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.
A Kinetic Fit cycling workout.
Endurance ride on Zwuft
My last workout was a long hike in new, soft snow here in Interior Alaska. After an above-freezing warming spell earlier this month, with a few new feet of snow, the temperatures have thankfully dropped well below freezing again. Winter remains, and the trails are in great shape!
I went for a ride in my Velomobile! Especially with the hood
(roof with visor) on I’m pretty darn safe as it’s basically a rollin’ box with me entirely in it.
It’s crazy you still see large groups of amateur cyclists riding in packs in the Netherlands…
A Zwift Bike Ride.
I’ve entered every one of these and lost so I may as well keep my streak going. Plus, I want a new watch.
Zwift Zwift and more Zwift!
Just finished some sprints with the kids!
TrainerRoad Tallac +3 sweating my a$$ off
Tried out BigRingVR on the trainer
Just finished a ZWIFT Social Ride On with the Team Type 1 Diabetes Team I just joined.
Zwift group ride for a mates quarantine birthday!
I took my oldest son on a quick 19 mile road & gravel ride to get him away from his brothers.
I walked without my dog so I wouldn’t have to stop and sniff every bush along the way
Makeshift TRX straps for a body weight workout in my garage.
2.5 hr treadmill run! Putting in the work.
This morning I did a Zwift race, a Zwift workout and a Zwift meet up with a friend, yesterday a Zwift Workout and a Zwift race, on thursday two Zwifts Workout, on wesnday a Zwift workout and a Zwift social ride, on tuesday a Zwift workout…
For tomorow I’ve planned a Zwift race, next monday a Zwift workout and a Zwift meet up…
Therefore, my sport’s life is Zwift, Zwift, Zwift, then some Zwift, after that Zwift a couple times, after that Zwift and ending with a little of Zwift.
Let us see what we’ll have in a few weeks…
1 hour stairmaster at a steady pace
I did some body weight calisthenics in my pain cave. Definitely need a trainer now more than ever!
1h20 trainer session
Yes please! Could use a trainer these days.
2 hour indoor ride on an old Fluid2 trainer. Waiting to buy a new smart trainer!!
I rode in Zwift’s and Cervelo’s virtual gravel ride part one on Thursday. We were all on virtual Cervélo Áspero bikes They look slick though I do question the functional need for the virtual disc brakes. I did feel Social D safe in our tightly packed virtual peleton however.
Road on Zwift with a mate from South Africa – we haven’t ridden ‘together’ in over 2 years ??
I did the last Tour of Watopia Stage 5. Was pretty brutal but found a new friend who towed me along and encourages me for the last 8 miles or so. That’s what social and zwift mean. Could use a new trainer though.
A short uncomfortable run where the gps shows my zig zagging around the two many people outNYC! have to go very early from now on
Biking with my spouse but NOT drafting. Really a leg burner!
hey, thanks a lot for this fantastic offer and cheers up, my swimming pool is closed for 1 month, need to learn dry swimming :(
Bit of zwifting with a few thousand others!
A zwift crit city race! Followed by a p90x3 session! My bedroom is quickly becoming a home gym….
Not a proper sports workout, but I ve been cutting firewood half day. Looking forward to bike trainer session tomorrow.
Actually got on on the road bike; few cars one other cyclist going the other way. A few pedestrians which I gave a wide berth.
89km ride through mostly nature and nothingness. Fresh air was very much needed… Besides that, some HIIT as home.
This morning on the canal path
An indoor callisthenics workout. It’s not the same as running but it will have to do for now.
A nice easy run to keep my immune system strong
Strava HIT training 45 minutes to keep up speed.
Riding on a trainer while watching couple episodes of Stargate SG-1
I’m going on daily bike rides that I log for my school’s PE e-learning requirement.
Solo run on the local paths!
I’ve been doing my local loop solo with some indoor sessions on Zwift.
Jogging in my neighborhood.
Solo ride around the neighbourhood on a mountain bike, flat pedals, running shoes and no lycra. Nice to get the fresh air, but miss the faster pace group road rides.
Just doing a lot of push-ups and sit-ups.
Running on the most remote streets around. Very few people. Always switching to other side. Kind of anti-heatmap run.
