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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Here’s how to save!
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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!
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.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.
Wahoo Fitness
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
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’s Injunction Request Against Zwift Hub Denied By Judge
A judge has denied Wahoo’s request to prevent Zwift from continuing to sell the Zwift Hub smart trainer. That smart trainer is the center of a legal dispute between the two companies, which Wahoo says infringes on their existing patents, … Read More Here
Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V2 (2022) Bike Computer In-Depth Review
Today Wahoo has announced their latest bike computer, the new Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM. Unofficially it’s the ROAM V2 or ROAM 2022 or ROAM 2nd Edition or whatever you want to call it – but no matter the name, it’s Wahoo’s … 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
10 Years Ago Today–Wahoo Announced the KICKR: Here’s a Blast From The Past
It wasn’t always like this. That is to say, just over a decade ago, there was no such thing as 3rd party trainer apps like Zwift or TrainerRoad. Or for that matter, even 3rd party trainers. Nor were there communication … Read More Here
Wahoo Trainer Lineup Sound Test: KICKR vs CORE vs SNAP vs ROLLR
Today’s post is one of those ones that’s best done via video. Or, at the very least audio. Thus, the above video. As the title of this post implies, this is a direct sound/volume/noise comparison between all of Wahoo’s current … Read More Here
Wahoo POWRLINK ZERO Speedplay Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s finally here. After an 8-month delay (though tame by power meter pedal delay standards), Wahoo’s Speedplay-based power meter is finally shipping and available. This marks not just Wahoo’s first bike-based power meter, but also the first (and only) Speedplay … 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
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
Wahoo’s New ROLLR: Exactly what is it?
Wahoo has non-announced a new product over the past few days. Part roller, part Either way, whatever it is, Wahoo decided that secretive spy-shots of a product quietly being tested by a low-level pro rider in a small European village … Read More Here
Wahoo Relaunches Speedplay, Announces Power Meter Plans (POWRLINK Zero)
It’s been roughly 18 months since Wahoo announced the acquisition of Speedplay. Since then the company reduced some 50 different SKUs down to 4 core models, moved factory locations, shut down factories, moved factory locations again, and started building a … 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
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
Wahoo’s New 2020 TICKR & TICKR X: In-Depth Review
Wahoo has just announced a set of new TICKR & TICKR X heart rate straps that include some modest feature updates, most notably running dynamics support in the TICKR-X, as well as multiple concurrent Bluetooth Smart connections so you can … Read More Here
Wahoo’s New ‘Stealth’-Black BOLT, Price Drop, Plus Adds E-Bike Support, ANGi GPS connectivity
Wahoo just released the latest BOLT variant – ‘Stealth’, and with it, all Wahoo ELEMNT/BOLT/ROAM computers get an update that adds e-bike support and more. Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR Bike In-Depth Review
The KICKR Bike is the most advanced indoor smart bike out there. But is it worth $3,500? After a ton of miles on it, I detail everything you ever wanted to know. Read More Here
Wahoo Adds Cadence Support & Multichannel Bluetooth to KICKR/CORE Trainers via Firmware Update
I think this post should be a quick one. As of today, Wahoo is rolling out a firmware update to existing Wahoo KICKR18 & KICKR CORE trainers that will now calculate and broadcast your cadence over ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart. … Read More Here
Wahoo’s KICKR Bike with Built-In CLIMB: Everything you ever wanted to know
*** Check out the Wahoo KICKR Bike In-Depth Review Here*** In a move that probably shouldn’t surprise anyone– Wahoo has joined the indoor smart bike fray, with their new KICKR Bike. This unit is far more than just a KICKR and … Read More Here
Hands-on: Wahoo Adds Radar Support for ELEMNT/BOLT/ROAM, confirms TrainerRoad Connectivity
Today Wahoo has rolled out support for ANT+ radar units to their entire lineup of GPS bike computers, including the original Wahoo ELEMNT, the BOLT, and the new ROAM. For the 7 people still rockin’ the old school RFLKT, you’re … Read More Here
Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM Cycling GPS In-Depth Review
Sometimes, I don’t quite know how to start a product review. And unfortunately, today is one of those days. See, the thing is, when I review products – price is an important piece of the equation. Just as it is … Read More Here
Optical HR Armband Shootout: Polar OH1+, Scosche Rhythm24, Wahoo TICKR FIT
The last few weeks, well…months really, I’ve been spending an excessive amount of time wearing optical HR sensor straps. It mostly started back in January as I was preparing my Polar Vantage M and COROS APEX reviews, with the optical … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR CORE Trainer In-Depth Review
Can the KICKR CORE save you $300 over the regular KICKR? I dig in for all the pros and cons, from accuracy to road feel, apps and more. Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR CLIMB In-Depth Review
Everything you ever wanted to know about Wahoo’s curious up and down machine. What’s the best apps for it? And what are the gotchyas? I dig into all the details. Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR 2018 Trainer In-Depth Review
It’s Wahoo’s first totally silent trainer – but is it worth an upgrade? Plus – how well does it work with Zwift, TrainerRoad and other apps? Read More Here