Heads up!!! Here’s your massive holiday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $419, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $699, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $249, (or the brand new Hero 13 or $299!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ 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 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.
I’d like to join the morning run. Have other plans for the evening (also fun)
Awesome. Just go ahead and fill out the registration form and select only the morning run drop-down. Quick and easy!
Thanks for hosting the open house! Excited to join the event.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone! Glad you’re all registered! As of a few mins ago, it’s already 65% full. Eeks!
What times are you aiming for for the 10K? I recently ran a 10K in 58 mins.
We usually average about 60 or so minutes, with a stop or two along the way atop that. The route last year was 5.6mi/9KM, and it took us 58:41 including stoppage time.
link to connect.garmin.com
Ok, I have signed up. Only for the morning as I have an event with friends to attend in the evening
Huh, who’d have thunk it… it seems the wife are staying just round the corner from the DCR cave this weekend for the marathon! Sadly I don’t think we’d make it back over from the UK so soon again for the OpenHouse. I guess there’s always next year!
Good luck tomorrow to your wife for the marathon! Looks like the weather will be just about perfect!
Pretty soon, you will have to provide child care Ray! P1 through P3, and then there’s the baby Llama. It’s going to be a fun caliper of days for the kiddies! And the attendees of course.
Haha…yeah, we usually get a babysitter. Though I suppose just putting them in the gondola might work too. :)
I’d like to go and join you this year
Good deal! Don’t forget to sign-up via the link!
Hi Ray:
What places are there to stay near the cave or how easy is it to get to the cave from the city center? Thanks for picking Thanksgiving weekend!
Hi Marc, can answer that for you. There are quite some hotels around most near Rai Station which is 10 min away from VU. From city centre it’s also really easy: take the subway “North-South” line (from central station through city centre) in less than 10 min to Amsterdam Zuid station which is a 5 min walk to the VU.
For the summer event we stayed at the Olympic Hotel (as recommended by Ray for this specific occasion) and liked it a lot.
Especially the breakfast was outstanding in my opinion.
Also, the rooms were quite spacious and exciting furnished.
Hi Marc!
Looks like folks have helped out already, and the same answers I’d give. Getting to the most central parts of Amsterdam is super easy via a variety of public transport options. Or bikes. Many hotels have bikes, and if not you’ll find bike rental spots on almost any central Amsterdam street for $10-$15/day. Typically it’ll take me 15-20 mins to pedal from the Cave to Central Station. Pretty efficient…and scenic.
As for hotels, a few people tried out the brand new Olympic Hotel. I’m still jealous. I pass it a few times a day going to/from the studio, and it overlooks on one side a stunningly nice track, and the other side Olympic stadium. And the third side a nice canal. I’ve never stayed myself, but the views look nice!
Hope this helps!
Thank you everyone for the suggestions.
-marc
Ray, one other question. Would it be possible to sign up at the last minute, for example the week before? My father is not well. Not sure I want to book a trip abroad right now.
Btw, I’ve looked at the Olympic Hotel. I can burn my British Air points on the hotel stay.
Thanks
-marc
Hi Marc-
Honestly, I’d reserve your spot now and then you can always cancel later. Certainly it’s very understandable given your situation.
Of course, DCR Supporters also get guaranteed entry (see the e-mail I sent on Friday night), so I suppose it’s a wash either way.
Fwiw – we’re at 75% of capacity as of a few mins ago.
Also – that’s cool to know on using BA points for that hotel. I’d never though that. Is that directly on BA’s site? Good to know for some friends and family coming soon.
Cheers,
Ray
Hi Ray:
1) I books my spot. I’m just going to chance it and grad travel insurance. I need to get away, even if it just for a few days.
2) Yes, it is on BAs site. A pain to find. Find you way to the “My Executive Club” page. On the left is a nav bar to book with Avios or money. Select payment type of avios, select the hotel radio button, and search away.
I decided this was the best way to use my Avios. If I look to use them for a ticket, the fees were just as much as the ticket. For example, for a round trip business class seat between NYC and Amsterdam, they want $1,700 US. I would just buy the ticket at that price.
3) What is the best way to get from Schiphol to the hotel? I will be arrive around midday on Friday.
Thanks, and see you soon.
-marc
I hate auto-incorrect. The first point should read:
1) I booked my spot. I’m going to chance it and grab travel insurance. I need to get away, even it if is just for a few days.
Dang, that’s an incredible deal – only 11,700 Avios!
Also, dang, I didn’t even realize you could book hotels only with Avios. I guess I should have realized that, but just never did. Notable because I’ve got so many Avios points from years as Gold that I could use them for random hotels like this (versus the bigger chains).
Nice!
3: Train is fast and cheap. There is a trainstation right under the airport. Amsterdam Zuid Station is a 7 minute ride and cost you €3,- From there you could walk 1,5 km or take the Metro to Amsterdam Amstelveenseweg (1 stop)
Andre. Thank you.
Yup – train is fast and cheap. I’d recommend doing the backtrack option Andre noted, only because while the 1.5KM walk is fine, it’s kinda wonky through a lot of buildings – so the ‘Getting lost’ potential is surprisingly high. If you do the switch to Metro for one stop, then it’s impossible to screw up getting to the Cave, as it’s on the same road a 5 min walk.
Though, if for whatever reason you find yourself wanting to ride a Tesla, there’s a pretty good chance that an Uber from the airport will net you a Tesla. Typical time from airport to DCR Cave is 10-12 mins and 18-20EUR by Uber
Just a quick comment.
Should the event not be called the DCR Cave-In(n)
….
Haha!
Though, I’d be slightly hesitant on anything caving in!
