Heads up!!! Here’s your massive holiday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Epix for just $419, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $699, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $249, (or the brand new Hero 13 or $299!) and plenty more! Go check out the full list of 100+ deals here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
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You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
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Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
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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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FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
- Do you have a privacy policy posted?
- Why haven’t you yet released a review for XYZ product you mentioned months ago?
- Will you test our product before release?
- Are you willing to review or test beta products?
- Which trainer should I buy?
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- What kind of camera do you use?
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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.
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!
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.
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!
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 2023 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.
Did I miss the Apple Watch Series 6 in-depth review?
Not yet. Part of that ‘backlog’ pile.
Would it be cheeky to ask for a preview of how you’re getting along with the production version of the Karoo 2? I believe customers have started receiving units, but I can’t find a single review aside from your prototype write-up.
It’s good thus far. I mean, ultimately the software is the same as the Karoo 1, save a few new features like the beeper and the phone notifications. But it’s all working good thus far for me. I’ll probably head back out again tomorrow for it. I often drop little tidbits onto Instagram Stories.
Hey Ray,
Didn’t you notice a bit of play in the Quad Locks system as well?
Mine is two years old and now moves A LOT. Given their price, I would have expected them to last longer.
But I guess 10.000 km on my road bike is kind of extreme usage. But still. Really interested to this peak design goes.
Bes,
No plat at all on any of ours. I think we’ve got 4-5 mounts around, and both The Girl and I have phone cases, and I’ve got a few spare phones with older cases.
I don’t remember off-hand how many KM the cargo bike has on it right now, maybe 5,00KM? Plus other bikes that have less Quadlock mileage. But yeah, I’d agree 10K on your road bike would be on the more extreme end for a mount like that.
Same problem here and it looks like the case is the culprit: I have a Quadlock case from my previous phone which wobbles a bit on a mount (and that case suffered more than two years through 10k km in all possible weather), but the case that I’ve just received is rock solid on the same mount.
Thanks much! Good to know that just changing the case solves the issues. I’ll order one on their current sales then. Thanks.
First, thanks for all the work with the Black Friday deals. It looks like it is a ton of work (and sort of a pain!). In your Garmin keynote talk you said primary revenue is from affiliate links. So I guess this is an important week for you! Looking forward to some good deals.
And thanks for going into the water again to test the RIVAL. Hopefully they don’t send you new beta versions to test every day. :-)
Thanks Bruce!
Indeed, affiliate links via Amazon/etc is the majority revenue source today. Over time I’d prefer to change that to be more balanced with DCR Supporters (like yourself), the DCR Analyzer, and such. But that’s a slower transition.
I’ll probably head into the water again next week. Maybe I’ll find my neoprene swim cap first…
I’m currently trying a few of the C by GE color changing smart bulbs for a few select locations in the house, that I don’t plan to expand.
Much better pricing than Philips Hue, and better integration to Google.
i don’t understand why people pay for Hue, nor why their aren’t more (cheaper) competitors yet.
Having a lot of Hue lights (strips, bulbs, spot, …) from years it’s really cool.
Perfect for domotics use and giving colors in some area. Yes it’s expensive like everything when it’s futuristic but there are often sales ?
With an ambilight Philips TV and some bulbs, it’s the perfect pain cave
Yeah, I’m waiting to see what pops up BF-wise this weekend for a few more lights I still need. Not a ton, just a few things. I see the starter kits most often go onsale, and here in the Netherlands, you can get reasonable bulk discounts on some of the outdoor stuff from Bol.
I’m about 4 years in with my Peak Designs backpack and it gets lots of abuse, too many airmiles (well ok not THIS year) and I really thought it would look shabby by now; absolutely not. Still looks fresh and great. That may or may not be applicable, but they do at least have good form.
Dan
Good to hear. I’ve always liked their stuff, but also just struggled to justify some of the prices for how much usage I’d probably get out of it. I tend to throw my camera stuff in whatever the heck is nearby at the time…
I know your bikes would all have dedicated bike computers, but especially with all of these mobile mounts including Peak Design’s (which I’m also interested in), have you thought about writing comparisons of available iOS or Android bike computer apps?
