Heads up! The big Garmin annual spring sale has started, with $200 off the Fenix 8 (first sale to date!), $100 off the Edge 1050, Forerunner 965 at $499, the Forerunner 265, the new Instinct 3, and countless other Garmin products including inReach Mini 2. Plus the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium is on sale, and some Suunto & Wahoo product deals too. Full list & thoughts here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
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.
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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!
3
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.
4
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!
5
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 2024 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.
Will be doing Tuskegee Airmen ride with the Second Sunday group.
The weather decided to get cold this weekend. Looks like a run for me.
Planning on two long rides whose lengths are weather dependent, and mayne a mountain bike ride for funsies.
With New York temperatures set to get as low as 16 degrees Fahrenheit it will be watching The Walking Dead with leg deadening turbo session
Shopping for a new bike is on my to do list. That counts as an activity, right?
I’ll be running a 5k run on Saturday. No time this weekend for a long Sunday ride.
Planning on a long Kickr training ride.
It’s finally going to be warm in Minnesota! Outdoor riding!
5×9-minute intervals. Each interval is a combination of 1-minute efforts at 95% FTP followed immediatly by 2-minute efforts at 105% FTP. While my wife takes care or our 4 kids giving them 1-minute tasks demanding 95% of their focus immediately followed by 2 minutes of winning requiring 105% of her energy! haha
a nasty “enduro” trail!
I work this weekend – intervals in the hospital :(
If my health will agree after a cold, I will do a short round on my home-route on Sunday.
About 60 minutes on trainer.
90 minutes of aerobic endurance work on the KICKR on Saturday.
In between shuttling kids to varying activities, will find some time to ride around Wattopia.
Going to knock off a few sweet trainer rides and avoid the freezing temps outside! Thanks!
Planning on getting in 90 minutes of outdoor. If not–90 minutes on trainer with Mike Cotty on Sufferfest climbing some mountains.
2hr ride just taking it easy. Trying to get back into things after a bout of illness, but will probably push it harder than i should.
The go is to ride 120km on saturday and 2 and half hours on sunday.
Start to loose that fat acumulated during carnival!
GO!
With freezing temperatures and chances of snow expected this weekend, a stages power meter would really make my indoor training rides more enjoyable!
Acrodectes on Saturday, Table Rock on Sunday.
Ouch.
I’m hopefully going to finish installing my rear derailleur in time for the powertap hub wheel I have being built… but a stages for the missus (or for mini-DCR comparison testing) would be much appreciated. :)
Skiing day trip!!! No hot tub, instead 3 hour drive back home, and probably a run on Sunday. If I had a power meter, I’d be riding on Zwift. Looking forward to trying that out soon. So cycling maybe soon. At least when it’s above 32°F at 6am for a commute in to work.
I plan on waving to few cyclists while out running.
Starting my training for the WoW cyclothon here in Iceland this summer
6x10min at 70.3 effort on the trainer.
Short 20 on Saturday.
Riding some gravel with 50+ degrees in SD.
This weekend is supposed to be 30F degrees so I’ll be doing some inside training and a trip to the pool to get in some mileage. Boring but base miles are always needed!
3 hrs of Colorado mountain roads for me on Saturday.
I’ll be leaving it last minute regarding one of the morning club rides, before probably sacking off getting soaked (following wheels) for the turbo. Probably one of the coffee rides followed by some climbing/power efforts. After that I’ll be a whirlwind of activity attempting to get all the house chores done around watching all the rugby matches. Probably while simultaneously trying to deflect anything *she* has planned to usurp my busy entertainment schedule – without upsetting her of course! ;)
I will be trying to get one good weekend of skate skiing out of the weekend before I switch out the skis for my bike. :)
No cycling here, too cold. But I will be working out at the gym.
going to try to take my mtb out for a spin (when it doesn’t rain :))
I’ll be cycling some 2 hours on Zwift and maybe running 15k in the woods
Will be some downhill skiing since there is way to much snow to ride the bike.
Well, winter is still here in Canada, so I will be riding the pretzel route on Watopia
Just a 40k ride in Richmond Park, London.
Thanks
Cool ride on Saturday, then half marathon on Sunday…
Cross country skiing and canoeing
100+ miles of Gravel….early DK training!
Riding on zwift or trainerroad with the hammer. I could always use more ways to measure power!
I will have a couple of brick workouts this weekend.
Too cold here to cycle…freeze my buns off
Working Sunday. Hopefully getting out tomorrow if the weather improves.
Long zone 2 ride Saturday morning followed by cadence ladders…then the fat bike comes out Sunday afternoon for some gravel grinding!
Run long Friday, Ride Saturday, Run Sunday.
Going for a run this weekend. Snow is in the forecast so still a few more weeks before I go for a weekend ride.
