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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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 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: Paris Food
5 Random Things I Did This Past Week in Paris
For today’s ‘5 Random Things’ edition, I’m mixing it up a bit. Mostly because My weekend was heavily skewed inside with the kiddos given the amazingly thorough rain and windstorms we had. So instead, I’ll rewind a few days more … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Woah! This weekend flew by, it started in Amsterdam and had Paris squished into the middle of it all. We’re already back in Amsterdam and playing catch-up as always, but here’s what went down! 1) Got the keys to the … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Brrr…it got chilly here in the city this weekend, which I suppose only makes it appropriate for winterish things like holiday parties and Christmas trees. Here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days! 1) A lunch date: The … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It got kinda chilly here this weekend. Not like Finland cold, or Siberia cold. But the kinda cold that reminds you to ensure you’ve got colder running stuff at least on deck. In my case, I still ran in shorts…just … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Yet again, it’s Monday. This weekend was filled with both gadgets and non-gadgetry things alike, so go forth and enjoy! 1) The Eiffel Tower: To The Top Fun fact: Since moving here over 5 years ago, we’ve yet to go … Read More Here
Paris Blog: A Trip to A French Costco- Wine tasting, caviar, and so much fromage!
It’s been far too long since I posted in the ‘Paris Blog’ section. When we first moved over here (5 years ago this month!!!), we posted slightly more often. Now much of what used to be Paris Blog material has … Read More Here
Dîner en Blanc 2017– Still the best night in Paris!
It’s that time of year again for the best night in Paris. For the last four years in Paris we’ve been lucky enough to attend the famed Dîner en Blanc (Dinner in white) event, which is a massive flash-mob like … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
After a week of skiing, here’s what I was up to this past weekend! 1) The Never Ending Train Ride Friday night we made our way back from the French/Italian Alps, ending our ski trip and kicking off a weekend … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
The first weekend home this year! And here’s what we were up to. 1) Some testing on the Champs-Élysées I’m just gonna leave this picture here for now. More again later this week if the weather clears and I’m able … Read More Here
Dîner en Blanc 2016–the best night in Paris!
For the past three years we’ve been going to Dîner en Blanc. It’s without question our favorite night of the year here in Paris. Sure, Bastille Day (Fête nationale) probably ranks as our favorite overall day. There’s the parades, air show, picnics, … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Another busy weekend, but this one almost full at home. At least I was home by Friday night – and that’s what counts, right? 1) Trained back from UCI Headquarters in Switzerland I had gone down to Aigle, Switzerland on … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
After much traveling over the holiday period and into CES, it was finally back home for the weekend. Glad to be enjoying the city and not bouncing around. 1) A quick test ride This past week was mostly a ‘catch-up’ … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I’ve been up to the last few days! 1) Running with power Mid-last week my final production Stryd unit arrived. You’ll remember I first discussed it last January when I did some initial testing. Since then they’ve changed … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
A nice pleasant weekend at home – here’s what we were up to! 1) A Michelin Starred Lunch Living in Paris we’re surrounded by incredible food. I think as a tourist you can easily get trapped into crappy spots that … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s what I was up to in the very short amount of time I had home this weekend (after I got back from Mexico mid-week, I turned around the next day for a two-day trip to Amsterdam). 1) New Gadget … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s the rundown of what I was up to over the last few days, a bit of a calm weekend in comparison. 1) Friday Night Date Run We started off the weekend with a bit of a (rather hot) run … Read More Here
A Night at Diner en Blanc 2015!
There are a near never-ending flow of cool events and things to do within the city, but I think that there’s really a handful of events that rise above everything else into the ‘Epic’ status category. Some of these are … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s the rundown of what’s been going on in my little world the last few days. 1) Friday afternoon happy hour of sorts Back perhaps a month ago we began a bit of a tradition of Friday afternoon happy hour … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
It’s been a busy weekend, with a lot of new devices on the plot – here’s what I was up to the last two and a half days. 1) Starting using the Garmin Vivoactive After I landed from Bahrain early … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Wow, this has definitely been a whirlwind weekend. Yet somehow, it didn’t feel all that busy. Almost even sorta relaxing. Go figure. 1) Flew home From South Africa This one is pretty self-explanatory, and I touched on it Saturday in … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
A rather busy weekend home in Paris, but also quite an enjoyable one. It almost seemed relaxing actually. 1) Friday night lights…err…run. I did both a longer run and a shorter Friday night run this weekend. While the longer run … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Here’s a look at the last few days here in rather warm France… 1) A Sweltering Friday Night Brick Friday night was brick night. Not a hard one, just a short and intense one. Unfortunately, the temperature on Friday reached … Read More Here
Our Parisian Dinner in White with 13,000 people
Tonight we participated in the famous Dîner en Blanc de Paris (Dinner in White of Paris). This event is now in its 26th year, and this year some 13,000 people joined in the fun around the city. The event also … Read More Here
5 Random Things I Did This Past Weekend
Last weekend on Monday I did a ‘5 Random Things I Did This Past Weekend’, and it turned out that lots of you found that a fairly useful format. So given I don’t have any single big ticket item from … Read More Here