Heads up – Massive Sports Tech Holiday Deals List is Live!!! The Garmin Fenix 8 is $250 off (even the Fenix 8 Pro is $100 off!), the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on sale, the Garmin inReach Mini 2 is $249, the GoPro Hero 13 Black, DJI NEO, and a ton of other brands/deals, including Wahoo, Oura, Whoop, Polar, Samsung, Google, and more than 100 sports tech deals 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.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
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.
It was supposed to be 60 this weekend and now the forecast changed to 43. Might go for a ride, just not as long
Got a Zwift ride or two planned this weekend
I’ll just be pounding away on the trainer, thinking about spring …
Just 8 miles easy this weekend.
climb morcuera if weather is okay
I plan to suffer on the trainer, since there is still 10 foot snowbanks outdoors!
Might do some squats at the gym.
I’ll be getting my bike tuned up so it will be a running and swimming weekend!
Cycling from Ventura to Ojai with my son. Then it’s a 15 mile roll downhill back to Ventura after pizza in Ojai!
Tomorrow morning I’ll be on Zwift, putting in more miles to see of my replacement Flux is going to flux me over. ;) With the new Volcano climb out, maybe I’ll head up there!
My cycling plans this weekend primarily involve running. I’ll run in any weather but I’m a fair weather biker.
Will be spending the weekend on Zwift.
Around 40 miles on Sat or Sun.
It’ll be pretty cold here this weekend – below freezing – so planning on at least one indoor training session instead of an outdoor ride.
I’ll either head out for a classic ski in tomorrow’s -20c or try out Zwift for the first time!
Thanks Ray!
Just come back from a 80km group ride and will head out tomorrow for short ride with my wife.
Not long back from my Saturday morning ride of 100km around the outskirts of sunny Brisbane Australia.
Will be on the road enjoying the 50 – 60 deg weather this weekend. Finally, a hint of spring in east central IL!
I will be doing swim / ride bricks with our triathlon team as we prepare for the 2017 tri season.
got big plans to make big sweat puddles on my basement floor tomorrow morning
Unfortunately due to work, not much riding this weekend. Just try and a ride in Sunday after I get off.
It’s still winter here. I don’t ride in the winter anymore but I will be doing some cross country skiing.
3.5 hours on the trainer should about do it! Oh wait, that’s just Saturday ?
If it stops raining a three to four-hour session on the road building endurance or two hours Sufferfest workout indoor. I hope it stops raining.
60km on the trainer both sat and sunday!
Its snowing currently, so i’ll be plugging away on the trainer for another weekend :(
On track (with tomorrows ride) to eclipse my personal weekly best of 250 miles…
going to Texas to bike this weekend.
A few hill repeats are likely on Sunday afternoon
Going to get out for a short ride this weekend, but focusing on first 10k of the season this weekend.
It is supposed to snow all weekend so I will be in the cave
I have an exciting weekend ahead of me – swimming with the sharks!
Provided it arrives as expected, I plan to fix the clutch knob on my Magnus trainer, which broke last weekend, then hit the (virtual) road! Too old to bike outside.
(BTW, CycleOps customer support has been great!)
Cold weather and remaining snow/ice patches mean Sufferfest on the trainer…
Indoor trainer while watching the WTS men’s race and Strade Bianche.
Indoor trainer Sat. and Sun. for me, looking forward to spring…
…raking leaves, unfortunately.
If I could cycle outside I would, but seeing as it will be -22C with the wind chill I’m going to stay inside and ride with a bunch of friends tomorrow morning for a group indoor training session and talking about the upcoming Strade Bianche race, and planning where we will ride outside once old man winter has been kicked out by spring.
I will be deep sea fishing for my dads 60th birthday.
Going to pedal one legged cause I sold my left crank arm before I could afford a Stages. :/ Pick me!
Still cold here, so riding on the trainer.
Riding the trainer and watching TDF!
Brick on sat (hills) then mtb sunday.
Time on the trainer this weekend
Plan to do 50 miles either Saturday or Sunday.
Drinking beer, but need a new lever for my recliner.
Saturday temperature in 20’s, so indoor on trainer. Sunday temperature in 60’s and working as volunteer ski patroller at local hill
Long ride on Saturday and team manager for team series race in nz on Sunday.
