Heads up! The big Garmin spring sale has started, with $200 off the Fenix 8, $100 off the Edge 1050, Forerunner 965, Forerunner 265, the new Instinct 3, and countless other Garmin products. Plus a few Suunto & Apple 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.
-
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.
I’ve managed many walks with my family on local trails, and had a great 10 mile run on super quiet streets.
Thanks for the chance to win!
I rode alone, like I always do.
I found the time to clean up my roadbike today and took it for a spin in the park!
I danced along with youtube in my living room while trying to avoid stepping on cats that wanted to see what I was doing!
Slogged 25 miles with 2500’ climbing in the 10C rain after endless shift in the ED fighting Covid. Weak legs but cleared head by the end. Idk whss as t I’d do without my bike
Slogged 25 miles with 2500’ climbing in the 10C rain after endless shift in the ED fighting Covid. Weak legs but cleared head by the end. Idk whss as t I’d do without my bike
daily 60min on a creaking trainer.
I went on a 3-mile hike through a nearby park.
Trainer Road workout + solo run brick
Solo ride through the country side.
Ran outside. Alone.
I haven’t had a decent work out in about a month with the kids plus my bike needed some work that is now complete. Hoping to get out for a ride this weekend
Easy 8 mile run on a less popular route.
I did a brick today indoor on my trainer totaling 18 miles followed by a 3-mile solo run in the neighborhood.
I rode monitor on trainer road.
Hi Ray, my last workout was with the Aktivitus testclinic and coaching in Zwift in Yorkshire – Aktivitus v2 2 hours long.
KR,
Andras
Tour of Central Park on zwift
Zwift Watopia Stage 5. Got distanced by the leaders.
bike trainer, 8x5min efforts +30second recovery, 10min warm up on rollers and 10min cool down on trainer
Circuit workout at home alone.
Rode around North of the golden gate bridge, with friends but staying 2 bike lenghts apart.
Playing “Frogger” and crossing the street to give elderly neighbors on the sidewalk a little extra breathing space.
Ran for an hour outside. Saw a few people, kept my distance.
Swamped with work, taking out the garbage is the best I can do
4 mile outdoor run in the woods…all alone except for two squirrels
Indoor 800yd band swim, core strength + run warm-up. 40min z2 run.
I walked my dog around my yard in rectangle after rectangle…
Quick four miles last week! Bad weather and closed gym is making it hard!
Running 20k on the not so populated hills counts as distancing I suppose.
Rode on my magical BMC slr01. The things we do to be happy…
I’ve always been a night owl, and so now with more flexible hours I’ve been running in the dead of night.
Did a 1 hour indoor cycling workout last night.
Last outdoor workout was a quick solo ride up the hometown climb. A lot others were out that day as it was our last chance to ride out before things were locked down.
A run around the neighborhood.
I had a run yesterday, 5 miles, nothing special but still felt awsome because it was outside!
P.
Cycling with my 4years old boy.
Took the dog for a walk with my wife.
Structured workout on RTG Cycling.
I took a 26 mile ride on my new Cannondale Synapse.
Just did a TR workout called Fletcher which was 1 hr ans 30 minutes of time to myself. Love it.
Barcelona city ride via Tacx
Tour of watopia Stage 5
Dade +4 on TrainerRoad.
I finished off Tour of Watopia, just tonight.
60 minutes on the treadmill
Rode my new Mountain Bike on the local trails this afternoon. What a blast!
Took a MTB ride in the forrest last weekend. Discovered some new trail got a good sweat and not a human in sight. Was awesome =)
I’m glad I set up my utility room in the basement for strength training over Christmas! That’s where I put in my last work out, about as isolated as it gets.
Intervals on my trainer in the garage. Watching The Expanse.
A great morning round the farms and over the hill to the bays. Beautiful, and missing it already!
Ran 16k avoiding all people on the way, giving them at least 1,5m of distance ;)
Went to a forest for a totally social distancing run
Working my way through the FTP builder on Zwift so something good comes out of this pandemic.
A sufferfest workout with an addition zwift ride.