Running in the neighborhood at 5am.
Interval trainer workout on Rouvy alone in my basement. Also some dumbbell and kettle bell workouts in the same basement.
Zwift ZRS Prehistoric Rush
After work 36 hours in the ER as a registered nurse my husband and I completed a 2 hour trainer ride in our homemade garage-gym.
Hardly nothing, running inside apartment, considering running a Marathon in the balcony like the German dude.
Zwift is keeping me alive :)
A nice bike ride, since we’re not locked down yet…
Orienteering intervals! Awesome stuff
I did yoga in the living room! Used a nifty app called Down Dog. Anyone else getting insanely stuff?
Last workout was using my partners trainer to do zwift for the first time. Hope to get my own so I can zwift with her!
Trying all the indoor apps! It’s a great time to try them all!
Set up my second-hand Direto in the detached garage and fired up Zwift.
Went out today for a 2 hour ride. Best part was there was very little traffic. I can get use to this!
Went running in the woods alone, going early there was no issue keeping proper distance.
Tour de Zwift Stage 5
Running then eating all the ice cream and chocolate i could find ;)
I hour power zone on the peloton bike.
I did squats for 5 minutes while listening to a Lady Gaga song with my 2-year-old broken-legged daughter on my shoulder. Only way to stop her from crying these days…
I’ve been spending a lot of time on the bike trainer! Would love to upgrade to a smart trainer.
Nice easy spin on the trainer for an hour.
Ran outside, more people using the park (6 feet away) than usual!
Getting in some runs outside as well as outside biking! Stay safe everyone.
Running like Forrest Gump – just keep going! ?
A quick jog around the block before having to shift to indoor running without a treadmill!
Treadmill 3 Mile run.
Had a walk with my dogs in the sunny Edinburgh!
Just did 90km on empty roads in the Belgian Kempen I hope the prize can be redeemed on the european site.
I took my son on a 20 mile bike ride in his new Thule Chariot Cross
Roadbike ride on Saturday morning, March 28th near Munich, Germany.
Solo cruising the african wild lands of Belgium with my mountainbike. (Kalmthoutse Heide)
EFDV group ride on Zwift yesterday.
Cleaning up the entire weekend house plus gardening chores.
Rode my bike staring at the wall in the basement
One hour virtual riding in Gran Canaria using BigRingVR.
Running with mask and Croozer.
Ride on the trainer
Thought about going for a cycle ride but walked to the shops instead and brought beer!
I really need a home trainer because I spill too much beer when cycling on the road… ?????
As far as I’ve been able to get on my workout is buy I new pair of running shoes. Doh!
Quick 1 hour spin in “my lunch break” while wfh. Sadly no coffee and cake at the finish these days!
just yet a cycling round outside, never in a group!!!
Spent an hour in Wattopia this morning with a friend who is one state away. Socially distant safety!
I ran stairs in a deserted office parking garage. It was actually kind of pleasant (as running stairs goes. I suppose that’s one benefit of all the offices being closed.
Zwift race! First one ever in fact.
Sadly no change, train by myself already
Completed half of the Tour of Watopia, and taken outdoor group rides indoors as Zwift Meetups
Zwift one hour ride
I knew my smart trainer would be reused one day, so I just returned to Zwift. So good to be able to workout at home!
went on a bike ride on the deserted roads of surrounding hills – short steep climbs with ~15% gradients
Small group of 5 road biking with minimal drafting. Today’s ride will be solo outside.
Random Zwift ride in Watopia
Warm Up:
3×15 pushups
3×15 banded tricep pushdowns
Prep:
5×20 single arm shoulder press with two bricks per arm
Main:
4×6 push press with 55lb dumbells
1xmax reps push press 55lb dumbells
Finish:
5×12 band front delt raise
5×12 band lat delt raise
jump rope until break between supersets
Low RPM (42) intervals, lovely strength session :)
Solo bike ride, saw more lawnmowers than cars
Did a ride up alpe du Zwift today. 90mins with a structured workout. Would love the money to buy a trainer for the wife too!
Updated mine running record from 5,5 km to 6,3 km. And it was nice to do