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.
Tag Archives: Apple
Apple AirPods Pro 3 with Heart Rate: Sports & Fitness Review
When Apple surprises me, it doesn’t tend to be some flashy feature that blows the rest of the world away. Instead, it tends to be them doing something slightly out of their usual swim lane, or their norms. For example, … Read More Here
Apple Watch US Users (Re)Gain Blood Oxygen Feature
In a quick tidbit of sports tech news, Apple has announced that Apple Watches that were purchased in the US without the SpO2 (blood oxygen) feature will now get that feature enabled via a software update later today. As a … Read More Here
Apple WatchOS 26 Announced: Workout Buddy and More Explained!
It’s that time of year again, WWDC – Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, where Apple outlines their software platform changes across all their devices. This annual event in June is essentially the start of the Apple release waterslide that begins … Read More Here
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 created … 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 them. … 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, only … 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 is … Read More Here
Apple Fitness+ Studios Behind the Scenes: From Start to Finish
When it comes to sports tech or high-tech, filming a relaxing yoga class isn’t likely what first comes to mind. Yet, when Apple does it – they’ve got more than a dozen robotic cameras gliding autonomously around the floor and … 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
Tech Tidbits: New Zwift Features, New Strava CEO, Apple Watch Siri Health Integration
Here’s a quick round of notable new sports tech things in the last 24 hours or so. New Strava CEO Appointed: After a 10-month search, Strava has announced the name of their new/upcoming CEO – Michael Martin. He will replace … 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 from … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 9: What’s New and Hands-On
In addition to the new Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple has also refreshed its regular Apple Watch lineup with the new Series 9. These units share a ton of new features, both from a hardware standpoint, but also a software … 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 that … Read More Here
Apple Adds Cycling Power Meter Recording to Fitness+ Workouts
Apple has quietly added power meter and cadence data to your completed workout data in Apple’s Fitness+ cycling workouts, which is their coached platform where trainers iterate through structured workouts. This addition is supported in the latest public betas of … Read More Here
Apple Expands Running Track Mode to France, Spain, and Netherlands
Finally, I’m able to run on a track with an Apple Watch! Apple has turned on the previously launched running track mode for additional countries – notably France, Spain, and the Netherlands (my home). Apple’s running track mode automatically detects … 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
Notable: Apple Formally Clarifies iPhone GPS Dependency Shift on Series 8, Ultra, SE (2022)
Let me set expectations up front: This post is 100% written for sports tech GNSS geeks. You see, back when the 2022 Apple Watch editions were announced back in September, there was one significant change: None of the new 2022 … 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
Most Smartwatch Companies Aren’t Truthful in Size Specs
I didn’t intend on going down a rabbit hole this morning. Or at least, not this rabbit hole. I thought I was starting my day down a much narrower hole, to quickly and efficiently demonstrate that the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 … 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
First Look at Garmin’s ECG Functionality, and Clinical Trials Details
Garmin appears to have included ECG functionality within their recently released Venu 2 Plus smartwatch, albeit without acknowledging its existence or including the feature at launch. This is notable because there’s currently no Garmin wearable with ECG functionality on it, … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series SE: A Fitness First Impressions Untangled
At first glance, the Apple Watch SE seems like a straightforward Apple Release with SE branding: Take a roughly year-old model, cheapen out some materials, and call it the SE. But in reality, it’s far more complex than that, and … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 6: First Run Accuracy & SpO2 Sensor Data
While I already posted earlier this week on the new features of the Apple Watch Series 6, I figured I’d share some quick first run Friday data for ya. As well as some initial thoughts on the handful of other … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 6/SE, and Apple Fitness+ Service Launched: Complete Details
Today Apple has launched the new Apple Watch Series 6 with some modest fitness/health focused upgrades, while also launching a new fitness subscription service, Apple Fitness+. In addition to the Apple Watch 6, Apple also launched a new variant, the … Read More Here
Apple watchOS 7 New Features Outlined: Finally includes sleep tracking
As part of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), held each June – though this year totally virtual, the company has outlined numerous aspects of their platforms (iOS, iPad OS, watchOS, and tvOS). However, for this post I’m going to … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 5: Sports & Fitness In-Depth Review
It’s been two months since the Apple Watch Series 5 came out, and the watch has been on my right wrist every one of those days. Swim, bike, run…and plenty more. You may remember my initial thoughts on it back … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 5 First Run Impressions Video Up!
[Heads up: My full Apple Watch Series 5 In-Depth Review is up and published! Hit that up over here for all the complete and final details] This post is just a super quick note that I pushed out a … Read More Here
Apple’s Series 5 Watch Will Have Always-on Display, drops price of Series 3 to $199
Like clockwork, today Apple announced the new Apple Watch Series 5, which includes one substantial change, and only a handful of other modest updates. However, perhaps far more important than that is Apple’s official pricing shift on the Series 3 … Read More Here
Apple Outlines Next Version of Apple WatchOS: What you need to know
Yesterday at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), the company detailed the incoming mass of features across all of Apple’s platforms, from computer (MacOS) to phone/tablet (iOS/iPadOS), and yes, Apple Watch. In the case of Apple Watch, that operating system … Read More Here
Apple’s Beddit 3.5 Sleep Tracker In-Depth Review
Most times I buy or receive products I’ve got a mental expectation of how that product will probably turn out. And most times, it’s correct. Sometimes a product hits it out of the park well beyond my expectations (the original … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 4: Sports & Fitness In-Depth Review
As has become clockwork each fall, Apple releases the latest generation of Apple Watch – and this fall was no different. Sometimes those changes are significant from version to version, and other times they’re more subdued. Depending on your perspective … Read More Here
Initial Thoughts: Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular connectivity
Today Apple announced their 3rd generation Apple Watch, simply named Apple Watch Series 3. This new watch is nearly identical in form factor to their 1st and 2nd generation Apple Watch, but now packs in cellular capabilities as well as … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 2 and Nike+ Edition: Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
It’s now been a few months since Apple released their second generation watches, both the Apple Watch Series 2 and the Nike+ Edition. These watches built upon the initial Apple Watch first generation units by adding GPS capabilities and improved … Read More Here
The Apple Watch: Sport and Fitness In-Depth Review
Heads up – February 2017! Looking for the Apple Watch Series 2 In-Depth Review? Swing on over to that page here! Ahh yes, the long awaited Apple Watch for Fitness In-Depth Review. I’ve now spent almost 10 months with the … Read More Here
How to get your trainer apps on the big screen
With the explosion of new trainer apps over the last few years, many of us are running apps on numerous platforms – from iOS to Android to Windows. Not to mention numerous form factors such as tablets, phones, and desktops. … Read More Here
