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
1
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.
2
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!
3
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.
4
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!
5
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.
Apple
Beats PowerBeats 2 Pro Fitness & Heart Rate Review: Does it Actually Work?
The new PowerBeats 2 Pro earbuds have a slate of new features for audio-related purposes. However, for sports-specific usage, they have one big new feature: Built-in heart rate sensing. This would not only be the first time Apple has … Read More Here
Apple Fitness+ and Strava Integration, and New Fitness+ Features
Like clockwork, Apple has once again announced a pile of Apple Fitness+ features the first week of January. Fitness+ being Apple’s subscription fitness platform that has trainers performing workouts in a variety of sports. And, with this update the specific … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Apple Watch Series 10: Every Difference Detailed
Once again, I went down the rabbit hole. This time detailing all the differences between Apple’s two latest models – the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black and Apple Watch Series 10. In total, I’ve gathered roughly 40 differences between … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 10: Everything You Need To Know
Today Apple announced Apple Watch Series 10, with a substantial hardware change and upgrade. In fact, so big it’s now got a bigger screen than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (which didn’t see a new hardware version this year, … Read More Here
Apple’s New Training Load & Vitals App: After 30 Days of Usage
A bit over a month ago at Apple’s WWDC event, the company announced their newest versions of WatchOS, the software platform that the Apple Watch uses. It also announced new versions of iOS and various other operating systems. All … Read More Here
Apple’s New WatchOS 11: Training Load, Turn-by-Turn Trail Routes, and More!
It’s that time of year when Apple announces the majority of new software features for their various platform operating systems, such as iOS, WatchOS, and more. These are announced at Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference). While this event … Read More Here
Apple Vision Pro and Cycling: Indoors & Outdoors Tested!
For those curious about whether or not Apple’s Vision Pro works well in cycling, I dig into all the questions you may or may not have had. Both from an outdoor standpoint, but also an indoor riding perspective on … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Garmin Epix Pro: The NYC Test Gauntlet
It’s that time again – for another New York City GPS accuracy test. Just like the annual Christmas Tree by cargo bike tradition, so is the NYC GPS accuracy test posts. Albeit, this time I’ve got an interesting double-date test. … Read More Here
Apple To Halt Sales of Apple Watch Ultra 2 & Series 9: Explained
Apple has confirmed they’ll be halting sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, following a ruling this past October by the International Trade Commission that ruled in favor of a patent dispute with Masimo, a … Read More Here
Apple Watch and TrainingPeaks Integration: How-to Guide
It’s been more than 6 months since Apple and TrainingPeaks announced plans for integration back at WWDC, and it’s finally here. In some ways, it’s kinda funny. From an end-user perspective, this actually isn’t some mind-bending new fancy feature. … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 12 Black vs Apple iPhone 15: Action Test!
For those not subscribed on YouTube, just a quick heads up that I dropped the above video today, which is a comparison between two totally different cameras, yet ones that also have significant overlap. And in this case, focusing … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra 2 In-Depth Review: Focused Sports Progress
With the launch of the 2nd edition of the Apple Watch Ultra series, Apple has set the tone for an annual release cycle. As they’ve done with the existing/regular Apple Watch lineup, that cadence has focused on incremental updates … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 9 In-Depth Review: A Sports Focus
Apple’s latest mainstream watch, the Apple Watch Series 9, has arrived. And with it comes minor incremental hardware updates, but a slate of software updates focused on sports and fitness. The hardware upgrades are entirely internal, focused on faster … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Hands-on and What’s New
Apple has just announced the new Apple Watch Ultra 2, alongside the also-new Apple Watch Series 9. Both of these units see largely hardware upgrades, mostly focused on performance and the display, while also adding one notable new feature … Read More Here
Apple Watch Power Meter Support: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
Last month at Apple’s annual developer conference the company outlined the future of Apple Watch, at least in terms of software, for the next year. One item that seemed to surprise many was the announcement that Apple would be adding … Read More Here
Apple Watch Running Track Mode Expands To More Countries
A quick post for today as Apple has expanded their Apple Watch running track mode to more countries. This mode will automatically detect the running track as you step onto the track, offering to enter/trigger track mode (assuming you’re in … Read More Here
Oura Ring & Apple Watch Integrations: A Closer Look
Late last week Oura launched a new integration with the Apple Watch, adding both an app to display data as well as data fields that can be used in watch faces. While other display-less companies like Whoop have resisted integrations … Read More Here
Diving with the Apple Watch Ultra & Oceanic+ App: Everything You Need to Know
Huish Outdoors, in conjunction with Apple, has today launched the new Oceanic+ dive app for the Apple Watch Ultra. As you may remember, the Apple Watch Ultra has built-in depth gauge hardware that’s certified to 40m/130ft. However, the also built-in … Read More Here
Apple’s Satellite Emergency SOS Feature: A Review & Deep-Dive Explainer
Starting today, users in certain countries will be able to use their iPhone 14 units to trigger an emergency SOS, even in areas without cellular coverage. It does this using a network of 24 low-earth orbit satellites that the iPhone … 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
Apple Watch Series 8 In-Depth Review
While all eyes last week were on the Apple Watch Ultra, the reality is that the Series 8 will sell the most units (by far), has almost every software feature of the Ultra, and includes the same slate of massive … Read More Here
Apple Watch Ultra Hands-On: Everything you need to know!
Today, Apple has announced the biggest shift to their Apple Watch product lineup since launch, by announcing the new Apple Watch Ultra, which is targeted at the endurance athlete. This new watch has increased battery life, an added button, larger … Read More Here
Apple Adds Manual Triathlon Transitions to Latest WatchOS 9 Beta
Hot on the heals of my full Apple WatchOS 9 triathlon beta test earlier this week, Apple has added manual transitions to the latest beta preview build, which went live on Wednesday. Obviously, this was in the works for considerably … Read More Here
Tri Amsterdam Race Report (Testing Apple Watch Triathlon Mode!)
Earlier this summer, Apple announced WatchOS 9, which is by far the company’s most ambitious push into endurance sports to date for their Apple Watch platform. It includes customizable interval support, running power, and a multisport mode, among many other … Read More Here