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.
-
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.
Keeping baby entertained in the living room. He likes to see us do jumping jacks and apparently breast-stroke motions are hilarious.
Spanish needle (microbursts) on Trainerroad
Went on Zwift saturday to do “NTT Pro Cycling Group Ride (E)” which turned out to be a bit of a pissing contest ;-)
Just an endurance ride around the island. With headwind.
Just finished my first Zwift ride/race, happy got top 50 lol. Thanks for being awesome!
Enjoyable slow run through the extended neighborhood in the rain. Surprisingly high number of opportunities to employ the runner’s wave.
I went “Hiking” with the family while dodging others on the trail! I love when you talk about gear you use with the family, because gear needs change & adapt along with your family, keep up the good work!
Set out for an evening bike ride after work. Snapped the presta valve on the rear tube while inflating. Replaced the tube. Got 5 mi into the ride and picked up a barb in the rear tire, which went completely flat. Only had one spare tube (which I’d already used when I snapped the valve), and didn’t want to call anyone to pick me up (because social distancing), so I walked my bike home (in road cycling shoes).
I did a 900 metre return walk to my favourite coffee shop to get an espresso and a bacon and egg roll, all take away, as that is still allowed currently. Even though I did not need the B & E roll I bought it, and left a generous tip, as an act of solidarity and support as I would like the coffee shop to be in business when this is all over. The shop brings a lot of people together, almost all of them I would not have met if the shop was not there. Long live Cafe due Amici and long live Sal and Al.
Went for a quick 45 minute ride in South London at what is usually rush hour. Would have been harder to get within 2m of somebody else!
Cotswolds, UK. Lovely in the spring sunshine this week.
Since I’m home I have ride the spinning bike almost everyday…
Morning – wood splitting
Evening – running in the forest
Best regards!
What was supposed to be a 6K run while children rode bikes at nearby heath in Surrey, UK, turned into a long winding bike/helmet/child carrying walk back and forth, one at the time, in the end too exhausted (mentally) to run anyway. Oh well…..
a 15k run in an empty park
Great initiative. I would use the prize to keep training inside to stay healthy.
Zwift – Crit City Race
Ride on fluid trainer in a hot garage!
run through the woods – just pick the right time and nobody’s there (and right next door as well…)
Zwift race on royal pump room 8 course!
Indoor ride on my 13 y old Elite Volare trainer on the roof of my building (thanks GCN for all the trainer classes on YT!)
Fat tire ride in our snowy mountains!
Tour of Watopia Stage 5 Race – 10 year old magnetic Tacx still going strong.
This morning I rode 90 (virtual) kilometers on Zwift
I have my bike trainer set up in the kitchen and I had a good hour long ride. I’m not racing the world, but I am racing myself. Keep on improving!
Hmm, my workouts are a sort of lost :-( not a lot of motivation these days. Walking 7km with a close friend is the activity that comes close to a workout. Maybe not so much a physical training but more a mental one.
With mandatory lockdown, I have only been able to do core workouts. Last workout 1hr core workout in living room. An indoor trainer would be highly appreciated! Stay safe and sane!
Did an hour ride followed by social distant 10 min run (nursing a couple niggles)
My last workout was a six mile run this morning through an amazing and mostly deserted city park.
Went for a walk with my 15 year old son after raking stones into the pot holes at the end of our driveway!
A disappointing ramp test on TrainerRoad :(
riding is still allowed outside in Austria with people you from the same household so today a nice 80km ride with girlfriend
Unfortunately, hiking (my favorite workout) is off the table because most of the trails are off-limits, but the lack of traffic has made running in the streets suddenly viable, which has been a fun side effect of quarantine!
This morning I did an 11k run on trails in the forest.
Ansel Adams+4 on TrainerRoad… legs hurt now :)
Quick spin on zwift followed by a lovely solitary run in the empty roads
Living on the very edge of a city (Dundee, Scotland) means I can still get out on runs and stay away from everyone else during this lockdown. This morning was a solo 7mile run.
A MTB ride with lots of physical distance between and all the other people out there
First bike ride in two years last weekend. Doing another tomorrow
Basement ride with 3 friends ( meeting < 5 req. in my state).
I got a 6 mile run in today by myself
The ultimate form of social distancing!!
I led a 2.5 hour group workout on Zwift
The dogs have been enjoying the extra walks.
TrainerRoad with my (second) Wahoo Kickr and a lot outdoor runs far from everyone when weather permits.
last workout was the Stage 5 Tour de Watopia group ride
Went out for a run with proper distancing!
Went for a run in a marshy area with many roads and applied the PacMan tactic. Worked like a charm.