I know I’ve struggled to find anything decent on Android before settling on an app called Jepster, but I don’t know if there’s anything better out there.
Yeah, every once in a while I ponder doing it, and then realize how incredibly complex it is with so many apps, basically each requiring at least a few rides to see what the pros and cons are.
I’ve tested a few, and to me, the best option is Cyclemeter (link to abvio.com), and by far.
Just missing the turn by turn navigation (and climb pro ;) ), but otherwise great (pairs with tons of sensors, many displays fully customizable, load and follow GPS trace, a boatload of post-activity statistics).
You mention swimmers generally get nothing in sports watches. It is getting better.
On your product database, swimming has since been rolled out for many garmin watches via firmware from the last few years. Your product compare-a-tron shows these watches as not having swimming tracking functionality.
I was looking for a cheap swimming watch and excluded many based on your compare-a-trine until I actually checked the firmware update notices.
Awesome tool otherwise. And great work on keeping the product reviews coming.
That’s a totally interesting point. I’ve completely forgotten about using the product database that way. The top-level filter needs a re-work. In the details it shows all the most accurate swim features, but the overall filter for recommended type doesn’t often get populated.
Noted, adding to list!
Ok…I think…fixed. I just added the swim tag to a boatload of them. I think I’ve got all Garmin/Suunto/Polar/Samsung/Apple/COROS watches covered/validated.
Was there a specific one you were looking at that didn’t have it?
Thanks!
Just a question, if Peak Design Mobile causes such a memic reaction, why not Topeak Ridecase? They also had an out-front mount with GoPro hanger for years.
Peak Design’s is definitely more elegant than both Topeak and Quad Lock, I’ll give it that. But Topeak has been solid for me for the last decade, and the case includes a kickstand by default.
I think you answered it yourself. ;)
“Peak Design’s is definitely more elegant than both Topeak and Quad Lock, I’ll give it that.”
Basically, that’s it – which…is just akin to the meme.
In this case though, the little mini twistable tripod is a big one. I have to look at Topeak and see how specific that is in the functionality (meaning, can I get my phone vertically level in both portrait and horizontal. Peak Design is appealing to photo/video people in that realm, so I fall into that.
Like you, my Quadlock (in my case) has been rocksolid for years, and it gets tons of use in all sorts of crappy weather.
In terms of site tweaks, I’ve noticed that the google amp version of the mobile site looks differ t than just goi g straight to the site on mobile. Not sure if this is intentional or not but wanted to mention it while you’re already doing site tweaks.
Hi Brian-
Thanks for the heads up. Which mobile OS/phone?
That one isn’t necessarily intentional I don’t think. But if you’ve got a screenshot or two that’d be awesome, feel free to just shoot them to my via e-mail, using my first name at domain.
Cheers!
Eagerly waiting for non-review review of Peak Design Mobile. I’ve backed them on Kickstarter despite having a used a Quadlock mount for four years now (just got myself a new Quadlock case for the new phone).
My biggest complaint about the Quadlock, which PeakDesign solves, is the bump on the back – I just hate when the phone wobbles on the desk
Yeah, the lack of bump is nice. It’s sitting on the desk next to me right now…nice and flat. :)
I’d be tempted to attach all those watches to a giant rolling pin and mount on the baby stroller for a one off GPS test, assuming the DCR Analyzer could handle that many different colours?
Did someone say podcast…. ?? ;)
Thats a huge Hue haul – must have cost a fortune. Fancy posting another photo (insta, twitter?) of the full lot so we can see what you’ve gone for ?!
Here’s most of it. Some notables:
A) Flood light is going back as noted. We’re just going to swap it out for one of the regular outdoor garden ones we have.
B) The bridge kit was missing at time of photo. That included two more color bulbs, the little remote, and the bridge.
C) The larger power supply 100w for the garden ones is missing in this photo.
D) The standalone color bulbs you see are going in the wall lights, because…well, someone wanted color wall lights. ;)
Pumpkins not included by Hue.
Cheers!
