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.
Hill repeats 2 minutes from my house… still hurt
20 х (1 min @50 rpm hard+ 1 min rest)
Still running outdoors, but spending time in the middle of the road.
4 mile run through a leafy suburb
Hi, I’d love to be able to get one home trainer…
The affordable ones are out of stock, and the others too expansive.
My last workout was a trial of one of the insanity videos, within the sizes of Paris flats, trying to not get hated by my neighbors, it’s not that simple.
Thanks.
A solo run at sunrise this morning.
Run around the block, avoiding dogs on the loose.
strength training at home
TrainerRoad for 1:30. Got me to where I am no reason to stop now!!! It’s all about Baxter.
Zwift ride this morning with my Kickr and Kickr Climb
Lucky enough to live next to a national forest with plenty of gravel roads. Ride out into the middle of nothing but trees.
Went out for a run this morning – cool, crisp, sunny. No one else was out.
About a week ago I was able to go for a run near home, now just in hone with my old trusty bike trainer, thanks for the giveaway
Rode Zwift Tour of Watopia stage 5 twice today in order to level up to Level 37… I’ll put that discount to use!
The last social one was a run with my colleagues, now I work from home so no running with colleagues :(
Thx Ray! Today’s Zwift Workout: 20 Minutes of an easy spin with 200 Watts followed by 4X5 Minutes of 300 Watts. :) total of 90 Minutes :)
30 minutes on ring fit adventure. Gotta enjoy the new music mode!
Group ride on Zwift
A short morning run with the baby strollee
A garmin watch with an OHR that works.
Zwifting along on the trainer and treadmill as usual!
Easy spin on Zwift
Went for a 40m mins run This morning
Help to hold off the cabin fever…
A short Zwift ride last Saturday.
I ran to work. Very early. Surprising number of runners with the same idea though, but few enough cars I could run in the road to overtake.
Zwift ToW Stage 5 and some extra to make it up 20 miles
Zwift with my GSZ teammates!
The Sufferfest The Best Think In The World with reduced intensity ?? nice session ?
I took from the past my old (1991…) bike and I put it on an Elite Mag trainer that my brother (he’s a proper biker) gave me; I’m a runner but I can’t go outdoor so I’m back on a saddle after somewhat like…20 years!
I’m pushing good watts but no smart connection to anything so Strava just show my HR going up for an hour doing nothing!
And if it’s not on Strava…
So, why not a smart trainer?
Stage 5 of Tour de Watopia 2020 on Zwift!
I’ve been managing to get outside for runs around the block still. Waved to a couple of people watering plants, but otherwise not a person to be seen.
I purposely slowed down my pace and turned a 1.5hr ride into a 2hr. ride….worried that it might be my last ride outside for some unknown amount of time. It was chilly (7C…4C with the wind) and cloudy, but I wanted to absorb every moment of feeling my wheels roll on pavement, and wind against my face. I hope it wasn’t the last ride before being told we can’t ride outside for awhile.
Running around the semi deserted neighbourhood and constantly crossing the road to avoid this walking.
Lucky there was almost no cars.
Short one and half mile pre-dawn run in my neighborhood.
A short 30min recovery ride on Zwift
I rode Glassy in TrainerRoad. 1:20 of tempo between 75-90%.
I a 10 miles TT effort around my local short course. 2 other rider in front which I passed them with at least 4 meters space.
I did this TT ride as I’m currently in isolation due to daughter having a cold n flu. And couldn’t take another turbo session. So very sensible and reasonable self isolated TT Ride.
Antelope on TrainerRoad, just started sweet spot baase HV1
Coach led session on the turbo using MS Teams
Only 30’ run on treadmill because this morning I rode 1h30’ in Watopia
I have been eyeing a Garmin Edge 530 that and Garmin Varia, so a little help towards those purchases would be awesome
Qatantine day 11: Hallway, 1 hour of mingling with some medieval torture machinery synced with Zwift. There was also fan named Wilson which hyperventilated for whole session trying to keep me from evaporating to my bed. I like that fan, full of vigor! Im almost sure it is trying to speak, but it could not catch a breath.
Strolling around the neighborhood for an hour and finally getting out of the house with my three year old son.
