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 the 2020-2021 indoor training season. 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!
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FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
- 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?
- What are your least favorite countries/places?
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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 gadget recommendations guide and trainers here – covering 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 2019 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 2018 Gear Guide too.
Tag Archives: Suunto
Suunto Movescount Begins Final Shutdown on Tuesday
There are few sports tech stories that have longer plot lines than a Netflix series – but the turndown of Suunto’s once flagship online platform is giving Game of Thrones a run for its money. But, to quote arguably factually … Read More Here
Suunto Announces Final Steps for Movescount Transition, Not All Bad News
In many ways, the Suunto Movescount closure saga is kinda like of those class action lawsuits you signed up for hoping for a big payout, but that goes on for so long and through so many courts that by the … Read More Here
Suunto 7 and New Routes Features: Hands-on Details & Explainer
Over the coming days Suunto will roll-out a new update for the Suunto 7 which adds the ability to follow a course/route on the Suunto 7 app. Of course, with the watch being Wear OS based, there were other apps … Read More Here
Suunto Rolls Out Pile of New SuuntoPlus Widgets to Suunto 3/5/9 Watches
Good things come in threes, and today is the second in a line of updates Suunto is making. You’ll remember back last month they started with the app side of the house, adding in a bunch of popularity routing type … Read More Here
Suunto Rolls Out New Popular Routes & Starting Points App Features
Suunto has begun a Summer update release cycle, starting this week Suunto App updates – rolling out to iOS and Android smartphones near you. While today’s updates might seem like merely a minor app update, I’d argue Suunto has really … Read More Here
Sports Tech Tidbits: Fitbit Charge 4, Strava adds Weather, Zwift Clubs, Suunto’s TrainingPeaks Metrics, COROS New Features and more!
Fear not, no April Fools joke posts from me. I’ve had a specific idea for one for a few years now, but frankly it’s not really an April Fools joke if I can pull it off (and build it). Funny … Read More Here
Suunto 7 Wear OS GPS Watch In-Depth Review
Here’s your most detailed in-depth review of the Suunto 7 watch, from a heavily sports and fitness standpoint. Can it compete with the others in the market? Read More Here
Suunto 7 with Wear OS–Maps, Music, Payments: Everything you ever wanted to know
(**UPDATE: There has since been a Suunto 7 In-Depth Review. Follow the link for the most up to date information**) There’s only two words to describe the just announced Suunto 7 GPS watch: Hail Mary. How this story ends will … Read More Here
Mid-Week Tidbits: Canyon supports trainer riding and Suunto clarifies platform future
Here’s a couple of updates that have trickled across my desk over the last two days that I figure are worth chatting a moment about. Some of them also have some catches as well, so while you might have seen … Read More Here
Suunto 5: Everything You Need to Know & First Runs
The Suunto 5 takes the best endurance features of the Suunto 9, but adds in new functionality not seen on the higher end watch. Here’s all the details you need to know. Read More Here
Sunday Tidbits: Polar’s new Vantage V Titan + Roadmap Updates, Suunto Updates, and Xert iOS App
While this was a busy week when it came to new product reviews, there was a small undercurrent of notable sports tech news this past week that my brain couldn’t quite squirt onto the page. But…now that time has come. … Read More Here
Suunto announces decommission plans for Movescount platform, impacting some watches
Two days ago Suunto announced plans to retire their online training platform, Movescount, sometime around Summer 2020 (~18 months from now). Instead, users will use the newer Suunto online platform (previously called Sports Tracker – no relation to SportTracks). That’s … Read More Here
Suunto expands TrainingPeaks support, as well as opens integration doors
The easy title for this post would simply be “Suunto adds TrainingPeaks support”, but that’d be both confusing and only half-correct. First, Suunto as a company has actually long sync’d to TrainingPeaks from their Movescount platform. That’s the platform that … Read More Here
Suunto 9 Baro Multisport GPS In-Depth Review
How does the Suunto 9 handle months of testing? I dig in and find out, including all the details on new features and how well the new GPS chipset handles. Read More Here
Hands-on: The New Suunto 9 Multisport GPS Watch
Everything you need to know about Suunto’s latest and highly anticipated GPS device, and the successor to the Spartan series. Read More Here
Suunto 3 Fitness In-Depth Review
By and large, Suunto has been a company that’s been focused on endurance users. Be it people climbing to the top of a mountain, racing a triathlon, or doing something else that justifies eating large quantities of donuts without feeling … Read More Here
Suunto announces new Spartan variant, also firmware update for all Spartan owners
Over the last few days Suunto has announced another new device this year (beyond the Suunto 3 Fitness from CES), this time adding a further model to the Spartan series. This new model is in many ways exactly like the … Read More Here
First Look: The Suunto 3 Fitness: Lightweight Non-GPS Sports Watch
Today, on the eve of CES opening its doors, Suunto cracked the lid on their latest watch, the Suunto 3 Fitness. These small and incredibly lightweight watches are somewhat aimed to compete with the likes of Polar’s M430 watches, as well … Read More Here
Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR In-Depth Review (It’s a full triathlon watch for $279)
I think Suunto finally got their groove back. After what I’d argue as 1-2 years of being a bit lost, today they’ve nailed it with a product that hits the target audience perfectly and does so at an awesome price. … Read More Here
Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR In-Depth Review
Last summer (2016) amidst Suunto announcing the Spartan series, they made note of a planned optical heart rate enabled version that would be released down the road. Fast forward to this past January (2017) and at CES they did just … Read More Here
First Look: Suunto’s new Movesense advanced sensor platform
This past week at CES, Suunto introduced not one but two different products. Of course, it’s the Spartan Wrist HR watch that got most of the attention, complete with distracting green lights. But it was the almost not even mentioned … Read More Here
Hands-on: Suunto’s Spartan Sport Wrist HR watch
This week at CES, Suunto has officially unveiled their first optical heart rate capable watch – the Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR. You may remember back this past summer, when news first came out about Suunto’s plans for an optical … Read More Here
Suunto announces planned optical HR Spartan GPS, sensor details
Yesterday Suunto announced further details of their Spartan series, including the addition of the Spartan Sport, which is basically the cheaper sibling of the Spartan Ultra. The Sport is at 499EUR, vs the Ultra at 649EUR. Neither include the kitchen … Read More Here
Suunto announces new Spartan Ultra GPS watch, rolls out refreshed Movescount site
Today Suunto’s refreshing both its website as well as its flagship multisport GPS watch series. With the website, they’re making it a bit easier to find and plan new routes, while with the watch they’re giving it a color touchscreen. … Read More Here