Thanks! I like the look of those outdoor wall lights – and of course the need to be colour! :)
Looking forward to the Peloton-bike-move-style insta-story of you (hopefully not!) electrocuting yourself!
Fear not, electrician comes tomorrow, mostly because we don’t have power…anywhere.
I’m pretty confident with basic electrical tasks in the US (running new wiring, adding outlets, lights, etc…). But zero confidence in Europe. One of these days I need to find/take a basics class for Euro electrical stuff.
Its not that hard really – but understand the reluctance of working outside! Lots more to consider with armoured cable etc.
Thanks, btw, but I think you’re about to cost me a fair amount of money as I’m getting full on lighting FOMO now!
Yeah, it’s honestly mostly I just need to understand the different wiring colors/standards/etc here. Outside is a different ballpark, but not horribly so. Also, given our home is 90 years old, there’s some electrical funk. I went to add a Nest Thermostat the other day (err…month), and literally nothing was labeled, and everything using the same color wire. I’m like: WTF?!?
As for the Hue, at least some things are on sale on BF right now. Albeit, mostly just starter kits. So they sucker ya in with that, but then when you need to buy a bunch, there’s only minor discounts.
Enjoy!
Typical bait and switch!
I’m looking at third party zigbee lights now – hue just seems overly priced for what it is, especially when I have the started kit already. Smart GU10s and E27 bulbs in standard external fixings will save a fortune, and infinitely more choice. (although the Hue product range looks more complex than Garmin’s!)
Yeah, I’ve done little research on how I can leverage 3rd party lights.
Which is funny, because living in DC, I went all-in on smarthome tech. Albeit, that was 16 years ago now. But still, every single lightswitch in the four-story townhouse swapped out (smart lightbulbs weren’t really a thing then). Sensors on all the doors, motion sensors in every room, etc.. The works.
Ultimately though, the tech was just too finicky then in comparison to where it is now. Even now, there’s still elements that are imperfect. For example putting in a smart lightbulb is ultimately silly without putting in a smart switch at the main legacy light switch on the wall. And then once you put the switch in, it mostly negates the core on/off value of a smart bulb (except for changing color) – at least indoors.
You can have a look at the IKEA smart lightbulbs, they also work with the Philips Hue bridge, and are quite a lot cheaper.
Good call, those are substantially cheaper! I could see diving into that realm for things like shed lights or such where I just want it so when I forget to turn off the lights I don’t have to head back out in the rain to turn it off.
I guess I missed why you own a gondola…
Ahh…but, I tell the entire backstory in the DCR Quarantine Corner: link to dcrainmaker.com
;)
Quad Lock has a GoPro attachment for their Out Front Mount as well, I have it on my bike.
That’s true.
To be fair, my first choice for the Peak Design bike mount wouldn’t have been an out-front mount. It’s just not what I really want on a commuter bike. The regular band-style mounts would be better.
Dear Ray and followers,
can you say anything regarding damages to the phone by vibrations when mounted to a bike?
Kind regards,
Hannes
I haven’t had any issues there at all. I have heard of a few people that believe there’s a connection there, but it’s honestly unclear to me if that’s a legit issue in 2020 anymore (there was some concerns way back when on optical stabilization of cameras, but it’s fuzzy to me if that was a perceived issue or real issue, or an example of a phone that already had a manuf/defect and this simply helped finish the job).
In any case, for me or The Girl, no problems.
Thank you!
I might give it a try instead of a dedicated headunit because of strava beacon and segments. Now with BT-HR back in the Strava app I think it is worth it.
Thanks again!
Hannes
I was looking back over some of your old posts and saw Dr ok m 2019 the article about the SRM SPD power meter pedals.
Looking at SRM’s site now it is November 2030, it says coming soon, that a long time since your first post. Do you have any updates on them. Us gravel riders I’m sure are interested, especially as some crank based meters won’t fit due to lack of space on bikes such as the trek checkpoint.
Thanks for all you do, for the bike industry, nice to have you, Shane and Des all being unbiased in your reviews and advice.
Great ask. I can’t seem to find any news, reviews, etc. I have one pre-ordered and it would be great to get some new, in-depth info (from the company, DC, etc) on the product.