Garage is cold and family already gives me plenty of distance when I’m training. This begs the question, if I workout and no one is there to witness, did it really happen?
Zwift ride this morning, recovering from the Corona. Plus, it’s my birthday on Sunday!
Virtual ride with teammates on Zwift!
Finished the Tour of Watopia
Zwift on ANT+ enabled Cycleops 300pt trainer!
I managed a 1.5 mile run on uncrowded sidewalks.
Zwift and yoga, probably gonna be vitamin D deficient soon
Made up and ran (with my son) an orienteering course mostly off trail and in wet snow – no one else around for that!
This would definitely be a huge moral booster.
I’m just picking up rucking, did my first ruck this morning.
Group Zwift ride with chat on Discord. It was nice to hear some friend’s voices again.
Zwift plus two mile run
Zwift Pro-Am Race! Just need some favero assioma’s to dual record ??
Did an hour of TrainerRoad in the garage this morning! Better than nothing.
Went for a mountain bike ride through the island
Took my daughter out for a 2 mile run in the jog stroller on our deserted dirt back roads.
Solo ride from the house, passed a few joggers on the road, so I made sure move to the other side of the lane when going by. Easy peasy
Working on rouvy Italy roads and mixing with trainerroad.
1h10′ treadmill group ride via Skype with the team!
Just finished stage 5 of Tour of Watopia.
I did bunnyhops in the backyard :)
Mountain bike on neighborhood roads and greenways cause trails are still too wet!
10k early morning run on the empty roads!
On day 5 of self isolation and haven’t been able to do a decent workout and could really do with a trainer for my 600sqft apartment to help push the walls back by riding and closing my eyes and thinking of the riafs I ride last year
Zwift group ride with friends from thé local cycling club
It would be the Stage 5 of the Tour of Watopia with Lucy Charles-Barclay. Amazing ride,!
We got it for a family snowshoe into a holy and secluded area of Gatineau Parc… Just before it was closed.
I went running through the woods, along an abandoned railway line (rails were removed some years ago during a renewal of the line that was cancelled due to the 2008 crisis). Not a single soul in sight…
Managing outside weekend rides here in California when it is dry. Backing off the pace whenever I come upon someone till I can safely pass with the appropriate “social distance”. No drafting allowed! Zwift for all other rides.
The old garmin is about to give out.
Run around the neighborhood at 5:30 am because no one else should be out then, right? Except people walking their dogs at 5:30 am because no one else should be out at that time.
Doing some peloton.
I shuffled up and down a paved trail here in sunny Bend, respectfully dodging adjacent dog walkers.
Last week of Build Session
90mn Traineroad Phoenix+2 and run 20mn (until Longchamp and back)
Take care of you ;-)
Been doing 10 miles in my subdivision, being sure to stay on the opposite side of the street from anyone else.
Just went for a 5k run in my neighborhood.
9km recovery run at evening = empty roads now.
Tabata workout at home since I can’t go outside for a swim, bike or run ?
An Xert breakthrough (before my breath is through).
A run home after a socially distant walk with my sister.
Hiked yet another 10,000 steps waiting for my primary bike to come back from the shop.
Not much, doing some indoor workout training plan while entertaining my girls
Ran a 5k around the neighborhood.
1st race on Zwift – signed up today!
Did a ride on my indoor trainer.
I completed a nice Emily’s Short Mix on Zwift!
That was A hard one hr spin after long community quarantine. Soaking with sweat.
Riding on the indoor trainer this week using Zwift!
I rode with my dear Zwift friends!
Last workout I nearly killed myself doing an FTP test on trainerroad using my elite direto bought from clever training.
I went out for jogging … alone without my crew :-o
I went for a run outside, in the street because the bike path is too full to probably keep a distance. And with the girls in the Bob since there is no daycare!
45 minutes on Zwift with a speed and cadence sensor on my mag trainer.
A smart trainer would go a long way to increasing my enjoyment.
3 mile run from my house!
A 2.5Km interval run around the quarter. Easy to do social distancing when you live in a business district and all the businesses are closed……for business.
Went for a walk around the tiny wood next to my house ?
10 X hills on 2 minutes. 10 minute warm up and cool down.