Heads up!!! Here’s your massive Cyber Monday sports tech deals list! This includes the Garmin Forerunner 965 for just $499, Garmin Epix for $429, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for just $619, the GoPro Hero 12 Black for $299, (or Hero 13 bundle for $339!) 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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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.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!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
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!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
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?
- Which GPS watch should I buy?
- I’m headed to Paris – what do you recommend for training or sightseeing?
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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.
Well Nike Run Club for Android was long forgotten buggy piece of crap. Not sure if this is a good idea of him to take up strava next
I guess it’s worth mentioning that new health-related Siri features on Apple Watch seem to require the latest watch as well (Series 9 or Ultra 2). I remember it being mentioned during the september keynote and the fact that none of the suggested commands work on my Series 8 running watchOS 10.2 confirms it.
Funny about avatar body types. When I was heavier, it’d bulk me up and make me buff rather portly like I was. I’d like to choose a portly avatar. More realistic and more motivating in losing weight and getting fit.
Me too. My avatar is stunning. I – am not.
Maybe he will get Strava to add “workout” to indoor and non-GPS activities….Unless you are a lifeguard a pool swim is never going to be a “Commute”….
I dont get any of the “new features” Strava is making. Their mapping and routing are terrible compared to RWGPS. I could care less about messaging. They havent improved features that have been there for years and years (training plans, analysis, even segments could stand to be improved). To me Strava is about keeping it simple and doing what is does best REALLY REALLY well (i.e., Segment leaderboards and personal growth). I also agree that CEOs deserve a clean slate.
I agree with you. I love drawing routes on RWGPS. This is a model for route planning for me. The free tools are much better than the paid Strava.
Agreed. Besides an integration platform Strava is primarily a social thing for me. Give me control over what I see in my activity feed and I would be sooo happy (I have a paid Strava subscription btw)
And @Ray: more than knowing his previous professional career I would like to know what his sports life is like. Which link to strava.com is he? (or is he just a sales droid without personal experience with endurance sports?)
Maybe they should add a “snarky response” slider control to Siri so you can go from Clinical to Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
I generally wear a chest strap when using Zwift but I also use my Apple watch SE to check for accuracy. I don’t see more than a beat or two per minute average over an hour or two. It would be great if I could forego the chest strap and just use the watch with Zwift.
I predict the ability to buy things that “influencers” are running or riding with. “Kofuzi just ran with the XYZ shoe, buy it here.” That is most likely why they are brining Martin on board.
On another note, most people I speak to in my riding and running circle are not renewing their Strava memberships. It just doesn’t seem like something they want to spend their money on these days.
I didn’t renew. I had premium for years and said “thanks, no thanks” this year thanks to the pricing debacle.
Zwift/Applewatch reads a like an uninspired copy of that Strava App/Bluetooth HRM storyline ;)
Strava lost me with the pricing shenanigans. I noticed they started changing the advertised price to the old price as my renewal in October neared (but when pressed they said it would be whatever the new rate was at the time of the renewal…shady right to the end). It was worth $59 to me (barely)…it is not worth $79. I dumped premium Strava and never felt like I was missing something I needed. So I thank the old CEO for helping me save some money that I only thought about when they got greedy.
Better a low price that everyone pays than a high price that 10% of users pay. However, they will never understand this principle.
So you’re saying the most likely next feature will be “Strava Shopping” :-D ?
I’ve always been surprised that Strava didn’t have ads like Endomondo and frankly most of the “freemium” apps out there.
Unfortunately, that might be the next easy move for Strava, huh ?
Eric Min should tell his product team “no new features” until they’re ready to release a useful in-game elevation profile. Who cares about the BS they seem to be wasting their resources on these days? My Garmin is able to provide better and more intuitive information about upcoming climbs in the real world than Zwift can in fantasyland – it doesn’t make any sense.
Eric is basically only a symbolic figure head and “investor schmoozer” now, they have a different co-CEO that actually run things now.
Great. Please tell Eric to forward my comment to the new guy :)
The Apple Watch heart rate integration is now live!