Doing a quick Zwift-event just in time before a zoom-hangout with friends
Riding the rollers in my hallway!!
I did a trail run (by myself) in the nearby state park. Otherwise its kettlebells and battleropes inside.
50 km on my „dumb” trainer.
Impromptu HIIT with a kettlebell in the basement. Whatever works!
Just did 100km on Zwift, pretty intense, but felt good!
Still allowed to ride out here in Japan. Solo rides are good for self reflection, but a trainer would be great if/when we’re not allowed to bike outside anymore :(
As i do not have smart trainer, my workout for today was a Tábata full of push and pull ups
Did 3 hours long TrainerRoad workout. Needed to take a brake to an espresso and a banana.
Went to a quiet run, really nice weather today.
Thanks!!!
been catching up on zwift in between hospital shifts!
Set up the old “dumb trainer” in the shed for some VO2max efforts. Would love something a bit smarter!
I went for a progression run this afternoon alone, properly isolated on a not so popular route from home and immediately back again. I reduced the outside activities to one per week. The rest is inside, on trainer with the bike, weights and yoga.
Today was a nice weather, so i did the run was planned for tomorrow.
Be safe and stay healthy.
Zwifting with friends across Europe! Missing the country lanes though!
Got a Mountain bike ride in on a local non-popular trail just before the trails were shut down due to Covid-19. Could use the credit for an indoor trainer.
Got on my bike for the first time in months and went on a short ride around the neighborhood.
Touring Watopia and taking in all the sights and sounds. But mostly hanging with the sloths.
I went for a run around my block. Nothing overly adventurous but it worked! Went especially early in the morning and saw no one. (That is allowed where I am, at the moment, in New Zealand).
A 13 mile mtb ride in the Huachuca mountains.
My 4 year old is learning to ride her bike; so I’m running alongside her while to keep her balanced and staying well away from everyone!
Two things in one. Went to the pharmacy for my wife and ran the mile back. Amazingly acheived a new personal vo2max score of 44, who’d have a thought a two day total lockdown and the softlockdown beforebthat would improve my fitness when all i did was eat snacks!
Stay at home and be safe
Tim, Cayman Islands
A run yesterday with some darting into the street to stay distant
8mi outdoor run. We runners have it easy. My swimmer kids, not so much.
It was Sufferfest for me. Bright sunshine outdoors, but opted for the garage instead. Put on weight already!
A crit City race, getting really hard these days with so many zwifters to compete!
Trainer ride dreaming about being outside
I did some solo hill repeats to clear my head and get some some meters of elevation into the legs. It was a beautiful sunset here in the desert.
10k on a treadmill
A relaxed 24km trail run
A great bike ride at a good clip going through a national wildlife refuge with more people out walking and biking than I’ve ever seen. Even so, all passing and crossing were at about 10 feet separation.
Early morning 16km jog before the town woke up
I am counting walks to the supermarket as workouts these days. It helps. I even reach my Garmin activity goal with them. Today the weather was nice and I felt adventurous and walked to a supermarket that is a bit further away.
A nice solo ride around Surrey on a new bike.
Had a longer run today (10 miles) and chased a few KOMs. Got 3rd on my target one and 8th on another! Perfect running weather. And leaving plenty of room mind you!
1:30 h ride on TrainerRoad, as I am missing my bike 2 work rides…
200 squats, 100 press ups, 80 burpees in the garden with the wife. Oh and 1 pull-up. I suck at pull-ups!
An hour on the Peloton and I’m perfectly isolated.
I went for a 10 mile run along the beach this morning, at about an hour after sunrise. Was a great day for it.
Getting a puncture and not being able to fix it (tried though) 15kms from home….(the puncture wasn’t the workout).
Trainer road Diamond valley road race +2
3:15 Tempo Intervals on Zwift. Hard workout. Sore butt.
Zwift group ride with Team Type 1
I did a nice zone 2 endurance ride on Zwift this morning! Missing riding outside but it still feels like winter here anyway.
I went on an eight mile ride on my new bike.
I used a laser range finder to map out a beer mile course in the neighborhood and my wife got angry at me and told me I need to do Zwift instead
Fat biking in Canada.
Ride down the coast and back inland – nary a car in sight
I’m away from the city and it’s pretty quiet on a weekday – I ride solo most of the time anyway so not much change to my normal routine. Just minimize stopping, keep my helmet/glasses/gloves on the bike, and carry as much food/drink by myself as possible.
Solo run in the park keeping 2m away from people
Went riding around the city on newly quiet roads
28 mile solo bike ride
2:45 on the Tacx neo of followed by a 30 minute run in the treadmill
Neighborhood fartlek run