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:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
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 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 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.
Search results for: 'heart rate monitors'
Google Pixel Watch 2 In-Depth Review
It’s been a month since Google announced the Pixel Watch 2, and with it, it’s spent the last month on my wrist – compared to a variety of other watches at various purposes and price points. During this timeframe, … Read More Here
COROS Heart Rate Monitor (Optical Band) In-Depth Review
The COROS Heart Rate Monitor is a very simple product, which should make for a very simple review. After all, it doesn’t even have an on button. Instead, it has exactly one purpose in life: Transmitting your current heart rate … Read More Here
In the Queue: Swimovate Poolmate HR
This is the latest indoor swimming watch from Swimovate. Like it’s older siblings, it tracks indoor swim workouts – but also layers in the ability to display and record heart rate data from the included heart rate (HR) strap.
The Weekend: Motorola MOTOACTV, Zeo Mobile, Jawbone Up, long battery tests
I didn’t exactly plan on having as many different gadgets arrive this weekend as occurred – it just sorta happened. But holy cow – there’s some really cool stuff in here! Like increda-cool. I can’t wait to get full in … Read More Here
A day of continuous heart rate monitoring
Last week I had a day trip up to Brussels (Belgium), and I thought it might make for an interesting experiment: All day continuous HR monitoring. Except, unlike such experiments folks have done in the past, I didn’t wear a … Read More Here
The Not-So-Big-Fat Greek Runaround…and a side trip to Switzerland.
(Note: The results of the giveaway will be posted this weekend…after I sit down and sift through the 1,500 entries…that.might.take.a.while. A long while.) For those who follow along on The Twitter, you know that I’ve been bouncing around Europe the … Read More Here
I found some Red Rocks
So far…so good. Well, as long as you don’t ask my throat. I came into this trip with a slight head cold and a sore throat. Speaking for 75 minutes at a shot multiple times a day…did not help the … Read More Here
Week in Review–March 27th, 2017
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 1st, 2018
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
Troubleshooting your heart rate monitor/strap HR spikes
For those who train with heart rate monitors often, you probably know all too well know the tell-tale sign that your little device is lying to you about your heart rate. It starts off fairly innocently with a gentle rise … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 17th, 2011
I’ve long since wondered what to do with all the random tidbits of things I collect each week – or the little thoughts that don’t quite make for a full post. But I finally came up with a solution: The … Read More Here
My sports technology ‘predictions’ for 2010
It’s no secret that I enjoy gadgets, and in particular sports related gizmos. This interest probably comes from my day job in designing technology stuffs. I simply enjoy understanding how things work, and what might come next. Now, because of … Read More Here
An update on the Dash, the wireless heart–rate monitoring music headphones
Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated products out there is The Dash, by Bragi. This tiny little set of pods sits in your ear and measures a cornucopia of athletic metrics from pace and distance, to heart rate and … Read More Here
Hands on with Wahoo Fitness TICKR, TICKR RUN, and TICKR X
** Update: These products have since been upgraded. Check out the lastest In-Depth Review of the Wahoo TICKR and TICKR X here!** Overview Today, Wahoo Fitness announced three new products for the fitness market, and in doing so, started what … Read More Here
The Guess ‘How Many Steps I Walked at CES 2015’ Giveaway!
When it comes to walking, I have no week at any point during the year where I tally up a greater number of steps than that of CES. And this year was definitely no different. It’s been a crazy packed week (with … Read More Here
The Girl’s 2015 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Two weeks ago week I outlined every piece of gear that I regularly use in my day to day training or racing. Not the stuff that I review for products, but rather, the goods that I always turn back to once … Read More Here
A hands-on look at the Mio Alpha strapless optical heart rate watch
NOTE: This product has since been released, and I’ve in turn published a full in-depth review of it here. Late last week I got a chance to try out the new Mio Alpha watch, which is a strapless heart rate … Read More Here
The Girl’s 2018 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Hey there, this is The Girl writing to you today. As promised, I have put together an updated Gear I Use Post for you. So, if you are interested, take a moment to scan the lists of all of the … Read More Here
ISPO 2016 Sports Tech Roundup: FINIS Optical HR Swim Tracker, Kuai, Evalu, WatTeam and XMetrics
Yesterday I grabbed an early morning flight to ISPO, in Munich, to check out the massive sports-focused show. Anything and everything to do with sports was there, spread out over a convention floor area that would make Eurobike look like your average … Read More Here
Samsung Outlines Galaxy Watch4: First New Google WearOS Watch–Full Details
Today, Samsung announced their Galaxy Watch 4, which is the first watch to utilize the new Google + Samsung variant of Wear OS. This new operating system (or, slightly rebranded one) allows access to the Google Play store, while Samsung … Read More Here
Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor: Very Long Term In-Depth Review
There’s arguably no tech product in my arsenal of products that’s been used as much as the Polar H10 chest strap, yet I never exactly got around to writing an in-depth review on it. Or, even a short review. In … Read More Here
In the Queue: The 4iiii’s Viiiiva ANT+ to Bluetooth HR Strap Bridge
Phew, that’s a long title. I’ve had this for a few weeks now, and will be testing it for at least a number more weeks before I publish a review on it. I’m pending some updated firmware which will enable … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness Founder Buys Company Back from Banks
Remember back in the old days when the Facebook relationship profile status prominently displayed “It’s Complicated”? That’s basically been Wahoo Fitness the last year or two. Like many things involving private equity, the initial investment sounded great, but over the … Read More Here
Why I’m both skeptical and optimistic about The Dash heart–rate monitoring music headphones
It’s funny, as a general rule, I don’t like writing about Kickstarter projects where I haven’t seen or touched the product hands-on. I think that introduces too much risk where people assume that because I write about it, it’s a … Read More Here
Arctic Circle Cross Border Hill Repeats: A Finland-Norway Runaround
People always talk about running XC (cross country) in school, but today, I truly ran cross-country. I crossed an international border over and over again as part of my hill repeats. Here, let me explain. The Girl and I are … Read More Here