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 meters'
Cargo Bike Crit Race Report: With a Power Meter
As is the case when signing up for most races, you usually think it’s a good idea. In hindsight, about 75% of the way through said race, you usually regret your life choices. When I signed up for the cargo … Read More Here
Decoding Shimano’s New Power Meter Pedaling Metrics
As first reported by Cycling Tips, Shimano has released their advanced pedaling metrics, called Force Vector (no relation to Garmin Vector, also a power meter that first displayed force vectors). This is now available as a software update for their … Read More Here
Big Sports Tech Sales Return: 20-30% off Power Meters, Trainers, Watches, and Plenty More!
It’s that time of year again, when a boatload of sports tech things go on sale for a few weeks. No, not Black Friday, but rather, end-of-May. While the previous two years were a bit funky in that regard, historically … Read More Here
Apple Watch Adds Native Running Power & Triathlon Support: All New watchOS 9 Features Detailed
Today, as part of announcing watchOS 9, Apple rolled out a massive slate of new sports and fitness features including running power, triathlon mode (including automatic transitions), custom workout support, and plenty more. Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), which … Read More Here
The Polar/Look Power Meters & Power2Max Power Meter
(Administrative note: Looking for the usual Weekly Mailbag? No worries, it’s still a staple – but I’ve got some cool news coming about that on Tuesday…so hang onto your helmets and we’ll get there.) Some of you may have seen … 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
Power Meters and Pop-Tarts
While the summer may be winding down, my training certainly isn’t. I’ve still got three races (well, technically four) before the end of my tri season. And that’s before I end up figuring out what I’m doing running wise for … Read More Here
March Power Meter Giveaway Winner!
Last week was giveaway time! You had all week to get in your giveaway entry, and because of my desire to spend some days riding never-endingly in the sun, I’m catching up this week – and that includes pulling the … Read More Here
March Power Meter Giveaway Time!
It’s March already. Which means that for many in the Northern Hemisphere you’re likely starting to increase the mileage and times of your workouts in preparation for the spring and summer ahead. As such, there’s likely no better time to … Read More Here
Eurobike 2016 Power Meter Roundup
Okey doke. Before we dive into Interbike next week, I figured I’d round up some loose ends with Eurobike’s minor power meter updates and announcements. Or rather, by popular demand as it were – you decided on Twitter last night … Read More Here
LIMITS Power Meter Accuracy Data
This is not a review. This is a placeholder post for sharing data from a production/final LIMITS power meter. This unit was not sent to me by LIMITS (which I am also a paid Indiegogo backer of), but rather a … Read More Here
A WatTeam PowerBeat Power Meter Update
Today WatTeam has announced that they’ll be postponing further shipments of their $499 PowerBeat power meter, while they work out some kinks that the first shipped production units have run into. You’ll remember the journey started about 20 months ago … Read More Here
Hands on with the Dyno Velo power meter
At Interbike this past week a startup company was showing off a new entrant into the crank spindle power meter world. The Dyno Velo power meter is currently planned to hit production next year, for a target price of $399. … Read More Here
In The Queue: Favero bePRO Power Meter
Update: Full Review Is Now Available Here! The bePRO is the latest sub-€500 entrant to the power meter game. For a dual left/right system (as seen here), it’ll be €750. It transmits ANT+, so it’ll connect to most head units. … Read More Here
My Thoughts On The LIMITS Power Meter
Update – Nov 10th, 2015: I’ve recently posted quite a bit more details on where LIMITS stands. I’d highly encourage you to check it out, via this link. Ok, I wasn’t planning on doing a post on the LIMITS power … Read More Here
An update on the 4iiii Precision Power Meter
Quick update/note – July 27th, 2015: Many of you have asked when my review of the 4iiii Precision Power Meter will be released. While I received a number of test units back this spring, I’ve run into a bug/issue that … Read More Here
The Power Meter Buyers Guide – 2013 Edition
[Please see my 2016 Edition of the Power Meter Buyers Guide Located here.] With all the new power meter products on the market recently, I figured it’s time to do a bit of a re-group and explain the options and … Read More Here
Stages Power Meter In-Depth Review
The Stages Power Meter is the first ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart PM on the market, all at under $700. But does it stand up to detailed analysis? Read More Here
Power2Max Power Meter In-Depth Review
In-Depth Review of the crank-based 2nd generation Power2Max ANT+ Power Meter, complete with detailed analysis and comparisons. Read More Here
A weekend full of power meter testing
Above. That’s what’s been setup this weekend as I prepare reviews concurrently on a load of power related products and trainers. And honestly, it’ll be setup like that all week. Our dinner table transported 10 feet to the left to … Read More Here
Polar/Look Power Meter Session
While I’ve previously outlined the new Polar/Look power meter, I wanted to touch on it again now that I’ve had a chance to poke at it first hand. Also, in order to make this post really awesome for those of … Read More Here
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
A look at the new Power2Max NG power meters
Each year at Eurobike we see Power2Max make evolutionary changes to their power meter lineup. In doing so, they’ve continued to climb the market penetration ladder – despite not being a household name. One only needs to look at the … Read More Here
Wahoo Delays POWRLINK ZERO Speedplay Power Meter Pedals
This post will be a quickie. Namely, because I only have one line of information to share, but nonetheless, for what seems like a constant flow of people – that’s the one line they want to know. As you may … Read More Here