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.
A Preview: A Week Riding the Watteam PowerBeat $499 Power Meter
Last week the founder and key engineering team members of Watteam flew over to Paris to allow me to install, ride, and analyze their previously announced PowerBeat $499 power meter. You’ll remember it hit the interwebs exactly one year ago … Read More Here
The 2015 Annual Giveaway Extravaganza Winners!
Phew! That was a blur! You thought you were tired? Just imagine what my web servers feel like after yesterday. They’ll basically be doing the post-marathon day walk. With the 2015 edition of the Annual DCR Giveaway Extravaganza now yesterday’s … Read More Here
Hands-on with Garmin’s new Forerunner 25
As we move ahead in the seemingly never ending summer of Garmin releases, this week brings us the new Forerunner 25. For those familiar with the Garmin lineup you’ll remember that the previous generation Forerunner 10 & 15 watches were … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Wahoo KICKR Trainer
Phew! What a wild ride this has been! Huge giveaways every 2 hours; it seems like it was just yesterday when we got started. Wait, it was just yesterday. I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun. I’m … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Suunto Ambit3 Peak Multisport Watch
For those of you waiting for the perfect giveaway deal, this may very well be it. The Suunto Ambit 3 Peak has something for everyone; well actually this one only has everything for just the one person whose entry is drawn … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Polar M400 GPS Running Watch
Captain’s Log: Stardate 93194.09. The Enterprise has bypassed its scheduled archaeological survey of Camus II in response to a distress call from the Federation freighter Arcos, which has assumed an emergency orbit around Turkana IV, birthplace of… Oh, um sorry, wrong post … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Quarq RIKEN AL Power Meter
Here’s the deal: As long as you don’t go around pronouncing it Quack (like a duck), you soon might be blessed with the power of power. Yes, our second power meter of the day. Because that’s how I roll. Assuming … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin Edge 520
It’s probably at this juncture in the day that you might be showing signs of fatigue. Perhaps keeping up with all this free stuff is tough. Hard work even. But guess what? You need to man (or woman) up and … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Tacx Vortex Smart Trainer + Satori Smart for a friend
There are few training tasks worse than riding alone on a trainer in a dark basement or within sketchy closet. It’s just you, your bike, and the wall ahead of you with 4 paint marks that you still haven’t fixed two … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: PowerTap P1 Power Meter Pedals
Well then, that escalated quickly. From $250 GPS watch to $1,200 power meter…all in the span of one minute. Boom! You saw my review on these puppies yesterday, and it’s definitely all good. Now you can not only ride around … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin Vivoactive
You know how they say size matters? Well in this case – smaller is better. And there’s no GPS running watch on the market today as thin as the Garmin Vivoactive. It’s basically like a piece of paper ate a … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Polar M450 GPS bike computer
Think small and mighty. Like mighty mouse on EPO (or synthetic testosterone as the cool kids are doing this week). But legal instead. So, like Nutella and bananas. That’s what the M450 is like: Incredibly powerful yet super small. It’s … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Withings WS50 WiFi Scale + Withings Activité
Too many BBQ’s this summer? Too many Slushies? First off – no, that’s impossible. Trust me, from the land that lacks both good slow cooked BBQ and Slushies I reject that claim outright. You can never have too much BBQ … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin FR920XT Tri Bundle (with HRM-SWIM & HRM-TRI Straps!)
What, you thought we’d limit this to things that are currently shipping? Nah, I’m about the future here! Even if the future is only a week or two away. The FR920XT is probably without question the most beloved triathlon watch … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: GoPro Hero4 Silver & GoPro 3-Way Pole
So…are you ready to rumble? Or perhaps at least fake it for the camera? Well then – I’ve got the giveaway for you: The GoPro Hero4 Silver. It’s now my go-to action cam that I grab anytime I’m looking to … Read More Here
PowerTap P1 Power Meter Pedals In-Depth Review
Back this spring PowerTap for the first time announced a power meter that wasn’t in the rear wheel hub. Well, they actually announced two new power meters. The first was the PowerTap P1, which is a pedal based power meter, … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
A nice relaxing weekend back home in Paris – here’s what I was up to! 1) Paris Roller For some three years now I’ve seen the Friday night festivus that is Paris Roller. It’s when every Friday evening hundreds to … Read More Here
Week in Review–August 2nd, 2015
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
TdF 2015: Comprehensive list of Strava & TrainingPeaks pro uploads by stage
Over the last few weeks the folks at both Strava and TrainingPeaks have been sending me occasional (or daily in some cases) updates of each file upload to their respective services for all riders in the Tour de France that … Read More Here
In Just 7 Days…
Yes, the time is once again almost upon us: The Annual DC Rainmaker Giveaway Extravaganza. Albeit slightly later in the summer season than years’ past – but worry not, I’m not skipping it! Next Tuesday (August 4th) starting at exactly … Read More Here
The Tour de France in Paris: Riding it, watching La Course, and the Finish
As is always the case, yesterday is an epic day for cycling fans in Paris. I went for the trifecta of craziness, and tried to jam it all in. Here’s a look at my (semi-exhausting) day. Riding the final stage: … Read More Here
More than you ever wanted to know about power meters in pro cycling
Over the last week or so there’s been substantial talk about power meter data in the Tour de France, specifically around scenarios of data snooping, data accuracy, data estimation, and data tampering. For the most part, the mainstream cycling media … Read More Here
A look at Garmin’s new swimming heart rate straps: HRM-SWIM & HRM-TRI
(**Update: A full In-Depth Review for these HRMs is available here!**) Today Garmin introduced two new heart rate straps that are designed to capture your heart rate data while you swim. This move puts them roughly on parity with offerings … Read More Here
Week in Review–July 18th, 2015
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
The new Polar Loop 2 and also new $19 Misfit Flash Link Activity Tracker
I just wanted to very briefly cover two new products that have been announced in the last 24 hours. Neither one really warrants a standalone post – especially since neither company has samples available on-hand (or rather, in my hands). … Read More Here
