I’m DC RAINMAKER…
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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 GPLAMA, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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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.
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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!
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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.
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My Photography Gear: The Cameras and Equipment 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! It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
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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 2021 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.
Search results for: 'computrainer'
10 Years Ago Today–Wahoo Announced the KICKR: Here’s a Blast From The Past
It wasn’t always like this. That is to say, just over a decade ago, there was no such thing as 3rd party trainer apps like Zwift or TrainerRoad. Or for that matter, even 3rd party trainers. Nor were there communication … Read More Here
How To (Sorta) Make Your CompuTrainer Wireless: PerfPro’s CT Smart Wireless Bridge
While the company is no longer in business (and still, nobody seems to know who purchased the CompuTrainer assets specifically from RacerMate), there are undoubtedly many CompuTrainers left in service out there. And aside from a handful connected with the … Read More Here
The New (CompuTrainer) Training Room
As I alluded to a week or so ago, the Girl and I were a bit busy transforming an unused room in the townhouse. See, when I bought the place some 6 years ago, there was always this room downstairs … Read More Here
CompuTrainer begins to open up access to apps, Kinomap demos WiFi CompuTrainer control and announced Android app
This week at Interbike, both CompuTrainer and Kinomap have made a number of announcements around application control and usage with the CompuTrainer trainer. Let’s dive into them. CompuTrainer’s ‘Open Source’ First up is potentially the beginning of CompuTrainer opening up … Read More Here
In Depth CompuTrainer Review
Over 18 months ago (September 07), I bought a CompuTrainer as my primary indoor trainer. All last winter I meant to write up a review of it. But alas, it never happened. Until now. The CompuTrainer is like most other … Read More Here
A look at CompuTrainer ANT+ integration via ctANT+
On Wednesday an application developer jumped onto the scene with what is probably the coolest new completed CompuTrainer development in years: The ability to use ANT+ sensors directly with CompuTrainer. This replaces much of the cabling that is typically required … Read More Here
Friday Tidbits: Spring’s gonna be busy for new toys!
(Side Note: I have no idea what on earth this clipart image is depicting. I was searching for random images to use for this post using the Microsoft Word clipart selection and out of curiosity entered ‘triathlon’ – and got … Read More Here
Voted off the island!
Ha! Awesome! I was watching tonight’s Survivor – more out of interest after my trip to Palau over the holiday break than the show itself. We had been told that the tribal council area was at a place near where … Read More Here
An update on the CompuTrainer RacerMate One Suite
It was a year ago this week where we got one of the first public looks at the RacerMate One suite, during Interbike last year. Since then it’s been a long road for the Seattle based company as they’ve sought … Read More Here
Review of new Computrainer Interactive Real Course Video’s
I have impeccable timing. I choose to get one of the new CompuTrainer Interactive Real Course Video’s during one of the last weeks that I’ll regularly use my trainer this year. With the weather today hitting 70*, and with daylight … Read More Here
An inside look at TrainerRoad, a way to make your regular trainer like a mock-CompuTrainer
Last week I had the chance to sit down (well, actually, stand around) and talk with the guys behind the up and coming TrainerRoad application. Many of you are familiar with the CompuTrainer and the ability to gather real-time data … Read More Here
First look at Wahoo Fitness KICKR ANT+/Bluetooth Smart Trainer with power meter
The KICK may very well be the most interesting trainer ever made. Here’s a first hands-on look at the unit, and the features it’s going to offer both consumers and developers alike. Read More Here
The End of An Era: CompuTrainer Ceases Production
Earlier today RacerMate, which has long made the CompuTrainer and other high performance trainers, notified sponsored athletes that the company is shuttering their CompuTrainer product line, as initially reported by Tom Demerly. By this evening I was able to confirm … Read More Here
DIY: How I made a trainer bike computer/iPad/phone stand for $30
I’m often testing a multitude of devices on the bike at once, usually just due to the limited time I have to try and gather data across the 4-5 products I might have in the queue for the bike alone. … Read More Here
A weekend with dueling power meters, activity monitors and more!
After a rather busy travel week last week, I was looking forward to relaxing a bit this weekend. I landed safely back in DC around 1AM Saturday morning. I mention ‘safely’ since our plane had a minor gear issue which … Read More Here
A Morning At Velo Boutique–A Full KICKR Group Cycling Studio
Earlier this week while down in Auckland for work a reader (Marc M.) shot me a note via Facebook letting me know that there’s actually a full-on Wahoo KICKR studio setup just a few blocks away from my hotel. They … Read More Here
RacerMate (CompuTrainer) resolves RacerMate One contract issues, might release this summer
Just a brief post to relay some information that is definitely of interest to some of you out there. This afternoon an e-mail went out from the company notifying folks that they have resolved the contractual issues that have kept … Read More Here
The effects of a cold on athletic performance
Indoor trainers provide a really great way to analyze the effects of a given environmental parameter without all of the fuss of the environment itself changing. Last Saturday I had an indoor trainer workout. The exact same workout I did … Read More Here
A look at Wahoo KICKR support on Windows via ANT, and what the rest of the industry is doing
**For the most up to date information on the Wahoo KICKR, check out my 2018 Edition In-Depth Review** When the Wahoo KICKR was announced last August, it was touted as being open on both Bluetooth Smart as well as ANT+. … Read More Here
CompuTrainer to add WiFi controller, ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart support
RacerMate, the maker of the CompuTrainer, is preparing to release a new controller that includes support for WiFi, ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart. They had the head unit (controller) on hand within their booth this year at Interbike, and were able … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness announces KICKR trainer pricing/availability
Back at Eurobike I went pretty detailed and deep on the new Wahoo Fitness KICKR trainer, which is the first Blueooth Smart and ANT+ combination resistance controllable trainer out on the market. The trainer was designed to allow application developers … Read More Here
My Winter 2014-2015 Bike Trainer Recommendations
It’s that time of year again – trainer season. When it generally gets cold and miserable to be outside, well, unless you live Down Under. I started doing the Trainer Recommendations post two years ago, and I know many of … Read More Here
CycleOps Joule and PowerTap Wheelset In-Depth Review
Last year when Saris/CycleOps came out with their ANT+ enabled Joule, many wondered how it would stack up against the competition. Would a non-GPS enabled device still be able to compete in an increasingly GPS dominated world? And how would … Read More Here
A bit of time playing with the Tacx VR Trainer
Over the past few months I’ve received more and more e-mail asking what I thought about the Tacx trainers, and how I thought they compared to RacerMate’s CompuTrainer. And it wasn’t until I started poking at the Tacx trainers that … Read More Here
A look at the 2011 Multisport Expo in Washington DC
Nestled in between all the craziness that was this weekend (racing a half-marathon, then baking 17 dozen cupcakes for a competition, and finally supporting The Girl in her triathlon cake domination), I had a chance to sneak out to the … Read More Here