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.
You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! Plus, you'll be more awesome. Click above for all the details. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here!
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.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.
-
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?
-
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 meter'
The Power Meter Buyers Guide–2018 Edition
Once again, it’s time for the annual power meter buyer’s guide! It’s where I round-up every cycling power meter on the market, and talk through what’s happened in the last year. I give my opinions of every single power meter … Read More Here
Voted off the island!
Ha! Awesome! I was watching tonight’s Survivor – more out of interest after my trip to Palau over the holiday break than the show itself. We had been told that the tribal council area was at a place near where … Read More Here
SRM X-Power SPD Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s been a long time since a major brand new power meter was announced, and today’s post…well…it doesn’t change that. In fact, the SRM X-Power was announced some 18 months ago, and started shipping in super limited quantities nearly a … Read More Here
The Power Meters Buyer’s Guide–2017 Edition
Once again, it’s time for the annual power meter buyer’s guide! It’s where I round-up every cycling power meter on the market, and talk through what’s happened in the last year. I give my opinions of every single power meter … Read More Here
InsideRide E-Motion SmartPower Rollers with Floating Fork: In-Depth Review
In the indoor training world there are roller people, and there are trainer people. It’s sorta like politics or religion. Fighting with one camp over the benefits is mostly futile. The only people who benefit from such discussions are the … 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
Hands on with a $200 Bluetooth Smart power meter and precision distance/speed sensor
A few weeks ago I got in touch with the folks behind Velocomputer, who have been working on a Bluetooth Low Energy Speed/Cadence/Power Meter. The unit is no bigger than your current standard speed/cadence sensor that you mount today to … Read More Here
4iiii Precision Pro Dual Left/Right Power Meter In-Depth Review
While there are many power meter options being touted these days, it’s a different matter to actually get something shipped to consumers. And to do something that’s accurate and trusted (as well as reliable). It’s been a couple of years now … Read More Here
IQ2 Power Meter Pedals: First Rides Testing & Data Accuracy
[Updated note – Nov 2020: Please read the text. All of it. Especially the parts where I’m concerned about their ability to execute on the timeframes they’ve specified, and whether or not the unit I received for test is what … Read More Here
4iiii Lowers Power Meter Prices to $299, Increases Warranty to 3 Years
In a non-April Fool’s day move, 4iiii has substantially reduced their power meter pricing, both matching and undercutting the changes Stages made back in January to their line-up. This brings single-sided power down to $299USD/299EUR and dual-sided power meter on … Read More Here
Tour Down Under 2020: Power Meters Of the WorldTour Men’s Teams
Looking for what the riders of the 2020 UCI WorldTour are using as their power meters? Here’s a complete inventory from the Tour Down Under 2020. Read More Here
The Because It’s Friday $500 Sports Gadget Giveaway!
Today is Friday – you made it to the end of the week – and almost to the end of spring. But more importantly, today is also National Strawberry Shortcake Day (Don’t trust me? Look it up.) Unfortunately, I don’t … Read More Here
Hands-on: Stages LR Dual Left/Right Power Meter
Today Stages (finally) announced their long seen but never sold dual left/right power meter, the Stages LR. This new system simply adds in right-side measurement to what has long been Stages left-leg only product line. Of course, long-time power meter … Read More Here
PowerTap Significantly Drops Prices, Plus Detailed Power Meter Pricing Trends (2018 Edition)
It seems like it’s that time of year again – when we start to see shifts in power meter pricing and companies tweak their strategy for the year ahead. The first to move this year was actually Pioneer, back in … Read More Here
Quarq Lowers Power Meters Pricing Down to $399 for Certain Models
Not one to be outdone, one day after 4iiii lowered their power meter prices substantially, Quarq has joined the fray. Of course, in reality with a company like SRAM behind Quarq – these are hardly last second moves. These permanent … Read More Here
Tech Tidbits: Garmin GPS Offsets Again and PowerTap Units Discontinued
As we round out Wednesday, there’s a few tidbits of news that are definitely worth mentioning – especially this first one as a heads up for Garmin users to ensure you don’t get any wonky GPS tracks over the next … Read More Here
Specialized Power Cranks Power Meter In-Depth Review
Today Specialized has finally announced their new power meter crankset, aptly called Power Cranks. This crankset has been in the works for quite some time, both in rumors as well as on pro team riders bikes (as I showed at … Read More Here
Power2Max NG Power Meter In-Depth Review
Last August at Eurobike, Power2Max announced their latest power meter – the Power2Max NG. This power meter would be their first unit with dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, while also tweaking their underlying measurement design to increase accuracy. While they had anticipated … Read More Here
Here’s What Happens When You Order a $35 Power Meter
Remember IQ2? The Kickstarter-based startup that’s been trying to produce a budget power meter for about 33 months now? You might recall late spring 2019 they announced a change in direction from a small crank-arm attached pod to a full … Read More Here
The Didn’t Get What You Wanted $500 Gadget Giveaway
I’m sure many of you received various sports gadgets over the last few weeks as part of the holidays. But for those unlucky elves who received only a half-eaten gel packet in their Christmas stocking from their not-so-significant others, I’ve … 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
Wahoo Relaunches Speedplay, Announces Power Meter Plans (POWRLINK Zero)
It’s been roughly 18 months since Wahoo announced the acquisition of Speedplay. Since then the company reduced some 50 different SKUs down to 4 core models, moved factory locations, shut down factories, moved factory locations again, and started building a … Read More Here
Stages Power Meter In-Depth Review Update
Do firmware updates by Stages help resolve some of the technical issues I saw in the earlier review? Read More Here
PowerTap gives sneak peek at new product development, and other updates from the company
Last year at Eurobike, PowerTap had on display a bit of a historical timeline of the company’s past products. 15 years worth of power meter products on display, a nod to the company’s long line of various developments that hit retail … Read More Here
A Closer Look at The Specialized Power Meter Spotted at The Tour Down Under
At the 2018 Tour Down Under, there honestly isn’t a ton of new bike tech. At least, bike tech within the realm that I care about. Undoubtedly there are new frames, wheels, and probably the odd brake pad. But in … Read More Here