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.
Running and cycling. Nothing fancy.
Looking forward to a Sunday spin with some friends plus great coffee afterwards at Pattison’s in St Ives.
soccer soccer and seoocer
Xterra Oak Mountain off-road triathlon, then beer, then rest!
Did a couple of sprint sessions (run & bike) this Weekend… hope it will work for the
A bike ride on saturday. Finally getting some decent weather here.
2,5 hours cycling on Saturday
1:15 trail run on Sunday an 30 min open water swimming :)
First rest weekend in ages.
Preparing for Elsinore Ironman 70.3 , long race pace bike sessions followed by long run in very warm conditions in Dubai.
This weekend only a easy run.
Easy ride with coach on Sarurday looking what to improve in technique, hard vo2max intervals on Sunday
Swim&bike
This weekend My girlfriend and me raced the European championship duathlon in sankt wendel Germany.
I have a 920xt but she has a basic tomtom watch and every transition she has to stop and start a new session so she looses time. She was 3 overall and won her age group. I would buy a watch for her. (Also, its her birthday the 23th!) gr.
Trailrunning in the Finnish forests.
41 mile bike ride Saturday – with 10 of that volunteering to be the bike lead/course sweeper for a local charity road 7k race followed by 2000 meters in the pool Sunday
I will do tons of running as always ;-)
But on Thursday I will do a local 10K training race: Think I will try to hold my predicted Half Marathon Pace for a half marathon coming soon!
Sunday I will do my first Vo2max test as a runner. Full lactate and Spiometry – looking forward to the results: Not so much the test!
I had to hike through the airport traveling
Hiking at Mt Bromo on Java, Indonesia!
I went for some hill training and then some flat roads with a nice tailwind.
70+ km MTB marathon!
Past or future weekend….
This past weekend went for a peaceful hike in the woods in a light rain marveling at all the wildlife doing there thing rain or shine. Also gauging the trails for future trail running this summer.
Watched a bunch of 20 somethings gather in the cold drizzle to play kickball of all things. To be young again.
Sunday was another rainy morning but was able to get a nice ride in on the cruiser bike enjoying a break in the clouds and a bit of sunshine.
Next Weekend hoping for a repeat of finding new Adventures, maybe little less rain and more sunshine but either way plan on getting out and enjoying the trails and wildlife as never know what is around the next corner, sometimes a little frog may jump out of your way startling you into a fit of laughter.
Also plan on tweaking the newest “old” gravel bike for future exploring of the road less traveled.
Oh can’t forget the possible find of an 80s WindSurfer that can also be used as a Paddleboard, or so they say….
May just have to test that theory….
Mahalo
Half distance triathlon race. I was very excited pre-race but my performance didn’t meet my expectation. Nutrition plan needs lots of work….
Hey, thank you for the give away!
I have decided to advance my half ironman journey 1 year, meaning I will race my first event next month! Of course I’m scared ? The shit out of me but it should be fine! This coming weekend I’ll run a half marathon and probably try open water swimming for the first time! Tick tock!
Hoping the delivery of my new bike happens this week, so I can take it on my holiday for a trip into the Welsh mountains!
A weekend in the Rockies – big ride and a few shorter runs
A lot of walking done, sadly no running
24k run in two hours, including 6k in 25 min. Hottest day of the spring!
Training-Tri for the 14.06
My athletic adventures were quite limited- they involved mushroom hunting in the woods and wading up a trout stream in the rain. Running had to be delayed since I didn’t pack warm enough gear for a getaway weekend :-(. But the fishing was great!
Preparing my first triathlon debut with swim and bike at saturday and bike and run on sunday! All with my new Aeoroad bike delivered on friday ?
Planning a 4 day cycle journey that will bleed over into the weekend.
This weekend (today) I ran the Windermere Half Marathon with my husband and son. Ok, so our son kicked our hiney, taking 1st in his age group and in top 20 finishers.
Orienteering in Finish nature.
Missing training due to child care, doh!
Good long bike ride!
A bit late, but a mate and I went for a Sunday morning recovery ride. (Recovery from a night for me though)
No training at all this weekend! Instead two days of successful rest.
I had a nice and easy long run in Berlin
Hitting the trails on Saturday with recovery run on the Sunday
Cyclist trying my hand, or feet at running.
