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
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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/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!
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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 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.
Trainers
Elite Avanti Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
The Elite Avanti was introduced last summer as Elite’s new mid-range option for direct drive trainers. Unlike some of their competitors, Elite went all-in on specs on this one. They didn’t hold back: Adding WiFi, Zwift high-speed Race Mode, … Read More Here
JetBlack Victory $399 Smart Trainer In-Depth Review: The Best Option?
When the JetBlack Victory was announced this past summer, it sent waves through the smart trainer industry. In one shot, it pretty much knee-capped all of the existing sub-$1,000 trainers, if not most of those above it too. After all, … Read More Here
Elite’s New Square Smart Frame, Avanti & Justo 2 Smart Trainers First Look!
Elite has just announced a new smart-bike setup of sorts, as well as two new trainers. The new smart bike is effectively an upscale take on the also recently announced Zwift Ride, seemingly addressing the three most common complaints … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT In-Depth Review (Long Term)
I didn’t exactly intend this review to end up as a long-term review, yet, here we are. After some 9 or so months, this is my complete Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT In-Depth Review. The SHIFT is effectively a pared-down version … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR MOVE vs Tacx NEO 3M: The Definitive Comparison Guide
With the just released Tacx NEO 3M from Garmin this week, Wahoo’s KICKR MOVE smart trainer finally has a legit competitor in the built-in motion-enabled trainer space. Sure, you could (and still can) plop any trainer atop a rocker … Read More Here
All Indoor Cycling App Pricing Compared (2023 Edition)
Yesterday, after (many) years of people asking, Zwift has finally added an annual payment option. In doing so, they became the final company to add in annual pricing for their product, joining the rest of the industry. Of course, the … Read More Here
Zwift Hub One In-Depth Review (with Zwift Cog & Click!)
Zwift has just announced two new products today, and arguably changed the way trainers might be sold in the future. The first is the new Zwift Hub One smart trainer, which takes the existing Zwift Hub smart trainer from last … Read More Here
Elite Aria Smart Trainer Fan In-Depth Review
The Elite Aria fan is seemingly the smartest of smart trainer fans out there today, linking to a wide assortment of indoor cycling tech – be it power meters, smart trainers, heart rate sensors, and even body temperature sensors. … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR Move Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Wahoo has just released two new indoor training products for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere indoor training season, a new top-end smart trainer that moves forward and back to add a bit of movement during your ride. In addition, they … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT: Hands-On and Initial Thoughts
Today Wahoo announced a more affordable version of their high-end KICKR BIKE, the new KICKR BIKE SHIFT. This slices $1,000 off the price in exchange for a few trade-offs, notably removing the built-in CLIMB-like up and down incline simulation, as … Read More Here
Tacx NEO Bike Plus In-Depth Review
Garmin has just launched their newest smart bike, the Tacx NEO Bike Plus. This new model is a modest update to the previous edition, but does significantly overhaul the handlebar shifters, making them virtually identical to real road bike shifters. … Read More Here
Zwift Hub Smart Trainer In-Depth Review: The Best Bang For Your Buck?
Today Zwift starts selling their first smart trainer, the Zwift Hub. Announced about a month ago, this ‘new’ smart trainer is essentially a repackaged JetBlack VOLT V2 trainer, but at a substantially lower price point than virtually every other direct … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR Smart Trainer V6 (2022) In-Depth Review
New indoor trainer/bike season is heating up again this week, with Wahoo announcing not just one, but two new devices today – the Wahoo KICKR V6 as well as the new Wahoo KICKR Bike V2. Both of these trainers … Read More Here
Technogym Ride Smart Indoor Bike In-Depth Review
There are smart bikes, and then there are smart bikes. The indoor smart bike market over the last few years has exploded with options. Up until about three years ago, most indoor bikes were less smart, and more industrial-gym focused. … Read More Here
Tour de France 2022: Which Smart Trainers Do They Use?
When it comes to the massive logistical challenge that is transporting a team and all their cycling gear across 21 stages and four countries for the 2022 Tour de France, one perhaps unexpected bit of gear is their smart trainers. … Read More Here
Elite Justo Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Elite is kicking off the Tour de France with a new high-end trainer, the Elite Justo (Justo is Italian in Venetian dialect for right/correct, referring to the accuracy). This trainer not only looks different from the outside, matching the more … Read More Here
Lifeline Pro Trainer Desk Review: This Time with USB & Power Ports (and just 100EUR)!
