Heads up! The big Garmin spring sale has started, with $200 off the Fenix 8, $100 off the Edge 1050, Forerunner 965, Forerunner 265, and countless other Garmin products. 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.
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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!
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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 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.
My last social distance run was with a friend running with me, but with 2m distance between us, which was rather difficult to maintain because sometimes the roads where not that wide. We solved that by running after each other, instead of next to each other. This added a new dimension to our training, while we could still see each other and have a chat along the way.
Riding alone
Alice tempo run in the evening sun. The spring is here!
Cross country run through the open fields near where I live.
Indoor ride on the Tacx neo
Woohoo, a new Kickr will be mine!!!
Riding trough the forest on cx bike
My last workout was doing a gazillion up in the air lifts with my 6 month old daughter, just pausing for her to stamp her feet now and then.
A solo run up the mountain. Luckily we’re still allowed out!
Alone on a 10k run is still possible in Belgium.
So running is my main focus now.
It was Tour of Watopia course with climb to the volcano on Zwift.
Thankfully I’m still able to ride outside for now.
Indoor riding with the feeling that my legs were weighting more than 200kgs each.
Pretended that I was commuting to work. Rode to work and back home again, lol.
I did a 70 km bike ride on my own the other day. Great weather but when you’re on your own even the best of weather can be tiring without company. I have been looking at trainers for the past couple weeks in order to join zwift to get the social aspect back in these times ?
I’ve chosen to go for the classic jogging run the other day, met absolutely no one!
Yesterday evening I took a run alone in the forrest around the ice hockey arena while my sons had their regular hockey practice. We live in Sweden…
An indoor trainer ride!
I think gardening is my new type of workout these days. Needed to dig out some roots.
An easy 22 miles yesterday and enjoyed the bluebonnets in bloom (Texas state flower), the warm temperatures, and smiling and waving to others while maintaining a recommended 6 feet away!
I am doing strength training in my living room with the help of now free premium workouts from Nike, I hope this is not considered marketing?
managed 2h low intensity trainer ride
My last workout was a “quarantaine-run”, a short run which I’ve done alone. Running together is nice for socializing, but running alone is better for my pace and workout. (and health!)
Great give-away, Ray and CleverTraining!
Just a small jog soon in the morning.
Managed to fit in a 30 minute HIIT indoor killer workout.
Last workout was a late-season Nordic ski with my college-senior daughter whose college shut down and sent her home indefinitely.
Indoor 1h trainer ride!
Last workout was a run with my son outside. Of course my distance to him was short as allowed, but we took the wide route with everyone outside.
Love to get a powermeter for the bike, and the 500$ would put me close to the required budget :-D
A 12 mile mtb spin with the boy on the back, shouting at the birds and giving the few walkers we saw a very wide birth. With him bouncing off the walls at home it’s nice to get out in such lovely weather.
Backyard bootcamp! In my own backyard, at least it’s outside… I want to ride my bike again :(
Zwift group rides do the trick
Running up and down my block for 10 minutes, and then a 30 minute workout with my trainer, via phone!
Took up running after an 18 month injury layoff. Did 5km whilst diving into the bike lanes to avoid the odd rate pedestrian.
Does screaming at the children count as a workout? It certainly raises my pulse….
Went anti-technology and bike and went for a walk around the neighborhood. A lovely one mile or so loop that was done just because.
I did a HiiT and TRX workout yesterday.
I did an indoor zwift workout-duatlon 57 min bike plus 45 min runing
I did a 30 min recovery run, trying to see if my foot injury is getting better. Perhaps it’s time to get that GoPro.
Ran up the mountain, but today, I am stuck at home, so maybe I will just do some skipping or push-ups…
I’m following a Sufferfest coach plan – weights, yoga and a SUFFERFEST session called GOAT.
WTRL team time trial on Zwift. Fast and furious!
Kettlebell workout at home
A solo run – on the evening before lock down on 100% empty roads.
TrainerRoad Ramp Test …
I’ve done a run with a few kilometers at different speeds. It was to test my new shoes, to see how they feel at different speeds. I’m at the outer edge of a very small city, so I can run into the countryside and meet hardly anyone out there…
I did a short run. Easy enough to keep a good distance to others in Sweden!
