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:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
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
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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.
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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 and Equipment 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! 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.
Monthly Archives: July 2017
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Another hot summer weekend in the city, but one that’s filled with sport and non-sport alike! Here’s what I was up to! 1) Indoors in the summer: I started off the weekend with a bit of a trainer ride. I’m … Read More Here
Week in Review–July 30th, 2017
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
In case ya missed it: DCR Live Q&A Recording Available
Friday evening Parisian time (or increda-early morning Australian time), I held another DCR Facebook Live session. A boatload of you joined, and we covered an even greater boatload of topics. Tons and tons of questions, so many questions that I … Read More Here
DCR Facebook Live Q&A Tomorrow –July 28th!
It’s time. Again. Because, well, it’s been a long time since the last time. Plus, The Girl will be joining me this time! Tomorrow (aka this Friday) I’ll get be hosting a Facebook Live Q&A session for anything you’ve got … Read More Here
Best Bike Computer 2017: Garmin Edge 520 vs Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT
Looking to find the best GPS bike computer? Time to dive into who does Strava best, which has best sensor support, and of course navigation! Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
A busy weekend back at home with plenty going on! Here’s what I was up to as the Tour de France descended into town. 1) Kickin’ off the weekend SNAP-style: My first act of the weekend was a handful of … Read More Here
Tour de France 2017- The Finish in Paris
Ahh yes, one of the best days of the year for a cyclist living in Paris. No, actually, definitely the best day of the year for a cyclist living in this city. And this year didn’t disappoint! This was, I … Read More Here
Week in Review–July 23rd, 2017
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Strava will now fix your Garmin or phone when you break it riding…or not.
On the list of things I didn’t see coming this Friday afternoon was Strava announcing that if you manage to kill your bike computer or phone while riding your bicycle, Strava will now pay get that device fixed or replaced. … Read More Here
Wahoo’s New 2017 KICKR SNAP Trainer: Hands-on
This week Wahoo quietly launched an updated version of the KICKR SNAP trainer. That’s Wahoo’s lower-end trainer that sits at $599USD. Of course, Wahoo only makes two trainers – the full KICKR (direct-drive), and the KICKR SNAP (wheel-on). The full … Read More Here
Hands-on: Airdog’s new ADII sports-tracking drone
Last week Airdog announced their latest sports-tracking drone, the Airdog ADII. Years ago the company announced on Kickstarter their first drone, simply called Airdog, which was aimed 100% at the sports tracking market. It didn’t pretend to be a more … Read More Here
Garmin Acquires Cycling Aerodynamics Company Alphamantis
This afternoon Garmin has announced that it has acquired the cycling aerodynamics focused company Alphamantis. What’s that? You’ve never heard of Alphamantis before? Shame, you’ve been missing out on some pretty cool stuff. Alphamantis has actually been around a number … Read More Here
Xert rolls out free real-time FTP app on Garmin devices
Earlier this week Xert rolled out a new Connect IQ app. Now I don’t normally cover too many Connect IQ apps. In fact, I think I’ve only covered maybe 2-3 ones in total so far as standalone individual posts go. … Read More Here
Wahoo Rolls Out ELEMNT/BOLT Live Tracking with Data & Routes
One of my biggest complaints about live tracking on Wahoo’s platform over the last year and a half is that it sucked. I mean, not just a little suck, but a big suck. Previously when you enabled live tracking on … Read More Here
Week in Review–July 17th, 2017
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Tour de France Behind the Scenes: How Dimension Data Rider Live Tracking Works
If you’ve been watching the Tour de France over the past week and a half, you’ve likely seen either the little gizmos pointing off the back of rider’s seats, or the constant stream of data on your TV about where precisely … Read More Here
Amazon Prime Day Deals Today in Sports Tech
(Updated Last: 7:50PM US Eastern Time) Today is Amazon Prime Day, which is basically an excuse for the equivalent of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales to happen in July for one day…and in this case, one vendor. It technically started last … Read More Here
Paris Blog: A Trip to A French Costco- Wine tasting, caviar, and so much fromage!
It’s been far too long since I posted in the ‘Paris Blog’ section. When we first moved over here (5 years ago this month!!!), we posted slightly more often. Now much of what used to be Paris Blog material has … Read More Here
Week in Review–July 9th, 2017
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Tour de France 2017 Behind the Scenes: Stage 6
Looks like there’s going to be a bit more cycling on the blog this week. At least for today. Don’t despair runners – there’s non-cycling stuff soon arriving! And if you like cycling? Don’t despair there either, almost more of … Read More Here
Power2Max NG Power Meter In-Depth Review
Last August at Eurobike, Power2Max announced their latest power meter – the Power2Max NG. This power meter would be their first unit with dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, while also tweaking their underlying measurement design to increase accuracy. While they had anticipated … Read More Here
Tour de France 2017 Behind the Scenes: Stage 2
We left off yesterday with the first of my two weekend days at the Tour de France. Don’t worry (or maybe you will), I’m not going to all the stages. I’m going to pop in and out where it seems … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
This weekend was definitely within the whirlwind classification. Between two airplane flights, two countries, a boatload of photos, and capped at either end with two evenings out in Paris – it was destined to be crazy busy. 1) So much … Read More Here
Tour de France 2017 Behind the Scenes: Stage 1
This weekend was a whirlwind of time spent at the opening two days of the Tour de France. I took over 1,000 photos on the first day alone. About 100 of those ended up in my Tour de France 2017 … Read More Here
Elite’s new Direto trainer–Hands on!
Today Elite announced their newest trainer for the 2017-2018 winter trainer season – the Direto. This direct drive controllable trainer is notable partly for its price ($899), but also partly because it’s sporting easily the highest accuracy rating of any … Read More Here