Stage 5 of Tour of Watopia. Only person around was my son who enjoys giving “Thumbs Up” and hitting the boosts for me. He also likes to nag me to “bridge the gap, dad!”
I went for a swim this morning
Tour of Watopia stage 4 & 5
Tour of Watopia Stage 5 (Ride and Run)
Took the advantages of Homeoffice yesterday: Did a fast 3×1.000/500-session in the 45 minutes between two meetings.
I bought a smart trainer from CleverTraining at CyberMonday, and it’s my primary exercise now. Today I did a 50 minute ride on Zwift.
60 minute FTP test to gear up for weeks in quarantine.
8 miles with 4 @ MP. Using the time to get extra ready for a belated marathon season.
Stage 4 race in watopia. Best to ride with others virtually when you can’t be together.
I had a baby 2 weeks ago, just before my city started shutting things down because of covid-19. Last weekend I met a friend in the early Sunday morning and we went on a run through the city while the roads and sidewalks were extra empty. It felt really good to get out, see a familiar face in the flesh, and get my heart rate up a little. Even with a rough night of newborn sleep, it was well worth it.
I ran my usual 4 mile loop solo, not many people out before dawn.
Three mile run in completely empty shopping district
Been doing Yoga sessions with instructions sent on WhatsApp
TrainerRoad Pettit
Martial arts. Local dojo has been live streaming workouts (via ZOOM) daily. Not the same as in-person, but ZOOM allows one to see all participants so there’s still a social connection made with the instructor and classmates.
distancing there or not – continue doing workouts – enjoying it even more with the emptiness on the roads
Short run in a midnnight(allmost). Work in health service leaves no time in these days ??
Riding to work, hoping the cars can keep that 1.5 mts away. Car drives need to learn properly social distancing!
Bluebell on TrainerRoad, because the good trails are still wet.
There’s not too many people outside these days, making it possible to still do decent solo outside rides. And it’s cold enough to wear a buff as a face mask.
London Long Loop in Zwift last evening was a perfect end to a long day working from home in constant video meetings.
60 minutes indoor bike.
Impressed with my local Bike Studio: Rented out their smart trainers, setup Zwift so the class could stay together, and Zoom to keep the coaching real!
Now I’m going to need my own smart trainer! Thanks
I did a hill repeat trail run
A run very early in the morning.
I finished an over-under trainerroad workout in my basement after the family fell asleep. I didn’t think I’d have the energy. Note if I win, I’m giving a Garmin watch to my neighbor who is a firefighter. He’s wanted something like my Fenix 6, but never got himself one due to the cost. He’s one of the many first responder risking their health for us.
Socially distant bike ride in San Francisco (it is till allowed here States side, fortunately)
I did a trail run and then I found a rattlesnake and a family of wild boars as a bonus in the same day…the boars made me run faster than my usual in the opposite way….I was thinking if this wasn’t a sign to just buy a treadmill…
The little (Pettit) Trainerroad Workout.
I took my son and two dogs for an hour long run in the woods. All by ourselves.
The Cape town cycle tour! Been lazy since. But now it’s zwift time.
I’ve run 7miles in thwoods after sunset to be sure to not meet anyone so I could remove the face cover for most of the run – which is mandatory while moving outside due to current policy.
Today I did an indoor ride on Trainer Road
Push-ups with my daughter over my back…
Back roads gravel ride on the fat bike.
1hr Easy on my kickr
Jump rope with my daughters!
I did a solo early morning run around the block. It was snowing so there was basically nobody in like half a kilometre :D
I just ride to local pumptrack. Also best ever app for motivation is PokemonGo just ride for collecting pokemon station…
5 mile run on treadmill
Social distancing at an OCR course. Didn’t the obstacles over and over to keeping the distance to other people. I might have looked a little crazy goings-on round and round ?
Ran 6 miles outside
Ran 3 miles outside
A rowing session on my WaterRower, while watching a PoV video from somebody kayaking on Norwegian fjords.
free weights at home this week
Biked 15 miles on trainer
2-hour Zwift session