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:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
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
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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 2023 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.
Garmin Reviews
Garmin Venu 2 & Venu 2S GPS Smartwatch In-Depth Review
Today Garmin announced the new Venu 2 & Venu 2S watches, the AMOLED display successors to the original Garmin Venu watch. The Venu 2 series sports two sizes now (45mm and 40mm), as well as a slew of updated health … Read More Here
Garmin Rally Power Meter In-Depth Review (SPD/SPD-SL/LOOK KEO)
Garmin has launched three new power meters today, all under the new ‘Garmin Rally’ brand, which supersedes the Garmin Vector power meter lineup. The Rally series includes three pedal bodies at this point: Shimano SPD-SL (road), Shimano SPD (typically off-road/MTB), … 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
Garmin Lily Fitness Smartwatch In-Depth Review
Garmin has launched a new fitness tracker that extends the brand’s offerings further into the stylish realm. On the surface, Lily might seem similar to the existing Vívomove series (including the Vívomove Style). However, there are numerous differences compared to … Read More Here
15 Years This Week: The Forerunner 305 Was Released: How does it test now?
It was 15 years ago this past week that the Forerunner 305 was released, at CES 2006 (Consumer Electronics Show). Arguably the device that began it all from a GPS running watch standpoint, its famed reddish color made it easy … Read More Here
Garmin Index S2 Smart WiFi Connected Scale In-Depth Review
Garmin has just announced the new Index S2 smart WiFi scale, building slightly upon the previous first-generation Index WiFi scale released nearly 5 years ago. This new model switches to a color display that’ll show weight trending information, helping to … Read More Here
Garmin Venu SQ In-Depth Review
Roughly a year after Garmin introduced their first AMOLED display unit, the Garmin Venu, the company is back at it with a stripped-down rectangular version – the Venu SQ. This less expensive variant still packs the vast majority of the … Read More Here
Garmin HRM-PRO In-Depth Review
The HRM-PRO brings together everything a Garmin user could want in a chest strap, from higher accuracy to offloading of workouts when in the water, plus daily activity data when a watch can’t be worn. Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 745 In-Depth Review
Garmin has announced the new Forerunner 745, a successor to the now four-year-old FR735XT. This multisport watch essentially takes just about everything from the FR945, except leaves the maps by the side of the road, saving you $100. Also, it’s … Read More Here
Garmin Fenix 6/6S Pro Solar Review: What’s new & different
Today Garmin has extended the solar option on the Fenix 6 series to include the Fenix 6S Pro and Fenix 6 Pro units, completing the family. Read More Here
Garmin Instinct Solar Review: What’s New & Different
The Garmin Instinct Solar builds upon the existing Garmin Instinct outdoor focused watch, but completely revams the internals to dramatically increase battery life, touting an ‘Unlimited’ battery mode. How well does it hold up to in-depth testing though? Read More Here
Garmin Edge 130 Plus In-Depth Review
When the Edge 130 came out a bit over two years ago, I think there was general confusion on where it fit in the Garmin lineup. While I don’t think that confusion was understood by Garmin initially, consumers presumed it … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1030 Plus In-Depth Review
Like with most Garmin products that tack on a ‘Plus’ designator, the changes from the Edge 1030 to the Edge 1030 Plus aren’t earth-shattering. In fact, the Edge 1030 received overwhelmingly more changes last summer when it got a massive … Read More Here
Garmin Shows Off New On-Device Sleep Tracking Widgets
On the list of things that I didn’t think would be all that exciting, I’d put forth ‘Widget that shows my sleep from last night’. Turns out, I was wrong. This past weekend I had put a couple of random … Read More Here
Garmin Varia RTL515 and RVR315 Cycling Radar In-Depth Review
Like clock-work, two years after releasing the last version of the Garmin Varia radar, the company has released its now third generation version. While this new version looks identical from the outside, it’s not internally – sporting new features and … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive 4 Smartwatch In-Depth Review
After months of usage, here’s an extensive review of the Garmin Vivoactive 4 GPS watch. Covering everything from features to accuracy and plenty more. Read More Here
Garmin Venu GPS Smartwatch In-Depth Review
Here’s everything you need to know about the Garmin Venu GPS Smartwatch after more than 3 months of usage. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Read More Here
The Best Garmin Charger: Only $9 for a Two-Pack of These Pucks
The Girl hates the standard Garmin charging cable. And I can’t really disagree with her. While I appreciate Garmin has mostly managed to standardize on the little four-pin connector for most wearable products in the last 3 years, it’s still … Read More Here
Garmin’s Vivoactive 4 Series: Everything you need to know
Update! My full long-term in-depth review of the Garmin Vivoactive 4/4S is over here, with tons of accuracy data and months of testing. Dive in! Today Garmin announced the new Vivoactive 4 & 4S watches, within a pile of different … Read More Here
Garmin Venu with AMOLED Display: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
Update! Head over to my full Garmin Venu In-Depth Review for all the analysis and testing after months of usage! I suppose one could simply say that the Garmin Venu was simply just a Vivoactive 4 with a really beautiful … Read More Here
Garmin Fenix 6 Series In-Depth Review
Garmin’s latest Fenix series watch now includes solar power, but how well does it work? And what’s PacePro all about? Here’s everything you wanted to know. Read More Here
Amazon Music Launches on Garmin Watches: Everything you need to know
Here’s everything you need to know to get your Garmin watch working with Amazon Music – step by step instructions and all! Read More Here
Garmin MARQ Athlete In-Depth Review
It’s Garmin’s most expensive GPS watch, and the most expensive sport-specific GPS watch on the market. But how well does it actually work? I dig deep. really deep. Read More Here
Garmin Live Event Sharing: Everything you ever wanted to know about it
Over the last month as part of Garmin’s new devices extravaganza, there was barely a mention of ‘live event sharing’ for certain devices. It was almost listed as fine print, right next to ‘if you do something stupid using our … 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