Going to have to skip this one as we’ll just have arrived in Seville for a holiday.
See you Summer 2020 then probably
Separate questions.
1) Is there an organized social group ride?
2) What is the expected weather like?
3) Since I’ve never been to Amsterdam, I’ve already planned some sight seeing on Saturday (private guided walking tour) and Sunday (Anne Frank house) mornings.Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, and all day Monday are free. Suggestions for other things to see?
4) Does it make sense to bring a road bike to get out and ride on my own or should I just rent a cruiser and wander around?
Thanks
-marc
Hi Marc-
1) No organized group ride, mostly due to the weather concerns. With the daily winter weather here being mostly rain, I’m hesitant to put 100 cyclists on the road together in wet/slippery conditions – especially with varying skill sets and not knowing all those roads as well as a group of locals might. So for the winter open house we keep to running, whereas the summer open house we go for a ride.
2) I’d expect rain. Sideways rain. And lots of wind. And probably just a few degrees above freezing. That said – we’ve managed to luck out for every open house run to date and never had rain. So…knock on wood! Last year though for the evening open house it was definitely sideways raining, though that doesn’t matter given the massive indoor space we have (even for bike parking).
3) I’m more of an outdoors person than a museum one. So for me I’d rent a bike and pedal somewhere – either casually or otherwise. The Bos is a pretty place to pedal, or you could go for a bit of a longer pedal out to the windmill. I’ve done that before on a regular cruiser bike, so it’s not horrible.link to en.wikipedia.org
4) There’s some amazing riding from Amsterdam via road bike, but if the weather is typical…it’s less fun. I’d probably make that a game-time decision the week of. If it’s looking totally sunny, then go for it. But if it’s looking like all day everyday rain, I’d just enjoy meandering around the city on a cruiser.
Cheers!
Thanks.
I’ll play it by ear and see how it goes.
I will just mark my calendar for the spring/summer open cave and work on getting stronger.
Thanks.
Hi Marc,
We (my wife and I) have spent five weekends this year in Amsterdam just because we like the city so much.
Cycling wise the summer is – of course – a much better time of the year to discover the roads in and around Amsterdam. End of September my wife participated in the Rapha Women’s 100 event and really enjoyed the landscape and the almost perfect roads. I’ve ridden basically the same route and can highly recommend it (see link to strava.com).
That being said you could of course dress yourself in some warm cloth, grap a cheap rental bike and go for the famous Ronde Hoep (see link to strava.com; should take you much longer than 2h). We did that last weekend as well and despite the low-tech gear it was still fun.
Depending on your personal interests I can also recommend the National Maritime Museum (https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com; a visit may take between 2-3h) and the Grachtenhuis (link to tours-tickets.com; takes you about 1h max).
And one more thing: If you decide for cycling (or strolling) around the Bos-Area I’d highly recommend the Meerzichtfarm (see Ray’s post about it here: link to dcrainmaker.com). We’ve been there twice and pancakes are outstanding!
Looking forward to meeting you at the cave!
Cheers,
Michael
3. You can take a canal tour by boat. It may be a typical tourist thing to do but it is still nice. We live here but we like it every now and then when we have guests. Takes about an hour or so. There are plenty of boats starting from the center, also one departing from Anne Frank house. https://www.lovers.nl
There are some world class museums if you are into that.Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk museum, van Gogh museum. Can be busy in the weekends. If you go early (or in the evening if they are still open) you may avoid the crowds. Buy a ticket in advance to avoid waiting in line.
4. End of november is probably cold. Still, if the weather permits a bicycle should be the best way to see Amsterdam. Area north of Amsterdam is also nice, get there by one of the free ferries that depart north side of central station.
Still places available? I’ve already registered on Eventbrite a few minutes ago, but I was just reading the event was at 75% full on 20 October, so I thought I should double check before booking Airbnb etc.
I added a few more spots over the weekend, mainly so folks wouldn’t end up on the waitlist as I expect there to be some cancellations with the first information e-mail going out this week.
However, as of this morning new registrations go to the waitlist. In theory the system will automatically clear people off the waitlist as people cancel (I saw it happen last week once).
Is there any clear way of knowing whether we ended up on the waiting list or managed to get in before it got full? In any case, I have already made arrangements and we’re coming to Amsterdam anyway, since it’s a great opportunity, but it would be awesome to be able to join you guys.
Also, congratulations on the latest addition to the family! I hope you’re having some great time with the new peanut!
Yup – you would have received an e-mail, likely from Eventbright, at the time of registration, and it’ll have in the title “DC Rainmaker Open House Winter 2019”
Fear not – I can see you’re on the confirmed attendee list (not the waitlist). So you just barely made it in!
For those on the waitlist, I suspect after I send out the first e-mail update this week, I’ll get enough cancellations to clear those on the waitlist.
Ray, what is light situation on for hire/rental bike?
I debating renting a cruiser bike for some of my stay in town. Maybe even us it to get from the Olympic hotel to the Cave.
So I expect the rental bike to come with light, or are the bike paths lit bright enough to not need lights, or should I just plan on bring a bike helmet and front/rear lights?
Thanks
-marc
All rental bikes you’ll find will come with bike lights. For example, Black Bikes (pretty close by and a bit of a chain around the city) do have lights on them (hard to see in the pictures, but you can see them when zoomed in, they’re off-set to the riders left side of each wheel): link to businesswire.com
That said, as you’ll see, many Dutch people neglect to maintain their bike lights and the paths are all well lit. So it’s not entirely the end of the world.
The distance from the Olympic Hotel to the Cave is a mere 5-8 minute walk, so pretty quick. But for getting around the rest of down – definitely!