A quick, hopefully before the Date wakes up, a dirty mountain bike prior to a wedding, then a morning after track session as the velodrome is close to the wedding venue.
I await the raised eyebrows when the girlfriend finds out.
It will cold this weekend in NY; so Base on Friday, easy spin on Sat, 2-2.5 hour ride on Sun. Just to plug CT & really enjoying my Wahoo kickr (2016)
Two sessions from TrainerRoad are waiting for me :)
Probably not riding as I have to officiate a wrestling tournament PLUS we are getting blasted with snow and cold. Maybe some trainer time on Sunday. Hope that by the time I get off the mat the weather is better.
I already did a turbo session today (recovery time). I won’t be riding on the weekend though, because I’m going to see my brothers’ newborn son.
25-30 mile ride Sunday
Gran fondo Strade Bianche in Siena :)
It’s going to be in the mid-teens both mornings here, so I’m thinking of hiding in the woods from the cold with a 3 hour mixed terrain ride tomorrow, and an easy-ish group MTB ride on Sunday.
I plan to get on the trainer and blast out a few miles on Zwift. A powermeter would make my dumbtrainer so much better!
I’ll only bike if my achilles hurt too much to run.
Computrainer class!
No plans. Just physiotherapy to recover from my injury.
It’s still snowing here, so I’ll be on the trainer this weekend.
I’m not sure IF I’m going riding this weekend. We’ll see though!
Since I’m in a cold Canada …. Zwift will do it !
Big Kickr date!
Just an easy spin around the Lyon hills!
Hitting the trainer.
Here in Sweden TrainerRoad is serving Bolton Brown for saturday and Colosseum for sunday together with a Tacx Vortex Smart and a Bianchi Via Nirone 7.
BR
Björn Royson
Military drill weekend so no time for a ride, but I do have a PT test Sunday morning. Yay!
Sufferfest videos all day every day!
Hoping for a 30 mile ride on Saturday morning if the weather permits with some NBD shopping in the afternoon. Want to get some test rides in a Giant Defy Advanced and Cannon Synapse.
Sunday morning already have my tickets bought to see “Logan” in theaters with my wife followed by a nice long walk with the dogs along the canal in the afternoon.
I plan on a sunday morning ride for an hour.
I am on board my barge this week so if i can get time i hope to ride “The Shovel” which is the newest video from The Sufferfest. luckily i rode Zwifts Volcano mountain last night. Cant remember the last time i actually rode outside…… In reality…..lol
Haven’t been riding a lot lately but probably a easy session on my StacZero to work up a sweat.
Saturday: 5-hour loop in Zambezi river basin, just outside of Lusaka, Zambia.
Sunday: same as Saturday.
Sunday is my peak, tapering for two weeks then off to compete in the ABSA Cape Epic MTB Stage Race.
I’ll take my cross bike out for a ride through the mud
A 90 pain cave session and 30 min brick run, good times
70mi trainer ride Saturday since it’ll be 22 degrees out!
First long outdoor ride of the season!
It’s still below freezing here so my plans involve a trainer, music on high, and as many intervals as my legs can take.
Nice weather is back so 2 long rides outside will replace the trainer. Thanks for the site and the great giveaways!
Interval sessions
31st anniversary on Saturday – hopefully, Mama will let me ride 30-40 miles.
If not, then a run on Sunday morning.
Planning an interval ride on the trainer this evening, followed by a long, steady state run on Saturday.
Either a 50 miler out of London on Sunday or Zwift, weather dependent
Still in inside trainer mode. Plowing through TrainerRoad build phase.
10 mile TT race on Saturday & 50 miles steady on Sunday.
Cold here in Illinois, just some time on the trainer for me
This weekend it is time for another spinning marathon as the weather in Estonia is not suitable for road cycling yet :)
Sunday group ride – enjoying the last of the Southern Hemisphere summer.
Zwift ride on Saturday and hopefully Sunday might even try to venture outside in the cold. Good luck to everyone.
Zwift volcano expansion!
Traveling (work) and the hotel gym has a recumbent machine that I will use once or twice.
I think an hour on the trainer on Sunday. I am mostly focused on running at the moment.
Thanks!
Zwifting on Saturday for sure and hopefully Sunday as well!
Friday run. 19°F for a high Saturday so probably intervals on the trainer. Sunday swim.
I will do a 90 min spinning class on saturday
On sunday will ride around 110 km on TT bike at the cradle of mankind
Zwift racing and easy endurance ride on Sunday
depending on the weather in Galway Ireland (only rained twice this week, once for 3 days and second for 4 days!!) it will either be trainerroad session in garage or some nice hills over the weekend.
Cold two hour mountain bike session at Fountainhead Regional Park.
Cycling adventures for the weekend include giving my steed a much needed bath, a tune-up, and a nice long early-season shakedown ride.