In much the same way I have an apparently unhealthy obsession with USB charging cables, I also potentially have such an obsession with finding the perfect trainer desk. This is of course all started with the Wahoo KICKR Desk years … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR ROLLR Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Wahoo has now formally announced their KICKR ROLLR smart trainer…err…smart roller. I’m not super sure how you classify it (Wahoo themselves officially calls it a “smart trainer” in their media release), but whatever it is – it’s here and … Read More Here
JetBlack VOLT Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
I like being pleasantly surprised by smaller companies that nail a product. And the JetBlack VOLT is one of those such products, from one of those such companies. Sure, in the past JetBlack didn’t always have the most competitive or … Read More Here
KOM Cycling RPV2 Full Motion Rocker Platform: In-Depth Review
Double-cheeseburger. That’s what the new KOM Cycling RPV2 rocker plate is, or at least, looks like. This double-decker rocker plate essentially takes their existing popular RPV1 rocker plate (which tilts side to side), and adds a new forward/back sliding … Read More Here
TrueKinetix TrueBike In-Depth Review
There’s a strong chance you’ve never heard of the TrueBike by TrueKinetix, despite it being a full functioning, shipping, and retail-available smart indoor bike that works with any ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart compatible app out there, like Zwift, TrainerRoad, and … Read More Here
KOM Cycling $59 Trainer Desk In-Depth Review
It’s entirely plausible I might be starting to develop a bike trainer desk fetish of sorts. I mean, first there was the Wahoo KICKR Desk, then there was the KICKR desk knock-offs at half the price with more features, now … Read More Here
Tacx Boost Trainer In-Depth Review
Today Tacx has announced the Tacx Boost trainer. Err…re-announced the Tacx Boost trainer. It was previously, for the last 9 years, the Tacx Booster trainer. But as part of a consolidation of the budget non-smart trainer offerings, the company has … Read More Here
Elite Tuo Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Almost exactly one year to the day after announcing the Elite Tuo trainer, Elite finally started shipping the thing last month. To their credit, the reason they held back was that the accuracy of the unit wasn’t where they wanted … Read More Here
Wattbike ATOM 2020 Smart Bike In-Depth Review
It’s been three years since Wattbike released their first true indoor smart bike (with app-controllable resistance), the Wattbike ATOM. This year, they’ve released the upgraded 2nd gen model – the ATOM 2020. While they look nearly identical from the outside, … Read More Here
Indoor Cycling Trainer Desk: For when you just can’t justify the Wahoo KICKR Desk Price
Want the Wahoo KICKR Desk (which work with any brand trainer), but can’t exactly justify spending $250 on an indoor trainer desk? No problem, there’s an alternative – the RAD Cycling Desk, also branded as the Lifeline Cycling Trainer Desk, … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR V5 (2020) Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
Wahoo has just announced their latest generation KICKR, now in its 5th iteration. This new unit adds compressing feet to reduce vibrations on hard floors as well as slightly increase motion. It also eliminates the need for calibration by adding … 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 Direto XR/XR-T Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
The new Direto XR has increased specs including 24% simulated gradient, a cassette, and improved ERG mode. But is it just as accurate? I dig in with full in-depth testing! Read More Here
Tacx Flux 2 Smart Trainer (2020 Edition) In-Depth Review
Very few reviews last two years in length, but the Tacx Flux 2 is in a saga level unto itself. For this review I dive deep into the belly of the Flux 2 to see if it’s finally fixed. Read More Here
Stages Bike (SB20) In-Depth Review
The Stages Bike is a full featured smart bike that’s controllable by apps like Zwift & TrainerRoad, but how well does it work, and what are the quirks? I dig in with tons of details to find out. Read More Here
Tacx Flow Budget Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
The Tacx Flow Smart is not new. Though, it might be to a lot of people. It’s the least expensive true smart trainer on the market – at least by any of the major players (or even medium players that … Read More Here
TrainerRoad Launches Live Group Workouts with Video
TrainerRoad has launched a new group workout function today that enables you to do a workout with friends synchronized together, complete with audio and video of each of you suffering. It’s like TrainerRoad cobbled up with a little bit of … Read More Here
Tacx Handlebar Tablet Holder Accessory In-Depth Review
You know when you start a review 3-4 years ago, and then realize you never quite finished it? Oh, that’s just me? Well, here ya go – all it took was a worldwide pandemic for me to finish it. As … Read More Here
Elite Sterzo Steering/Riser Block Accessory In-Depth Review
*** Update: Elite has since released the Sterzo Smart. For the latest on this product, see the review post here. *** Last year at Eurobike we saw Elite announce two then-unnamed steering accessories. One of them contained electronics in it … Read More Here