Packing up some of my bikes preparing for the move to California. Maybe get in a quick ride if temp is above 50.
Going to get my bike fixed this weekend. It needs a new a new chain and a few other things.
I’ll be on the trainer recovering from knee surgery. Zwift, here i come!
ride. sleep. ride. oh and eat too
Not a lot of bike work this weekend as am heading into marathon training here in Australia. Did a spin class Saturday morning, will do a 40km social ride Sunday. A power meter will be good for the indoor sessions coming up in the Southern Hemisphere ;)
I’ll be on the trainer both days using TrainerRoad since its freezing in the northeast!
I’ll be training indoors on my old and beat up fluid trainer monitoring at nothing but heart rate, since I don’t even have a cadence and speed sensor to display on my Wahoo RFLKT.
Snow on the ground… again. Outdoor rides will have to wait. A couple of trainer sessions for me.
Cycling 10 min/day as a PT exercises!!
Just get out and ride
Will be riding with my wife helping her recover from hip replacement.
I just finished testing at the human performance lab at the university, 2x10s sprints and 20 min ftp. I do a tri-it distance indoor triathlon Sunday morning.
Ride far with friends and have fun.
Finally taking the roadie out now that the snow has all melted.
no cycling this weekend -14km run today, traveling tomorrow then hopefully back on the bike during the week
hopefully i can get a ride outside if its not snowing.
I’ll be on the trainer and hitting up Zwift!
Sleep and recover after a week of working nights. Maybe a 30 minute ride.
Still lots of snow outside – I’ll probably hit the trainer.
TrainerRoad workouts…and maybe a ride outside if the weather is really nice.
Hoping that some snow is left on the mountain after rain and temperatures of 15c. Quad workout on the slopes
Long ride with teammates on Saturday – likely 65ish miles with some intervals.
Sunday easy ride before a run.
Just an easy hour of zwifting for me
As much saddle time as possible!
I’m going to 3 spin classes this weekend! Does that count?
Bike is at the shop for spring tune up so spin class at local YMCA will be all the cycling I do this weekend.
Great present for my wife.
Trainer rides this weekend.
Planning for 30K ride before my Firefox rapide get fixed with flat tyre
I’m looking forward to spending some time on the saddle this weekend. Hopefully a bit early so there isn’t much traffic.
Ride the trainer while watching stride bianche
Steady state intervals on Saturday and a long EM ride on Sunday.
lots of climbing then probably fighting headwinds to get back home.
1:15 Brick with 2 miles run. Lame I know
On the trainer while my little boy has his nap, if I’m lucky.
Riding the trainer and watching ski jumping World Championships from Finland.
Two 45 minute sessions on the trainer.
Back on the trainer because I’m a cold weather wimp.
1-hr of active recovery on the trainer after a 3-hr long run this weekend
This evening I got crushed in my first race on Zwift and Saturday and Sunday I hope to do some more leisurely rides exploring the rest of the virtual worlds.
I was going to have a long ride outside… but it rained. So it was the trainer for me.
Going to be hitting the trails on my mountain bike.
FTP Test on saturday plus 50k tempo pace. Sunday bike-run brick.
Still nursing an injury, but will be dreaming of getting out on the road.
Gonna do a nice and easy 2 hour ride.
Trying to get the 12 month old to sleep through the night has put a damper on Ironman training so at the moment I am just trying to focus on the energy to get out the door and run. After this next marathon I will refocus on triathlon to prepare for Louisville
Indoor brick, 20 miles with 3 on a treadmill. Unless I get the courage to try an outdoor bike,run
Working on my TrainerRoad triathlon plan this weekend.
I’ll be using my new Elite Qubo Digital Smart B+ finally. Trainer arrived with a bad circuit board and I had to get a new board shipped from Italy and it took forever. Installed the new board on Thursday and did a quick test ride to check if everything was working. I’m looking forward to using it with Zwift and Golden Cheetah for workouts over the weekend, especially since the high temperature on Saturday will be 32 F.
Hill repeats or Zwift sessions !
60km ride around island.
Early morning ride on Saturdays to beat the heat.
We have been experiencing a challenging winter in Washington with rain/snow. The temperature is warming up to 50 degrees and can’t wait to go out for my favorite 30 mile ride. Need some fresh air rather than riding on my trainer.