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:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
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 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!
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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 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.
Sports Technology News and Reviews
COROS Sorta Delays Dura Cycling GPS Till September
COROS has announced they’re delaying new shipments of the previously announced COROS Dura cycling GPS. The unit was set to start shipments next week, on July 15th, but due to a potential mounting tab breakage issue, customers can choose … Read More Here
Tour de France Behind The Scenes & Sports Tech!
The Tour de France is in full swing, and with it, a few days ago, the time trial stage. That’s always an interesting opportunity to check out which sports tech riders are using, such as bike computers, trainers, as well … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Ring: Everything you need to know!
Samsung has announced the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, and finally – all of the price and specifications of the Galaxy Ring they announced last summer. There are some substantially big ticket items here in terms … Read More Here
FIT File: Zwift CEO Eric Min // Zwift Ride, Zwift Tron Bike, Price Increases, and the Future of Zwift
For those not subscribed to the FIT File (it’s free!) via your regular podcast app or on YouTube, here’s a quick post with the highlights from the most recent episode. In this episode, we sit down with Zwift CEO … Read More Here
Eurobike Sports Tech Roundup: Cool & Quirky
Above I’ve got a bit of a round-up video of sorts diving into a few different things I found floating around the Eurobike show floor. Some of it’s cool, some of it’s quirky, and some of it might well … Read More Here
JetBlack Victory: New $399 Direct Drive Smart Trainer Hands-On
The JetBlack Victory is a product announcement that needs more room in a post title. If I could have used all the words in the title, it’d probably say: “First Look at JetBlack Victory, the $399 Direct Drive Smart … Read More Here
Elite’s New Square Smart Frame, Avanti & Justo 2 Smart Trainers First Look!
Elite has just announced a new smart-bike setup of sorts, as well as two new trainers. The new smart bike is effectively an upscale take on the also recently announced Zwift Ride, seemingly addressing the three most common complaints … Read More Here
FIT File: Summer Sports Tech Season is Heating Up! Zwift Ride, Edge 1050, Suunto Race S, and More!
For those not subscribed to the FIT File (it’s free!) via your regular podcast app or on YouTube, here’s a quick post with the highlights from the most recent episode. In this episode, we chat about the new Zwift … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1050 Features Now Available in 540/840/1040 Public Beta
Garmin has released its public beta of the Edge 1050 features, for the Edge 540/840/1040 units. This allows those who are eager to start reporting that angry dog down the street as a ‘road hazard’ (or Dairy Queen as … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1050 In-Depth Review: Brilliance or Battery?
As has been the trend for the last 2 years at Garmin, they’ve apparently grown tired of people complaining about their display tech looking like it’s from 1987. Following various Garmin watches getting brilliant and responsive AMOLED displays, it’s … Read More Here
Suunto Race S In-Depth Review: Smaller, cheaper, yet better?
Suunto has just announced the Suunto Race S, a smaller and lighter version of the Suunto Race they announced last fall. Except, it’s got more features, better accuracy, is substantially cheaper, and is even manufactured in Finland. Unlike some … Read More Here
FIT File: Apple WWDC WatchOS 11 New Features Deep Dive & Discussion
For those not subscribed to the FIT File (it’s free!) via your regular podcast app or on YouTube, here’s a quick post with the highlights from the most recent episode. In this episode, we talk about everything WWDC 2024 … Read More Here
COROS Dura Hands-On: I Have Some Thoughts
COROS has just announced (or rather, the second announcement) of the COROS Dura cycling GPS computer. This computer aims to take their existing watch software, and port it into a GPS bike computer format. Which, as you’ll see, is … Read More Here
YouTube Music now on Garmin Watches: Quick How-To Guide
Garmin has rolled out support for offline YouTube Music on their watches. This allows you to download music and podcasts from YouTube Music in exactly the same way you would for Spotify, Amazon Music, and others. Like those, this … Read More Here
Zwift Ride Indoor Bike In-Depth Review: The Future of Smart Bikes?
After years of rumors, pivots, and do-overs, Zwift has finally announced their much-discussed indoor bike. At least, depending on how precisely you define an indoor bike. But no matter which definition you use, this is going to significantly shape … 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 … Read More Here
FIT File: Apple WWDC Predictions, Wahoo GoPro Integration, Polar’s Whoop Competitor, and More!
For those not subscribed to the FIT File (it’s free!) via your regular podcast app or on YouTube, here’s a quick post with the highlights from the most recent episode. In this episode, we talk about Polar’s Whoop-like band, … Read More Here
Samsung Sues Oura: A Closer Look at The Preemptive Smackdown
(Above: Samsung Galaxy Ring) Oura might have rattled their saber a bit too vibrantly, and a bit too pre-maturely, at the wrong entity. In doing so they’ve upset a company not afraid to wield its massive army of lawyers, causing … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT In-Depth Review (Long Term)
I didn’t exactly intend this review to end up as a long-term review, yet, here we are. After some 9 or so months, this is my complete Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT In-Depth Review. The SHIFT is effectively a pared-down version … Read More Here
COROS Teases New ‘Dura’ Bike Computer: Some Quick Thoughts
COROS has begun a social media teaser campaign for what they’re calling “a different kind of bike computer”. The teaser doesn’t say much, but obviously, I’ve got some thoughts. COROS e-mailed existing customers with a simple one-image graphic that says … Read More Here
Fitbit Ace LTE Kids Activity Tracker Announced: Initial Thoughts
Google/Fitbit has just announced the new Fitbit Ace LTE kids activity tracker. This new model takes their existing inexpensive $79 Fitbit Ace 3 activity tracker, up to a full-blown smartwatch-level device, based entirely on the Google Pixel Watch 2. Aside … Read More Here
Best Bike GPS 2024 In-Depth: Garmin Edge 840 vs Hammerhead Karoo 3 vs Wahoo ROAM V2
It’s time for another bike computer comparison, this time comparing the best bike computers at the sub-$500 level. The price range is somewhat arbitrary – as really my goal was to compare the three most popular options from the … Read More Here
FIT File: Zwift Price Hike, New Strava Features, and Des Goes to Band Camp
For those not subscribed to the FIT File (it’s free!) via your regular podcast app or on YouTube, here’s a quick post with the highlights from the most recent episode. In this episode, we talk about the Zwift price … Read More Here
Week in Review – May 26th, 2024
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered … Read More Here
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