posted?
That grass ramp loops tempting to run up
I saw you used the Fenix 3, I recently (last week) got one but until now very unhappy with the GPS tracks it generates. Especially compared with my 910XT. When it has a fix, its spot on but it looses fix quite to often.
Could you please post your settings as in Glonass on/off, smart or 1s, IQ installed watchfaces and software.
GLONASS on, 1-Second Recording, no Connect IQ watch faces or apps actively used (I have one one-watch installed, but not used). I have 1-2 data fields installed, but not used.
I generally don’t have any issues with my Fenix3 units.
Thank you, Will cycle Amstel gold Race tomorrow and compare with my edge 800. Then I’ll probably have to contact Garmin NL.
Apart from some minor differences (few corners cut & when under tree foliage it’s a bit off) I have few issues with the F3 either. Did a 90k cycle trip yesterday covering the entire “75km tourversie Utrecht” trip that will happen june 28th. Nice track to test since it gives a general idea where the tour de france will ride in July.
Anyway I compared as always with my 3 devices oregon 450 + 600 and the fenix 3. All three were within 2km of eachother. The 450 said 91,2km but was on the bike of my partner the 600 said 90,4 and my F3 said 89,1 but I was late with enabling the watch. A good 800 meters lost there.
So not an entirely fair comparison but it seems to work good enough for me. I’ll admit though, not much forest or cornering on this trip.
Anyway good luck with the Amstel Gold Race.
As for Doha, sure looks like fun to have the entire world as your workout / running place, Ray. Makes my regular workout laps look like the same old boring routine.
I used to do all of my runs along the corniche. A couple of weeks ago, when popping back to catch up with a mate, I noticed they’d finished the Jawa Sandcrawler building. That’s what my flatmate and I used to call it. Do you know which one I mean? @Paul frylink, how about you? :)
After running in Qatar and now Kuwait, it feels so much easier when I go back to France for the summers. My pace increases from slow to a bit less slow :P
Hi DCR, If you are in Doha during a weekend and want to go for a road ride out of town north towards Al Kohr or west in Dukhan drop me a line. We’ve got a good Bike racing / Tri and MTB scene happening, you’d be most welcome,
best regards,
Jock