FIT File: Garmin Connect+ FALLOUT // Did Garmin Get Cancelled?

 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 the Komoot acquisition and … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 day ago

Garmin Vivoactive 6 Hands-On: Everything You Need to Know!

Garmin has just announced the new Vivoacitve 6, which brings it even closer to their mainstream consumer watch, the Venu 3. This new version adds in some 50 sport profile modes, a ton of running features including running dynamics, running … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 days ago

DJI Flip The Gauntlet: ActiveTrack Sports Follow-Me Testing

 The DJI Flip is the second DJI product (after the DJI Neo) to incorporate it's fully built-in autonomous tracking capability. Up till these products, you had to have some form of controller involved in order to actively track/follow you … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 days ago

Garmin Connect+ Paid Subscription: Hands-on Thoughts & Analysis

Garmin has announced that it is dipping its toe into the AI-powered paid insights subscription service business. While this is hardly the first subscription service that Garmin offers (more on that later), this is the first time they’ve charged for … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 7 days ago

GoPro Anamorphic Lens Mod In-Depth Review

 Last September, when GoPro announced their new GoPro Hero 13 Black, they also announced new ‘HB Series’ lens mods. Essentially, these were more advanced lenses than GoPro has made in the past, and included a little bit of ‘smarts’ … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 9 days ago

FIT File: Watch Overload?! What We’re Testing and What We’re Wearing

 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 fresh new watches … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 12 days ago

Komoot Acquired: History Says This Won’t End Well

And now things start to make a bit more sense. Earlier this week I posted on the news that Komoot was changing to require a Premium subscription for users to sync routes to 3rd party devices like Garmin, Wahoo, Hammerhead, … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 14 days ago

Komoot’s Expanded Paywalls: Trying to make sense of it

Over the last few weeks Komoot has pretty significantly expanded the moat around their platform, specifically when it comes to doing (executing) the very routes you create on Komoot. Going forward (from Feb 27th, 2025), all new users of the … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 15 days ago

Polar’s TrainingPeaks Structured Workout Integration Goes Live: Here’s How it Works

After announcing their planned TrainingPeaks planned workout integration last fall, Polar has turned it on in public beta this morning, allowing you to receive your planned structured workouts automatically on your watch. These workouts will sync from your TrainingPeaks calendar, … | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 16 days ago

Strava Bans User for Running in North Korea

On the list of quirky things, I didn’t have “Strava bans user for running in North Korea” on my bingo card today. But here we are. I’ve just spent the last hour going down the rabbit hole that is the … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 22 days ago

Hammerhead Karoo Adds App Store: A Few Thoughts

Hammerhead has announced an on-device App Store, except…well…just don’t call it the App Store. Instead, it’s officially called the “Native Extension Library”, or, in some places, also called the “Native App Library”. Either way, it allows you to tap and … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 24 days ago

Strava Backtracks, Now Allows External Links Again

On Monday, Strava re-enabled the ability for you to post links within various Strava areas, such as completed activities, event descriptions, and more. As you might remember, back this past fall Strava restricted that ability, instantly removing any links you … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 29 days ago

HoverAir X1 Pro vs The Gauntlet: Sports Tracking Test!

 The HoverAir X1 Pro/Pro-Max drones have been some of the most hotly anticipated drones over the last year. The pair was announced concurrently, and are near identical save a slightly better camera in the Pro-Max (capable of 8K). However, … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

TrainingPeaks Announces Price Increase For Annual Subscribers

Almost exactly two years since the last time TrainingPeaks increased prices, they’ve announced today an increase for annual Premium subscribers (only) by 8%, going from $124.99/year to $134.99/year. This change will only take effect once your subscription renews, as well … Read M … | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Rouvy Announces FulGaz Platform Will Remain

If there’s anything I like around these parts, it’s short easy-to-write posts with good news. And this one pretty cleanly falls into that category. Though, admittedly, it doesn’t have all the answers. I’ll give a quick background up front, and … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

FIT File: All The Indoor Training Updates!

 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 all things indoor training … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Decathlon Van Rysel D100 €249 Smart Trainer In-Depth Review

 The Decathlon D100 smart trainer is easily the best budget smart trainer on the market today. With a normal price of 249EUR, and occasional sale price down to 199EUR, it’s impossible to beat no matter how or what you … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Garmin Backtracks: Expands ECG Functionality to EU Fenix 7 Pro & Epix Pro Users

Last month, Garmin announced access to its ECG feature within the European Union (and Australia) for Fenix 8, Venu 3, and Venu 2 Plus users. However, Fenix 7 Pro & Epix Pro users were left in the literal January cold. … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Beats PowerBeats 2 Pro Fitness & Heart Rate Review: Does it Actually Work?

 The new PowerBeats 2 Pro have a slate of new features for audio-related purposes. However, for sports-specific usage, they have one big new feature: Built-in heart rate sensing. This would not only be the first time Apple has created … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Polar’s New Journal Publication is Surprisingly Good/Geeky/Scientific

This past September, it appears Polar started the “Polar Journal”, a monthly publication about all things sports/fitness/etc. Given it launched in September, it easily got drowned in the gazillions of other sports tech news stories that occupy that historically slammed … Read Mor … | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Rouvy Adds Zwift Cog/Click/Ride Virtual Shifting: Battle Royale Begins?

