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…
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 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.
Interesting thoughts about the Polar band. I am (still) a Polar user (V2), and for me a band would be a good addition for times when I don‘t want to wear a watch, eg at night (the X2 for instance would be to heavy for me in the night) or in the afternoon when working in the garden. Or I want to wear a „traditional“ watch but still be able to collect my data.
So, Polar, if you are reading: Please think about it and consider selling your band to everyone who‘s interested. 100 € would be ok.
I miss the articles and all the posts that I can read. Who has time to watch videos? I guess others do because you must be receiving sufficient ad revenues from the YouTube videos. The transcripts aren’t the same as your well written and crafted articles and posts. Sigh.
What is there to miss? Going through the agenda:
1. Ray and Des talking about their visit, not really article material.
2. Open house: Article post June 8th.
3. Polar OEM band: Article was posted May 6th.
4. Garmin’s firmware update. I don’t think I saw an article, but Ray suggested he was going to be working on one about the HR feature.
5. Fitbit ACE watch: Article was posted May 29th.
6. Wahoo GoPro control: Article was posted March 26th.
7. Caveworks Rivet: a new product that Ray may or may not decide to review, which was included by Des because he knows the guy behind it. (it’s technically an accessory for an indoor trainer).
8. WWDC thoughts: I strongly suspect you will get all the info you want this week after the event happens.
I’m not seeing an article gap there….. But, I do appreciate that Ray uses many different channels to provide content where it makes sense. (I’ve never listened to his articles in the car, but the podcasts are good for that!). All that to say, I don’t think we’ve lost a thing, I think he is busier than ever!
Thanks for your basic recap but I suspect there’s more there than that. But, in any event, I can express my opinion even if you disagree with it.
You don’t have to watch the video. The podcast is available on any audio-only podcast app like Apple Podcast, Overcast etc. So you can listen while doing other things.
100% agree. I’m trying to understand your opinion. My point was that for each of the topics the gentlemen discussed, there was also a long form article for you to read. Obviously those articles won’t include a conversation between Ray and Des, but by definition thats a transcript, which you don’t find appealing. It sounded like you were saying that something has gone missing since Ray started doing videos, and I’m trying to understand what that something is. I in no way mean to offend or invalidate your opinion. Thanks!
Yeah, I’ll be honest, I don’t understand.
For literally every topic in the podcast I wrote a long-form piece with far more detail. The only one I didn’t was the BikeWorks Rivet, because I’ve never tried it, and hadn’t heard of it till 15 mins before we recorded. I don’t typically write pieces on things I haven’t tried.
I mean, I didn’t post about my cookie rides, but I did post that to Strava, so it’s there.
Ultimately, the podcast is a different audience, with a different tone. My written reviews have far more detail than the podcast does on a given topic. What the podcast does have though, is two dudes bantering about some of our opinions on said topics. Sometimes agreeing, sometimes not.
There isn’t some sort of ulterior secret financial motive to push one versus the other. Both are income streams, though posts are virtually always more profitable than podcasts.
Is there any app that can compile data from different devices and consistently give performance or health feedback? I use Garmin for activities and Fitbit for daily tracking. Even Garmin Connect can’t get the job done when using two Garmin devices, it forces you to choose a primary one and then ignores the others. Also, integration does not exist when using Edge, Instinct, or Forerunner, each device comes with a different set of performance parameters and metrics. Therefore, an app that would take all this data and come up with a simple outcome, independently of the device used would be great. I used Strava for fitness levels, but it does not take into account sleep, HRV, Rest heart rate, etc.
The Apple Maps feature sounds like it works exactly like Garmin Explorer on Android. Works great sending locations to my Epix 2, and pops up the activity selector on the watch.
Problem is, explorer doesn’t support Edge devices.
I take it this is an update to Garmin Connect for iOS, so does it work with older devices like the Edge 830 too? Or does it require an update in watch firmware too? If so, it should at least be able to send the location to Garmin Connect so you then can open Connect and send it to the Edge manually?
I’m curious in case they add it for Android/Google Maps in the future.
In the meanwhile I use the Sendpoints ConnectIQ app to send locations to my Edge. Google Maps would be quicker, but Sendpoints is still quicker than searching on the Edge 830 itself.
I’ve been waiting for a Pokar band for years now.
I’ve tried wearing a Pacer Pro with another watch, but it’s just too much. A band/bracelet would work.