I’m DC RAINMAKER…
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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 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 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: 'zwift'
Garmin Fenix 7 vs COROS Vertix 2: New York City GPS Accuracy Test!
Over the last 6-8 months we’ve seen watch companies, including Garmin and COROS, add multi-band/dual-frequency GPS chipsets to their watches, which have long-promised to be the holy-grail of GPS accuracy. As I’ve shown in my in-depth reviews though, that … Read More Here
Zwift on New Apple TV 4K (2021 Edition): What’s different?
Many regular readers know that I’m a big user of Apple TV for Zwift. For the most part, unless I’m actively testing something that requires a PC or Mac specifically, I’m using Apple TV as my Zwift machine. I have … Read More Here
Zwift Releases Makuri Islands: New World to Eventually Rival Watopia
Zwift has released a new land, called the Makuri Islands, and the first section in that is the Yumezi map, which includes 27.6km/17.1mi of roads on it. However, unlike UCI or real-life-based event maps such as Yorkshire or Richmond, this … Read More Here
Hands-On With Wahoo’s New SYSTM Training Platform
At first glance, one might just assume that Wahoo’s new SYSTM platform is simply The Sufferfest rebranded (Wahoo acquired The Sufferfest a few years back). And you’d be about 50% correct. The Sufferfest videos are still very much there, but … Read More Here
Cycling Esports World Championships on Zwift for February 2022
The UCI has announced that the Cycling Esports World Championship will be held February 26th, 2022, on Zwift. The last part being more notable than the date, as there was actually no guarantee it would be held on Zwift. In … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Not only do we have a 5 Random Things again this week, but it’s even got skiing, cycling, and running. Plus – tidbits about postmen, as well as beer photos. What more could you ask for in a weekend roundup? … Read More Here
Zwift Plans Three At Home Fitness Hardware Products
Last week Zwift posted a slate of new job positions, notably around supply chain management. Included within that, the company listed that they’ll not only be making three specific models, but that they’ve also selected their hardware production partners already. … Read More Here
Week in Review: April 5th, 2021
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
Tech Tidbits: Xert Adds NPE CABLE Support, TrainerRoad Adaptive Training Leaves Beta
Indoor-focused trainer app news will be all the rage for the next while as companies try and pique your interest going into the colder seasons here in the Northern Hemisphere. Though, in this case, both companies also support outside workouts … Read More Here
Zwift Tech Tidbits: Trainer Certifications and Steering Hardware Slowdowns, Retailer Program, ZwiftHub and More
Zwift has been busy as of late, with a slew of various announcements…and in some cases non-announcements. I’m going to roll all of these together like an elaborate Instagram-worthy sushi roll, packed with things that probably don’t go together. None … Read More Here
Week in Review–August 8th, 2021
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
Strava Reverses Course: Turns back on Apple Health Sync Functionality
Strava has reversed course on their recent disablement of Apple Health sync for 3rd party workouts (e.g. data from Zwift, TrainerRoad, Garmin, etc.), after abruptly disabling the feature last week without notice. That move impacted many Apple iPhone users that … Read More Here
A Quick Review: A $17 Weight Scale that Syncs to Zwift (1byone Smart Scale)
For those unfamiliar, the speed you go in Zwift is entirely based on your weight and power output – with some added trimmings, including height/virtual bike/wheels/etc… But really, it all hinges on your weight. As a good citizen of Zwift … Read More Here
Zwift Bans Another Pro, This Time With History of Data Tampering
Zwift bans another pro, this time with a history of data tampering across two seasons and more. Here’s all the details on this surprisingly brazen act. Read More Here
Zwift’s CEO Discusses Smart Bike Hardware Plans, IPO, Rowing, Clubs, and More
Over the past few days Zwift’s CEO has given an interview to Bloomberg, as well as led his annual Thanksgiving Day group ride, which had over 3,000 people join. During both of those sessions CEO Eric Min discussed a number … Read More Here
A Look at Polar’s New Heart Rate Broadcasting for Apps like Zwift and Peloton
Polar starts shipping their previously announced Ignite 2 today, which was announced last month alongside the Vantage M2. Stashed away on the Ignite 2 is the beginnings of Polar’s new heart rate broadcasting feature, which enables it to broadcast your … Read More Here
GoPro Enduro Battery In-Depth Review
GoPro just released their new Enduro battery, which aims to offer better cold-weather performance, while also lasting longer in regular temperatures. In other words, it’s just all-around a better battery. This battery is compatible with the Hero 9 and Hero … Read More Here
Zwift Bans Two Pro Racers For Altering Data: An Explainer of Sorts
It’ll likely come as no surprise that top racers are once again* cheating on Zwift. After all, cheating and cycling are as intertwined as peanut butter and jelly. And while historically cycling has seen cheating take the form of doping … Read More Here
Zwift Considering $45/Month Plans and Huge List of New Features in Latest Survey
Zwift has sent out a survey to numerous members (including myself) that indicates they’re pondering multiple membership tiers, steering + braking, hosted audio-video workouts, premium racing leagues, and many more features. While the survey is of course meant to gather … Read More Here
Kommander Review: Zwift Control For Your Handlebars
Looking for a way to control Zwift from your handlebars with dedicated clickable buttons for using PowerUps, navigation, and changing camera views? Or perhaps increasing intensity during a structured workout? The new Kommander buttons aim to solve exactly that. The … Read More Here
My Favorite $8 Zwift Apple TV Accessory
If there’s anything I’ve learned in the last few years, it’s that y’all really like hearing about my favorite inexpensive accessories. Be it the $8 Garmin charging pucks or the indoor cycling desk that’s half the price of Wahoo’s – … Read More Here
Zwift Lays Off Employees in Move to Focus on Developing New Hardware
This past Friday, Zwift laid-off a number of employees in a move the company described as being made to allow them to “develop new hardware”. The positions being eliminated, according to various industry sources that were informed by Zwift on … Read More Here
Zwift Rolls Out Steering to Wahoo KICKR Smart Bike
Tonight’s Zwift update has enabled steering for the Wahoo KICKR Bike (which are actually in-stock these days). This long-awaited step finally makes it possible to use all features of Zwift in one of the most expensive smart bikes in the … Read More Here
Elite Sterzo Smart In-Depth Review: Here's How It Works With Zwift
It took a year. No, not just for steering to finally make it from semi-announced Elite/Zwift products, but for me to be convinced there’s value there. And last night, a mere two turns into a race I had my ‘Holy … Read More Here
Elite RIZER In-Depth Review: Incline & Steering Simulation Accessory
The simplest way to explain the new Elite RIZER is that they merged a Wahoo CLIMB with an Elite Sterzo Smart, marrying both the steering aspects of the Sterzo Smart with the up and down functionality of the Wahoo CLIMB. … Read More Here