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.
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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!
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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.
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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?
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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: 'watch'
Garmin Swim watch In-Depth Review
The Garmin Swim is Garmin’s first attempt at a swimming-only product. It builds on the FR910XT’s swimming functionality within the triathlon world, but can it do it all? Read More Here
The Next Garmin Forerunner Multisport Watch
Without doubt, one of the most frequent questions I get around these parts is: “When will the next version of ____ be released?” – which is typically “When will the next Garmin Forerunner be released?”. I should first say – … Read More Here
Polar Pacer Pro GPS Running Watch In-Depth Review
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was the Polar Pacer watch. This was an era before GPS, before optical HR, and before countless other metrics that we didn’t even know would exist someday. Back … Read More Here
Google’s Pixel Watch Hands-On: Here’s What You Need to Know
Today Google finally launched its long-awaited Pixel Watch. No wearable device has been rumored to “happen soon” as many years as the Pixel Watch. But this past spring Google confirmed it’d be coming this fall, and here we are. The … Read More Here
Garmin Bounce LTE Kids Activity Tracker In-Depth Review
Garmin is continuing both their kids activity tracking product line, as well as their LTE adventures, in a new device that combines both of those: The Garmin Bounce. The Bounce is essentially a Vivofit Jr. kids activity tracker that’s been … Read More Here
Polar Grit X Pro GPS Watch In-Depth Review
Polar has announced a handful of new watches today, but the main headliner is the new Polar Grit X Pro. It technically comes in two flavors – the base Grit X Pro which includes not only a new look, but … Read More Here
Dive Tidbits From Underwater Chamber Testing the Apple Watch Ultra
I hadn’t really planned on writing a separate post for the video shown above, where I put the Apple Watch Ultra in my underwater depth testing chamber. Mostly because my list of non-Apple things is growing right now, and there’s … Read More Here
I Tested All Three Apple Watch Ultra Band Types
Since first trying on the new Apple Watch Ultra, I’ve been inundated with questions about which band to choose. While it may seem like there are many models of the Apple Watch Ultra, in reality, there’s only one hardware … Read More Here
TomTom announces Spark 3 GPS Watch, Adventurer hiking watch, and Touch wearable Body Composition band
Timed to the start of the IFA conference in Berlin, TomTom rolled out three new fitness devices. Though, I suppose technically four devices if you count that Spark 3 also goes by the name Runner 3. And actually, it’s more … Read More Here
Garmin Enduro GPS Watch In-Depth Review
Let’s just get this out of the way upfront: There’s precisely one reason – and ONLY one reason to buy the Garmin Enduro: You want really long battery life, and are OK with that at the expense of any other … Read More Here
Wahoo RIVAL Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
It’s Wahoo’s first go of creating a multisport GPS watch, how does it handle, and stack up against the competition? I dive into all the details, literally – complete with a triathlon test. Read More Here
Apple Watch Series SE: A Fitness First Impressions Untangled
Trying to detangle exactly how the Apple Watch SE stacks up against the Apple Watch Series 6 from a sports and fitness standpoint? This dives into all the details and nuances, from GPS accuracy to HR accuracy, features and more. Read More Here
Polar Grit X GPS Watch In-Depth Review
The Polar Grit X is Polar’s newest watch, focused on trail running, but also still a full featured multi-sport watch. I dive into all the details from accuracy to new features and plenty more. Read More Here
Suunto 7 Wear OS GPS Watch In-Depth Review
Here’s your most detailed in-depth review of the Suunto 7 watch, from a heavily sports and fitness standpoint. Can it compete with the others in the market? Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 5: Sports & Fitness In-Depth Review
It’s been two months since the Apple Watch Series 5 came out, and the watch has been on my right wrist every one of those days. Swim, bike, run…and plenty more. You may remember my initial thoughts on it back … 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
Garmin Forerunner 945 Multisport Watch In-Depth Review
It’s the most comprehensive look at Garmin’s top multisport watch out there – the FR945 In-Depth Review. From accuracy to music, real-life usage, and more. Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music GPS Watch In-Depth Review
Here’s everything you could ever want to know about the Forerunner 245/245 Music, from loading Spotify, to Running Dynamics, to GPS accuracy and plenty more. Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active – Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
***Update: Just a note the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is out, you can see my post about it here*** Each year for a number of years now, Samsung has released fitness-focused smartwatches. Correspondingly, each year they seem to be getting … Read More Here
COROS APEX Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
I don’t think there’s any sports technology GPS watch startup that’s being watched as closely by GPS watch industry giants as COROS is. Now as you’ll see, it may not be entirely for the reasons you think, but no matter … Read More Here
Polar Vantage M Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
It’s been nearly five months since Polar first announced the Vantage series watches, including the Vantage M and Vantage V. You probably saw my Vantage V review a couple months back. Since then I’ve transitioned to using the less expensive … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 4: Sports & Fitness In-Depth Review
Everything you ever wanted to know about using the Apple Watch Series 4 for sport and fitness. From GPS accuracy tests to pushing the limits of the new optical HR sensor…and plenty more. Read More Here
Garmin Instinct GPS Watch In-Depth Review
When it comes to looks, you’re either going to love or hate the new Garmin Instinct watch. There’s not likely to be much middle ground. If you like the looks of Casio watches, you’ll probably be pretty excited about this … Read More Here
Giveaway Extravaganza: Garmin Forerunner 935 Multisport GPS Watch
All good things must come to an end, and this folks, it’s the end of the road. At least assuming you’re still on the road and haven’t fallen asleep and found you and your bike crashed into the side of … Read More Here
Hands-on: The New Suunto 9 Multisport GPS Watch
Everything you need to know about Suunto’s latest and highly anticipated GPS device, and the successor to the Spartan series. Read More Here