I did a ride with my race bike through the cold valley’s in Bavaria.
Luckily we are still allowed to go outdoors freely in Finland, I went for a quick run last evening to get some fresh air
One hour night time run round a near deserted industrial estate. Only a few bewildered truckers looking on from their cabs.
Rural area, running outside is still fine.
Did some weights whilst dreaming of a turbo trainer set up
yo me quedo en casa
Did a short 50 km hilly route near Athens, Greece with my Canyon …
Tour of Watopia stage 5… Recorded a new FTP too!
Walking on side streets just for variety and a change of pace
Prepare and stay inshape for mine next sct (allogene). Riding outside is a to big risk.
“Another” hour on the treadmill, which of course feels like five hours.
58 miles of solo (outside, govt allowed) cycling in the sunshine. It was lovely!
A 10k run in the dark
Would really love a pair of Garmin vector pedals for the (hopefully) outdoor season here in Norway. Using Trainerroad inside so would be good to continue using power to train.
Einar
A nice easy run on roads people don’t come, the ideal Social Distancing Route!
Just finished a “sprint” race around the block with my 10 year old daughter! Hardly any traffic on the roads due to the current lockdown so quite safe for teaching her road rules! Stay safe everyone!
Kettlebell workout after warm up walk.
Bought a Tacx trainer and completed an Innsbruck KOM after party race on Zwift. It was great!
Did 50 minutes on my spinner bike yesterday.
I did a 9 km solo run avoiding the few humans meandering about…
I went for a run in my East London neighbourhood, offering socially distanced smiles to fellow strollers, runners, and cyclists en route. On the bright side, it’s sunny, and most of them smiled back!
Hello from Italy training only indoor on old non smart trainer with The Family Guy seasons ?
A 45 minute ride around the empty local backroads. Followed by a short core workout in the kitchen.
Did a 45 min Zwift meet-up ride, while on Google Hangout, with my friend who has been put in 100% COVID19 lockdown, as he has come back from a ‘red zone’ country. This is planned for everyday for the 14 days he is by law not allowed to leave his home.
Bike ride in the forest with my son
8 k run
30 minute recovery run yesterday—I was even daring enough to venture outside for the workout.
Did a zwift race.
It hurt.
Did 5x8min of over/Under intervals last night. It had me by the third interval, but managed to push through although it was not pretty. ??
I went for 5km walk with my 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter. My daughter walked the whole way and now has a 5k PB of just under 2 hours.
Early 10K run, to slow to catch up with anyone.
Greater London Flat! Recovering day… I think I am Training more than ever :)
I went on a 2h ride in the nearby hills keeping proper distance to the few other riders i came across.
Tour of Watopia stage 5 in Zwift
Not sure what my last workout was. It’s that bad! Maybe some $500 will make my ass move again ;-)
8m run in the nearby woods without a single soul around – just me and some birds.
Ready to ride!
Doing long run in the loneliness of the moorlands, to train for a virtual half marathon next week against my friends .
Workout on zwift in ny paincave/garage. Good old rockmusic on the stereo as a mental push
Run 8.7km in the forest.
Rode the Tour of Watopia Stage 5 Race and finished with the Group Ride.
50 minute run with 8x 2min intervals..
Thumb scrolling
I did an outdoor bike tour
A simple 30 minutes of stretching, foam rolling and SuperJoints routine :)
Smart trainer 1 hour ride with Bkool
Lucky enough to be in short distance of Richmond Park for my government mandated outdoor exercise (once per day!). Using it for mental health and respecting the huge number of families on their bikes (a JOY to see) as much as anything so a 40k pootle as a workout
Custom Zwift FTP workout
Did an hours indoor rowing. Hate indoor rowing
30km ride around London and Surrey thanks to the power of Zwift….. though I think I need a new Turbo as apparently I was knocking out 260 watts on average the whole way
Hi! I did a 2 hour ‘ride’ on my rollers. Was quit nice in the garden, 11C and sunshine. No ventilators needed :)
please give me free stuff
It was a 7k easy run on a field a couple of days ago :)
One hour and something on my old neo trainer