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:
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/Drones/Action Cams 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 (including drones & action cams!)! 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 2024 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.
Suunto rolls out direct integration with Strava, a brief overview
This week Suunto became arguably the first major GPS watch maker to integrate directly with Strava. Not the first ever, but the first of the biggies (Polar, Suunto, Garmin, and to a degree, Timex). The implementation of automatic transfers to … Read More Here
LifeBEAM Smart Helmet with Integrated ANT+ Heart Rate Sensor In-Depth Review
It’s been almost a year since the LifeBeam SMART helmet hit the interwebs via a Kickstarter crowd-funded effort. Since then they’ve iterated through prototypes, status updates, and then ultimately a few months back – delivery of the actual product. It … Read More Here
5 Random Things From The Past Week
While last week was a bit of a short vacation post-Boston, it’s still been quite a busy last 7 days. Here’s what I’ve been up to for the past week: 1) A week in Florida While we were down in … Read More Here
The failed openwater swim that landed me in the hospital
My plan was simple: Go for a short openwater swim. Since I rarely get openwater swims in while at home in Paris, I planned to make the most of my beach time in Tampa. I had a few different openwater … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 27th, 2014
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
A quick look behind the scenes at Clever Training
This past week post-marathon limping, The Girl and I have been down at the beach with friends, enjoying the sun. The Girl and her family, as well as many family friends have long come down to the greater Tampa area … Read More Here
Spectating the 2014 Boston Marathon
We left off with yesterday’s ‘5 Random Things I Did This Past Weekend’ post where I outlined the lead-up into watching The Girl run her first Boston Marathon. Today, we’ll tackle the whole shindig! Off to the school buses: In … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s a look at the last 48 hours or so as I’ve been bumbling to and around Boston! 1) Flew to NYC, drive to Connecticut, and then onto Boston The theory was a rather relaxing day of a flight from … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 20th, 2014
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
Behind the Scenes: How I choose which products to review
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve got a few variations on the following question (for a variety of products): “Will you be reviewing the Bryton Rider 60 any time soon? If not please can you say why? I realize … Read More Here
The Pinnacle of Fitness Failure: Samsung’s Gear Fit Activity Tracker
On Friday I unboxed and got all set Samsung’s Gear Fit activity tracker. This is the company’s first direct attempt at competing with activity monitors from the likes of traditional players like Nike and FitBit, as well as newer entrants … Read More Here
The Paris Color Run 2014 ‘Race’ Report
I’ve done many types of races and/or endurance events over the years. From dressing up as Santa to jumping in a frozen creek to swimming from Alcatraz and many others. But I’ve yet to do one involving getting painted along … Read More Here
Paris Super Sprint Triathlon 2014 Race Report
Regular readers will remember back a few months ago me mentioning that I was signing up for an early season triathlon. Here in sorta-northern Europe, that means still indoor swimming. Though, with the weather as of late it easily could … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Wow, another crazy busy weekend! For this week’s 5 Random Things, I’m going back to shortness, because there’s two posts today and I wanted to be able to cover everything and not leave you too overwhelmed! 1) Weekend Evening Eiffel … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 13th, 2014
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
First look at the new Garmin Edge 1000
(Please Note: My Full In-Depth Review is now available and published here!) Today, Garmin announced their latest cycling unit – the Garmin Edge 1000. Unlike some expectations however, the Edge 1000 doesn’t directly replace the 15-month old Edge 810, but … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Yet another weekend of beautiful weather here in the French capital. Here’s what I was up to for the last 72 hours. 1) Went for a one-way long run I started off my long run mid-afternoon, set to go one-way … Read More Here
Week in Review–April 6th, 2014
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
Behind the scenes at Adidas Global Headquarters, plus updates on future of miCoach and Smart Run GPS
Earlier this week I made the short (very early morning) flight to Nuremburg, Germany to visit the worldwide headquarters of Adidas. The purpose of the trip was twofold. First, it was to get a bit of an understanding of the … Read More Here
TomTom Cardio Runner & Multisport with Optical Heart Rate In-Depth Review
Today TomTom has announced two new versions of their TomTom GPS watches. These new additions add in optical heart rate monitoring straight into the back of both the TomTom Runner and Multisport GPS watches. The new line – called the … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s a look at a bit of a getaway weekend we just wrapped up, which, didn’t quite start off on the right foot. 1) Got stuck in an elevator I had just finished picking up our rental car for the … Read More Here
Week in Review–March 30th, 2014
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
Mio adds wireless Shimano Di2 integration, ANT+ trainer control, and more to Cyclo bike units
This past weekend I got a hands-on walk through of a host of new Mio features that are planned to be released as part of a firmware update for their existing units on the market. Different units get different features, … Read More Here
Suunto Ambit2 R In-Depth Review
Back in late January Suunto announced their Ambit2 R running-focused watch, which comes as a derivative of the Ambit2 line that was introduced last spring. The 2R aimed to offer a lower price point than the higher end Ambit2 and … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
After my quick trip to Mexico City a few days prior, I was back home for a jam-packed weekend. Lots going on! 1) A Long Run Around The Loop I headed out later Saturday afternoon for my long run. I’ve … Read More Here
