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!
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 GPLAMA, 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?
- I’m headed to Washington DC – what do you recommend for training?
- I’m from out of the country and will be visiting the US, what’s the best triathlon shop in city XYZ?
- What kind of camera do you use?
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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 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!
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: 'power meter'
Power Meter Pedal Buyer's Guide: Garmin Rally vs Wahoo POWRLINK vs Favero Assioma vs SRM X-Power
It’s been about five years since I’ve last done a power meter pedal comparison post. Mainly, because not much had changed in five years. The Favero Assioma will be five years old this summer (crazy, huh?), and while the … Read More Here
Polar Pacer Pro GPS Running Watch In-Depth Review
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was the Polar Pacer watch. This was an era before GPS, before optical HR, and before countless other metrics that we didn’t even know would exist someday. Back … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR ROLLR Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Wahoo has now formally announced their KICKR ROLLR smart trainer…err…smart roller. I’m not super sure how you classify it (Wahoo themselves officially calls it a “smart trainer” in their media release), but whatever it is – it’s here and … Read More Here
Wahoo POWRLINK ZERO Speedplay Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s finally here. After an 8-month delay (though tame by power meter pedal delay standards), Wahoo’s Speedplay-based power meter is finally shipping and available. This marks not just Wahoo’s first bike-based power meter, but also the first (and only) Speedplay … Read More Here
Shimano’s Dura-Ace & Ultegra Power Meter (2nd Gen): Technical Deep-Dive
While much of the attention of this week’s new Dura-Ace R9200 & Ultegra R8100 Di2 product launches have been focused on the wireless and 12-speed access, far less has been written on the 2nd generation power meter. Likely because unlike … Read More Here
SRAM Rival AXS Power Meter: Hands-on and First Rides
In the world of cycling drivetrain gear, both SRAM and Shimano have three core pricing tiers for their wares. In Shimano’s case that’s Dura-Ace, Ultegra, and 105. While in SRAM’s case it’s RED, Force, and Rival. These companies release their … Read More Here
Wahoo’s New ROLLR: Exactly what is it?
Wahoo has non-announced a new product over the past few days. Part roller, part Either way, whatever it is, Wahoo decided that secretive spy-shots of a product quietly being tested by a low-level pro rider in a small European village … Read More Here
Zwift Bans Two Pro Racers For Altering Data: An Explainer of Sorts
It’ll likely come as no surprise that top racers are once again* cheating on Zwift. After all, cheating and cycling are as intertwined as peanut butter and jelly. And while historically cycling has seen cheating take the form of doping … Read More Here
Aero Sensor Companies Start Own Common Aero Device Profile: Got Tired of Waiting for Standard
Cycling aerodynamic sensor companies Notio & Velocomp have decided they were tired of waiting for the long-discussed ANT+ Aero Sensor device profile, and have simply released their own instead. As a bit of a background refresher here, both Notio & … Read More Here
Pioneer Exits Power Meter Business as Shimano Buys Their Cycling Business
Pioneer announced today that as part of an agreement with Shimano, quietly penned back in December, they’ll be exiting the cycling business. That includes ending their power meter and bike computer product sales. Shimano has purchased unknown assets in conjunction … Read More Here
The Didn’t Get What You Wanted $500 Gadget Giveaway
I’m sure many of you received various sports gadgets over the last few weeks as part of the holidays. But for those unlucky elves who received only a half-eaten gel packet in their Christmas stocking from their not-so-significant others, I’ve … Read More Here
SRM X-Power SPD Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s been a long time since a major brand new power meter was announced, and today’s post…well…it doesn’t change that. In fact, the SRM X-Power was announced some 18 months ago, and started shipping in super limited quantities nearly a … Read More Here
First Ride: Quarq’s New DZero Power Meter Series
(Update – May 18th, 2017 – See my full and new in-depth review published here!!!) Quarq is turning 10 years old this year, and at Eurobike they rolled out a complete refresh of their power meter lineup. This refresh covers … Read More Here
The Because It’s Friday $500 Gadget Giveaway!
Today is Friday – you made it to the end of the week. But more importantly, today is also Australia Day. I only know that because I’m in Australia, and the beaches are more crowded than the starting line of … Read More Here
Kona Bike Count 2018 Power Meter Analysis
Once again, it’s time for the big dance that is Kona. Or more technically – the Ironman World Championships. It’s when the fastest long-course triathletes in the world gather on a small island to collectively consume more electrolyte-filled drinks and … Read More Here
Interbike Power Meter Seminar Wrap-Up
The last two weeks have been crazy busy – but perhaps one of the more interesting parts of Interbike was the Power Meter Seminar, which was held Wednesday morning just prior to the show floor opening up. The seminar (now … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness adds Pioneer’s advanced pedaling metrics to ELEMNT/BOLT
Today Wahoo and Pioneer announced a bit of a partnership that will bring Pioneer’s advanced power meter pedaling metrics onto the Wahoo ELEMNT and BOLT head unit lineup. These metrics have long been only available on Pioneer’s head units, and … Read More Here
The Power Meter Buyers Guide–2018 Edition
Once again, it’s time for the annual power meter buyer’s guide! It’s where I round-up every cycling power meter on the market, and talk through what’s happened in the last year. I give my opinions of every single power meter … 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
The Power Meters Buyer’s Guide–2017 Edition
Once again, it’s time for the annual power meter buyer’s guide! It’s where I round-up every cycling power meter on the market, and talk through what’s happened in the last year. I give my opinions of every single power meter … Read More Here
InsideRide E-Motion SmartPower Rollers with Floating Fork: In-Depth Review
In the indoor training world there are roller people, and there are trainer people. It’s sorta like politics or religion. Fighting with one camp over the benefits is mostly futile. The only people who benefit from such discussions are the … Read More Here
Tech Tidbits: Garmin GPS Offsets Again and PowerTap Units Discontinued
As we round out Wednesday, there’s a few tidbits of news that are definitely worth mentioning – especially this first one as a heads up for Garmin users to ensure you don’t get any wonky GPS tracks over the next … Read More Here
How to: Troubleshooting Power Meter and Trainer Accuracy Issues
No matter the product, eventually, for every product review I post, sooner or later someone has a power related accuracy issue with their unit. In today’s post, I’ll be focusing on power meter and trainer accuracy issues. But perhaps down … Read More Here
IQ2 Power Meter Pedals: First Rides Testing & Data Accuracy
[Updated note – Nov 2020: Please read the text. All of it. Especially the parts where I’m concerned about their ability to execute on the timeframes they’ve specified, and whether or not the unit I received for test is what … Read More Here
4iiii Lowers Power Meter Prices to $299, Increases Warranty to 3 Years
In a non-April Fool’s day move, 4iiii has substantially reduced their power meter pricing, both matching and undercutting the changes Stages made back in January to their line-up. This brings single-sided power down to $299USD/299EUR and dual-sided power meter on … Read More Here