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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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 DesFit, 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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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/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!
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.
Tag Archives: Hammerhead
Hammerhead Sends Out 7-Year ‘Old Karoo’ instead of ‘New Karoo’
In one of those moments that one can only laugh at, Hammerhead has seemingly accidentally shipped out units of the 7-year old original Karoo, to some eager buyers of the just announced ‘new Karoo’. Admittedly, someone at Hammerhead is probably … Read More Here
Hammerhead Karoo 3 In-Depth Review: Worth the Upgrade?
SRAM & Hammerhead have just released the latest version of their GPS cycling computer, the “new Karoo”. This unit combines much-asked-for hardware updates, with a smattering of software updates, to provide a natural evolution over the existing Karoo 2. … Read More Here
Hammerhead Now Supports TrainerRoad Outside Workouts
After what seems like the longest period of flirting in sports tech history, the two companies finally unlocked the connectivity between the two platforms. This had been teased, hinted at, and borderline leaked for seemingly years. But hey, now it’s … Read More Here
Hammerhead Announces New Hardware: Quick Hands-On with HMS
After years of hardware draught, for the first time since the Karoo 2 back in April 2020, cycling GPS maker Hammerhead has announced some new hardware (actually in April 2020, that’s when they announced plans for the announcement, different from … Read More Here
Hammerhead Revamps Karoo User Interface: Internet Revolts
Hammerhead has carved out their name in the cycling GPS world by continually updating their products with new features, and an evolving user interface. For the most part, it’s focused on new features. But, every once in a while, Hammerhead … Read More Here
Shimano Forces Hammerhead to Remove All Di2 Related Functionality From Karoo
Effective next Thursday, Hammerhead will remove all Di2 functionality from the Hammerhead Karoo series, via firmware update. This is at the request/demand of Shimano, who according to Hammerhead, now sees them as a competitor. This means all Di2-related functionality including … Read More Here
Hammerhead and Suunto Partner: Heatmaps on Hammerhead, Workout Sync to Suunto
Hammerhead and Suunto have just announced what they describe as potentially the first step towards a deeper partnership and collaboration. This first step puts heatmaps onto the Hammerhead Karoo series, while concurrently sending completed Karoo rides to Suunto’s platform (as … Read More Here
Hammerhead Updated CLIMBER Functionality No Longer Requires Route
There’s nothing more consistent than the biweekly drop of new features coming from Hammerhead to their Karoo series bike computers. And this update brings a huge one: The ability to automatically get climb information as you ride, without needing to … Read More Here
SRAM Acquires Hammerhead (maker of Karoo Bike Computers)
It’s been announced today that Hammerhead (maker of the Karoo 2) has been acquired by SRAM for an undisclosed amount. The sale was officially completed back on December 30th, 2021, though it is only being announced today. Both companies say … Read More Here
Hammerhead Karoo’s New CLIMBER Feature: Here’s how it works
In a substantial firmware update, Hammerhead has rolled out a new CLIMBER function within their Karoo series (for both Karoo 1 & Karoo 2). This feature aims to inform you of the details of your current climb, with gradient and … Read More Here
Hammerhead Karoo 2 In-Depth Review
In most ways, the Hammerhead Karoo 2 is probably the most eagerly anticipated bike computer release of 2020. And not just because I feel like we’ve been waiting and talking about this moment for nearly the entire year, but because … Read More Here
Hammerhead Karoo 2: Hands-On Details & First Rides
Update: My full Hammerhead Karoo 2 In-Depth Review is now published! Check it out over here. Long teased, and long awaited…it’s finally here – the Hammer Karoo 2. And by ‘here’, I mean here in this post – and you … Read More Here
Hammerhead Refreshes Karoo User Interface ahead of Karoo 2
Hammerhead has begun rolling out a refreshed user interface to existing Karoo users, ahead of the Karoo 2 unveiling. Hammerhead has previously announced their intention to announce the Karoo 2, but hasn’t actually made the announcement yet. Or, something like … Read More Here
Hammerhead Announces Plans to Announce Karoo 2 Bike GPS
It looks like at some point in the year 2020 we’ll have at least one more cycling GPS added to your table of options. This week Hammerhead, in conjunction with one of their lead investors, announced plans for their next … Read More Here
Weekend Tidbits: Hammerhead Adds Radar Support, Elite Releases Upgrado app, Garmin adds Edge connection to inReach
This is the segment in the week where I spent an inordinate amount of time on two other posts and two videos, and realize I still have some thoughts I wanted to go more deeply in on a few topics, … Read More Here
Hammerhead Karoo Cycling GPS In-Depth Review
After an elongated delivery timeframe, the Hammerhead Karoo is finally shipping. If the various engagement metrics I track tell me anything, it’s one of the most awaited bike computers of the last year. It could be the fast touchscreen display … Read More Here
Hands-on: Hammerhead’s new Karoo GPS Bike Computer
It’s been a few years since startup Hammerhead announced their H1 navigational bike accessory. It was sorta like a fish finder for navigation while on a bike. Rather than be a full bike computer head unit, it mostly offered you … Read More Here