Saturday I ran 7.3km, Sunday managed 13km.
Thanks for the comp.
Joined a half marathon and knocked out some extra miles.
On saterday i did a bikerun for 40k alone on a hill route, on sunday a did a 100k bikerun on a flat route on a sonny day
Practicing my speed work with a 10k. Aiming for my old fitness level back again (42min).
hilly 60K bike on saturday and an easy 10K on sunday
Spent saturday with an easy run and sunday with a 150km road race, with the longest ride this year, prior to sunday, being 70km.
Training for a century!
No training, just trying to get rid of this flu :(
Some running, some family time and some sort of strength work.
Run-Bike-Run 4h in total on Sunday!
Aiming for a marathon sub 3:30 and a 10 K in 42:00. Will need help from CT
Hockey training!
Time trialling and a granfondo.
Was out for a windy bike ride Saturday.
Half marathon in Oulu, Finland, on Saturday.
Rest, rest, and more rest. I am trying to recover from a cold so that I can feel good doing some training on my Boston trip next week.
Riding a new groupset for the first time
This weekend came back from holidays and ran Sunday a short 10km race in Ghent (Stadsloop De Gentenaar) in stead of a LSD. Next stop Marathon of Bruges
This fat ol’ man is simply trying to train for below 2 hours on a 1/2 marathon next month. Did some brutal speedwork over the weekend and wishing I wasn’t so old!
Moving to new apartment and some swimming for recovery…
A 23k easy run on Saturday before the Cyclotour du Léman – a 176k bike ride around Lake Geneva – on Sunday.
I did a big 200+km bike ride!
Hard as hell but so good
Go for a 10 k run and then do something gym training.
I rode my bike in a casual group and then found that a crash from my last ride left my frame damaged, so now I need to have it replaced
2 hours on the trainer. Then 6 mile easy run.
…and some yoga.
Saturday windy recovery Ride after Monterrey 70.3 last week. Sunday easy recovery swim ready for back to training for Escape for Alcatraz next month!
My workout consisted of weeding the summerhous’s garden. Back still hurts :)
i swim a good 2km at my local swiming pool.
14km run Saturday in preparation for the Gold Coast Half Marathon in July. Social cycle on Sunday with the expat team.
Did a small bike tour after a long week out of office…
On saturday I visit the bike festival in willingen. After that I ran 20k from half the way to there to home. On sunday then a 75k bike ride. Cheers and Greets
Back after 2 years of not running because of a jumpers knee. So now i may run 12x1min with 1min rest.
We went out for a hiking and then dog beach
Ironman 70.3 St. Pölten. Travelled from Nordics to Austria to race in winter weather :P
Training bricks for ironman
150km ride, training towards IM Copenhagen
Saturday 1Mile TT
Sunday RR
Parkrun on Saturday and a long run on Sunday :)
Doing century ride
Enjoying the outdoors and nature, getting ready for a olympic tri and the anchorage marathon ????????????
Going to have long easy run eary on the saturday morning followed by supporting my daughter on annual kid’s charity run event. On sunday gonna have outdoor brick.
Brick training
Hi. Over-under LT intervals on saturday, running, and long steady run on sunday (3 hours, all). Bye.
Finally running 21k again
Doing a long run in preparation for a half marathon in 2 weeks
easy morning run in the forest on sunday
Long ride
Training for the worlds toughest mudder, so I’m Looking for a training companion (kick butt gps multi function data collector ?).
To race’s, nothing specie finished with the bunch
Taking the mountain bike out to get muddy, and in an effort to find some hills in the very flat area where I live!
Tapering for my first half next weekend! Did a gentle 10km on Saturday afternoon.
10km hard run with 174+ cadence
10k run on the beach
100K solo bike ride + recovery run
Finishing the build up of my new bike, and then two very nice trail oriented rides in the spring forest :)
Swim, bike, and run over two days
Why run, swim, bike, swim of course. Hang on, did I get the order right there?
Bike ride and yard work
Long brick Saturday. Crazy hilly trail race Sunday.
Going for a hike up in the mountains, a MTB ride, and maybe a run, not particularly in that order.
Lots of plan but Nothing serious, i ran to chili urgence but ont sure that count ?