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 DesFit, 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.
The Massive Holiday 2019 Deals Listing!
As promised from yesterday’s post, a slate of new deals are live as of today, including Garmin’s holiday deals, as well as Suunto’s deals. These encompass a huge swath of wearables from both companies, but also cycling items from Garmin. … Read More Here
Huge Fall Sale: 20% off including trainers, power meters, watches and more
Like clockwork, it’s that time of year again! The now annual 20% off sale has begun. Now technically, it’s semi-annual since it happens now and in the spring. But I don’t think anyone’s complaining about the chance to buy a … Read More Here
Zwift Confirms New Hardware Division: Posts Job Positions To Build Indoor Smart Bikes
Ahh yes, the rite of passage for any tech company is posting job positions that give away your future plans. Be it Apple posting autonomous car engineering positions or Uber trying to build flying things, eventually companies have to show … Read More Here
COROS Releases New ‘Running Track’ Mode On Watches, Adds Running Power & Efficiency Pod
Now we’re talking – some legit new features here coming from COROS. First up, they’ve launched a new track mode that increases the accuracy of running on a track, by somewhat ‘snapping’ to the track and even the specific lane … Read More Here
LVL’s ‘Hydration Sensor’ Rises from the Dead, Gets Acquired
A few people have asked this morning my thoughts on the news that BSX’s LVL was acquired by Gideon Health, and further yet gave the backers the option of either getting a refund, or getting a mystery box device at … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
I still fail to understand how it’s mid-November already?!? The rain and ugly weather is mostly non-stop here, but at least that means (yet) more trainer time indoors. With my parents in town this week, here’s what we were up … Read More Here
Tacx NEO 2T Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
The Tacx NEO 2T is the highest end offering from Tacx in the smart trainer realm. Are the changes worth the upgrade, and how accurate is it? Read More Here
Garmin Starts Roll-out of PacePro to FR945 and FR245, Also Adds More Data Fields Per Page
Here’s a Thursday quick heads up for ya – Garmin has begun the roll-out of PacePro to the Forerunner 945 and FR245/FR245M series watches. You might remember PacePro was introduced on the Fenix 6 about two months ago, and essentially … Read More Here
Mid-Week Tidbits: Canyon supports trainer riding and Suunto clarifies platform future
Here’s a couple of updates that have trickled across my desk over the last two days that I figure are worth chatting a moment about. Some of them also have some catches as well, so while you might have seen … Read More Here
Bkool Exits Trainer Hardware Business, Shifts Focus to Training Platform
The fact that indoor cycling company Bkool has just announced today it’s exiting the indoor trainer business isn’t terribly surprising. What is the most surprising thing out of the last 24 hours is the number of active users Bkool has … Read More Here
Google Acquires Fitbit: What it actually means to wearables and the industry
Google has just announced the acquisition of Fitbit for a cool $2.1 billion (USD). The move will undoubtedly drive change in the industry, though, not as much as one might think – at least initially. Don’t worry, I’ll explain in … Read More Here
Smart Bike Shootout: Wahoo KICKR Bike vs Tacx NEO Bike vs Wattbike Atom
The definitive guide, everything you ever wanted to know about the best indoor smart bikes available today. Read More Here
VirtuGO Announces It’s Shutting Down: Where’d things go wrong?
One of the most viable alternatives to Zwift from a graphics standpoint just announced it’s closing up shop. VirtuGO has sent out an e-mail to all registered/paying users that the service will shut-down effective November 25th, 2019. Users will be … Read More Here
Suunto 9 Series Gets New Sleep & Fitness Metrics from FirstBeat
Suunto has pushed out an update today to the Suunto 9 series (Baro and non-Baro variants, plus all the colors of the rainbow) that adds in three fitness-focused features that originally premiered back on the Suunto 3 and Suunto 5 … Read More Here
Strava App Sensor Pairing Is Now Dead: My Last Workout Taking Out The Trash
As of today, the Strava app will no longer allow you to pair to sensors like heart rate straps or cycling cadence sensors. Instead, Strava is now actively recommending you download other apps instead of using Strava’s own app. Well, … Read More Here
Week in Review–Oct 27th, 2019
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
Weekend Tidbits: Hammerhead Adds Radar Support, Elite Releases Upgrado app, Garmin adds Edge connection to inReach
This is the segment in the week where I spent an inordinate amount of time on two other posts and two videos, and realize I still have some thoughts I wanted to go more deeply in on a few topics, … Read More Here
The Smart Trainer Recommendations Guide: Winter 2019-2020
Heads up! The 2020-2021 Smart Trainer Recommendations Guide is now up! Go check out that one, instead of this stinky old 2019-2020 guide! The trees are turning colors and the leaves are falling. Except if you live in Australia. But … Read More Here
GoPro Max Action Cam In-Depth Review
Everything you ever wanted to know about the GoPro Max after plenty of testing and comparison time to the GoPro Hero 8 Black. From stabilization to SuperWide and more. Read More Here
DCR Cave Winter Open House Registration Is Now Open! Nov 30th, 2019
Yup, you read the title right! It’s the annual winter DCR Cave Open House! We’re keeping things to the exact same weekend as last year, which almost means we’re getting organized and consistent these days. Almost. But far more important … Read More Here
Polar Releases Major New Features to Vantage M & V Series
What’s New Remember back in June when Polar announced the Polar Ignite GPS watch? That unit had a huge amount of new features not previously seen on any Polar device. The $220 device was mainly targeted at non-endurance athletes though, competing … Read More Here
Garmin Swim 2 GPS Watch In-Depth Review
The Garmin Swim 2 is more than just a pool swimming watch, it now does openwater and has heart rate tracking. But is it accurate? I dig in to find out. Read More Here
Week in Review–Oct 14th, 2019
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
Continued Expansion of the DCR Team: Hello P3!
So I’m a wee bit behind on this, and those of you following The Girl’s Instagram will notice as such, but – we recently unboxed a new addition to the DCR Family: P3 (short for Peanut 3). She joined her … Read More Here
Kona Bike Count 2019 Power Meter Analysis: 10 Years of Data
Once again, it’s time for the big dance that is Kona. Or more technically – the Vega 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 … Read More Here