I’m DC RAINMAKER…
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? Use Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
And both Backcountry & Competitive Cyclist offer free 2-day shipping!
In the UK/EU/Australia/New Zealand? Then hit up Wiggle at the link below!
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 GPLAMA, 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 gadget recommendations guide and trainers here - covering 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 2019 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 2018 Gear Guide too.
Cycling
Just Got A New Sports Gadget? 37 Tips To Get You Started
So, you just got a new gadget under the tree (or, perhaps for some other holiday – or random sale - in the last while). Congrats! Now, you’ve gotta figure out how to channel your inner sports geekdom to get … Read More Here
How to: Install Free Maps on your Garmin Edge
Got a Garmin Edge and want to install maps on it while you travel? Here's the quick and easy steps to get free maps ready and installed. Read More Here
How To (Sorta) Make Your CompuTrainer Wireless: PerfPro’s CT Smart Wireless Bridge
While the company is no longer in business (and still, nobody seems to know who purchased the CompuTrainer assets specifically from RacerMate), there are undoubtedly many CompuTrainers left in service out there. And aside from a handful connected with the … Read More Here
Just Got A New Sports Gadget? 34 Tips To Get You Started
So, you just got a new gadget under the tree (or, perhaps for some other Festivus in the last while). Congrats! Now, you’ve gotta figure out how to channel your inner sports geekdom to get the most out of that … 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
How to get and record cadence information on a spin or gym bike
Tonight, I had an epiphany. Or at least, I had an improvement upon an idea that I had planned for months. One question I get a lot is how to measure cadence on an indoor spin bike, or gym stationary … Read More Here
How to find & create awesome cycling routes in a smarter way
Despite having lived in Paris almost a year now, I’ve rarely cycled outside of my little set of known routes and locales. Partly because the weather has been so bad this winter that I spent a lot of it on … Read More Here
How and why I mount cycling gadget devices on my aerobars
I’ve always gotten questions as to why I mount various gadget devices on my aerobars, primarily from the belief that in doing so, I’d be blocking my ability to use my aerobars. So, I figured I’d take a moment to … Read More Here
Tip of the Day: How to clean your trainer tire block…the easy way.
Recently I was taking some shots for a product review and somehow the trainer block that holds up my front tire ended up being part of the shot. As I reviewed the shot in question on the camera, I realized … Read More Here
What I learned after getting hit by a car while cycling
It was exactly a year ago this past Sunday that while taking part in the 2010 Rev3 Knoxville Triathlon Race down in Tennessee that at roughly Mile 22 on the bike course I was flung into the air from my … Read More Here
Behind the scenes of Team HTC-Columbia and the Tour de France Live Tracker
Over the past week and a half of watching the Tour de France, you may have stumbled upon a site that allows you to track Team HTC-Columbia’s riders power, heart rate, cadence and speed data in real-time from your computer … Read More Here
A night with the Cervelo Technical Folk
Last Friday I got an invited to hang out with some folks from Cervelo for a night at the local tri shop (Bonzai) going through a fairly detailed technical presentation, primarily focused on aerodynamics of bikes. I happily accepted the … Read More Here
A Power Primer – Cycling with Power 101
If you watched any of the Tour de France this summer, you probably heard the commentators and on screen graphics showing ‘Watts’, and if you went ‘What?” – this this post is for you. As part of laying the groundwork … Read More Here
Goin’ compact on Skyline
One of the biggest benefits of having a coach is when he or she can look back at months of data and finds a way to assist you in getting better. In my case, it was almost a year’s worth … Read More Here
Things are made for a reason: Bike rack locks and wheel clips
The last few weeks my bike rack locks have been rather temperamental. Not quite sure why, as I’ve been using them most of the winter for weekend rides out of the city. But while I was fidgeting with them last … Read More Here
The miracles of degreaser
If you’re a triathlete or cyclist – then you likely find bike grease on just about every object you own. And if you’re a runner, then you’ll still find this stuff pretty darn cool. Back last winter the bike shop … Read More Here
How to use CO2 for cycling – a beginners guide
So perhaps you were like me – afraid of the little cylinder. Perhaps you thought it would just simply explode on you, or that when you went to use it you’d end up putting more CO2 into the the sky … Read More Here
The tire that just keeps on truckin’
Last summer and fall I was having the mother of all issues with flat tires. I was flatting about once every 10 days. Seriously. ONCE every 10 days, sometimes more. The good news is I got damn good at changing … Read More Here
