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!
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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!
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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 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: Wahoo KICKR
Wahoo Announces Big KICKR Price Changes
This will be a relatively quick post, as it’s really not all that complex. In conjunction with Zwift’s standalone Zwift Ride Frame announcement, Wahoo has also announced a reduction in pricing across the board. This includes all of their smart … 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 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
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 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
Wahoo Starts Shipping KICKR 2020 Direct Connect Cable: Hands-on Details
Last summer when Wahoo announced the KICKR V5/2020, one of the new features was a new port on the side of the trainer that would allow you to plug it into your home (or office) network, as a means to … Read More Here
Wahoo Releases Accuracy Fix for KICKR V5/2020: Test Results
Over six months ago, when the Wahoo KICKR V5/2020 was released it contained one not insignificant flaw: It’d overshoot efforts, sometimes by hundreds of watts, when the flywheel speed was low. Meaning, typically when your speed was low and you … 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
InsideRide’s New Wahoo KICKR E-Flex Motion Accessory: Hands-On
Let’s just get this out of the way up front: I’m officially proposing that InsideRide call this the product the FLOATR. The Wahoo-specific accessory enables you to essentially float your KICKR and ultimately your entire bike on two small platforms … 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 CEO Details Fixes for Issues Surrounding KICKR 2018 & KICKR CORE
Since the Wahoo KICKR 2018 and KICKR CORE were announced back at Eurobike 2018 (in July), it hasn’t entirely been smooth sailing for either product. While both have been enormously popular, and certainly the vast majority of people haven’t had … 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 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
Wahoo Fitness ‘KICKR2’ Trainer In-Depth Review
How does Wahoo’s second-generation KICKR compare against the original, and against its rivals? Read More Here
The Wahoo KICKR Desk In-Depth Review
It’s been over 5 years since Wahoo’s first product, the Wahoo Fisica ANT+ adapter for the iPhone. That was later renamed to the Wahoo Fitness Key. Then came the BlueHR, a Bluetooth Smart heart rate strap. But their ‘breakout’ product … Read More Here
Reminder: Deal ends tomorrow on $329 FR920XT & 20% off Wahoo KICKR’s
Wahoo KICKR’s Sale: Some readers have brought to my attention the reality that my initial deal post two weeks ago didn’t actually include the Wahoo KICKR or KICKR SNAP 20% off sale, and as such, a large portion of readers probably … Read More Here
Hands-on with new Wahoo Fitness KICKR SNAP
Heads up: This post is about an older KICKR SNAP edition, check out my latest post about the most current KICKR SNAP trainer here. Today Wahoo has launched their latest trainer, the Wahoo KICKR SNAP. The KICKR SNAP is essentially … Read More Here
The Winter 2014-2015 Trainer App In-Depth Guide
After my recent Winter 2014-2015 trainer recommendations post, many of you have been asking about trainer apps. I decided against combining it with the trainer recommendations post in order to give its full due in a standalone post. In retrospect … Read More Here
A Morning At Velo Boutique–A Full KICKR Group Cycling Studio
Earlier this week while down in Auckland for work a reader (Marc M.) shot me a note via Facebook letting me know that there’s actually a full-on Wahoo KICKR studio setup just a few blocks away from my hotel. They … Read More Here
Stages, Wahoo sponsor Team Sky, CycleOps sponsors Trek Pro team, and Team Lampre on ROTOR Power, Movistar on Power2Max
Today, another sports technology company joined in the roughly two week long fiesta of companies sponsoring pro cycling teams. Wahoo’s announcement this morning that they’re sponsoring Team Sky, makes Sky the epicenter of connected sports technology sponsorships: Stages power meters, … Read More Here
My 2013 Trainer Recommendations
It’s that time of year again – trainer season. At least for us poor saps up in the Northern Hemisphere (no, you don’t count if you live in the Caribbean). I started doing the Trainer Recommendations post last year, and … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness debuts Wahoo RPM, shows off Android KICKR control
Today at Interbike Wahoo Fitness announced their Wahoo RPM Bluetooth Smart cadence sensor. This tiny pod attaches to your current crank arm and provides cadence (revolutions per minute) via Bluetooth Smart, to compatible applications. This is similar to their Blue … Read More Here
New Bull Trainer iOS app for KICKR Trainer
The company behind the popular Kinomap training software has released a new app – Bull Trainer. This app allows you to ‘ride’ the historical graphs of any publically traded company. Depending on how volatile that company is, your workout may … Read More Here
A look at the now available Wahoo Fitness Strava Segments App
Here’s a closer look at the recently released Strava Segments app – is it worth the money? Read More Here
A look at Wahoo KICKR support on Windows via ANT, and what the rest of the industry is doing
**For the most up to date information on the Wahoo KICKR, check out my 2018 Edition In-Depth Review** When the Wahoo KICKR was announced last August, it was touted as being open on both Bluetooth Smart as well as ANT+. … Read More Here