Rouvy has just done what everyone has been asking for: Added virtual shifting to Rouvy, using Zwift hardware*. This allows you to use virtual shifting in Rouvy, just the same as Zwift, using the Zwift Click or Zwift Ride hardware. … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Garmin Instinct 3: Complete Beginners Guide (AMOLED & SOLAR)

 Here’s your complete Garmin Instinct 3 (SOLAR & AMOLED) Beginners Guide, which covers everything you need to know about how to use the watch day to day. This is a bit different than my review videos (or the Garmin … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

TrainerRoad & Zwift Integration Finally Arrives: Full Details

The much awaited Zwift+TrainerRoad integration has finally arrived, allowing you to execute TrainerRoad structured workouts directly within Zwift. And while this isn’t the first Zwift integration we’ve seen over the last 9 months, it’s the first one to include a … Read More Here … | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Elite Avanti Smart Trainer In-Depth Review

 The Elite Avanti was introduced last summer as Elite’s new mid-range option for direct drive trainers. Unlike some of their competitors, Elite went all-in on specs on this one. They didn’t hold back: Adding WiFi, Zwift high-speed Race Mode, … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 1 month ago

Race Ranger Sensor Tech Coming to Age Group Racing

It’s been a hot minute since we last checked in on Race Ranger, and last week they made an announcement that I think is pretty notable. For those not familiar, Race Ranger is essentially a sensor system that’s used in … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Garmin Instinct 3 (AMOLED & SOLAR) In-Depth Review

 The Garmin Instinct series has enjoyed enormous popularity since its launch over 6 years ago. The rugged-looking watches have always aimed to deliver some of the longest battery life in the wearable-GPS world, while still maintaining much of the … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Garmin Watches Are Crashing When Trying to Start GPS

Here I was just minding my own business trying to take photos for my Instinct 3 review, when some, but not all, of the watches kept crashing and rebooting every time I opened up the sport menu. Little did I … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Week in Review – January 26th, 2025

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 → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Ironman Sells FulGaz to Rouvy, and Plenty More

In a move that will probably surprise nobody within the industry, Ironman has decided that owning an indoor cycling platform wasn’t really their jam. As a result, Ironman has sold off FulGaz to Rouv. Meanwhile, Ironman has concurrently announced a … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Week in Review – January 19th, 2025

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 → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Garmin ECG Now Available in EU & Australia

After a very long process, Garmin’s ECG feature is now available in the EU & Australia, along with previously available countries including the US and a slate of countries in Asia. This applies to watches that have Garmin’s ELEVATE Gen5 … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Garmin Instinct 3 vs Garmin Fenix 8: Every Difference Detailed!

 The Instinct series and Fenix series are Garmin’s two main ‘outdoors’ and adventure-focused watch series. And while these two models have continued to converge, there are a ton of differences. Somewhere in the 100+ differences range if you were … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

FIT File: Garmin Instinct 3…Let’s Chat

 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 new 2025 CES … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Polar Update Adds Maps Points of Intrest, Charging During Workouts, and More

As promised back in the fall, Polar has released their Q1 firmware update for the Polar Vantage V3 and Polar Grit X2 Pro, under the FW3.0 umbrella. This update brings with it the following new features: - Adds mapping points … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

AmazFit Active 2 Hands-on: $99 Sportswatch with Mapping!

AmazFit has just announced the new Active 2, a smartwatch at $99 (or $129 for the Premium model with a sapphire screen and [vegan] leather strap). Otherwise, both watches feature identical software features - and for $99, as is usually … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Garmin Instinct 3 Series Hands-on: Everything You Need To Know!

Garmin has just announced the Instinct 3 series, as well as the Instinct E and new HRM-200. The Instinct 3 takes the existing Instinct 2 lineup and increases it to both an AMOLED & MIP based display option. That should … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Garmin HRM-200 In-Depth Review

 Garmin has just announced their HRM-200 chest strap, a product designed to be their affordable chest strap option, for scenarios that might not work as well with an optical HR sensor. But perhaps more interesting, is that it’s the … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

AmazFit T-Rex 3 In-Depth Review: What’s the Catch?

 The AmazFit T-Rex 3 has garnered much attention over the past few months since its announcement. In many ways, that attention is deserved, albeit a wee bit overstated. Still, the watch has been on my wrist now non-stop for … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

The Begining of the End for ANT+ Wireless

First off, no, your ANT+ devices aren’t going to stop working. In fact, companies are not only supporting them going forward, but will continue to make ANT+ devices for some time to come. Instead, ANT+ (or more technically, Garmin), has … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 2 months ago

Apple Fitness+ and Strava Integration, and New Fitness+ Features

Like clockwork, Apple has once again announced a pile of Apple Fitness+ features the first week of January. Fitness+ being Apple’s subscription fitness platform that has trainers performing workouts in a variety of sports. And, the specific number of those … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago

Christmas Tree By Cargo Bike 2024 (Mallorca Edition!)

 What, you thought just because we moved from Amsterdam to a Mediterranean island that we’d stop our decade long Christmas tree-by-bike tradition? Nope, not a chance! After all, one of the most important things I packed up in the … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago

FIT File: The Watch We Weren’t “Allowed” To Review

 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 Wahoo's new … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago

Week in Review – December 21st, 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 → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago

The Girl’s 2024 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List

Hi hi, this is Bobbie (The Girl), otherwise known as Ray's other half. 2024 was an awesome year of training and racing, and I'm now about 2 years back from my triathlon hiatus. Having been out of the triathlon scene … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago

The Girl’s 2024 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List

Hi hi, this is Bobbie (The Girl), otherwise known as Ray's other half. 2024 was an awesome year of training and racing, and I'm now about 2 years back from my triathlon hiatus. Having been out of the triathlon scene … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago

The 2024 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List

So it's the end of the year, and I had semi-promised last year to actually update this list at least once a year. Thus, I'm checking that box. As I always note though, I’m not a person of change. At … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago

DCR Winter Open House 2024 Photo Recap!

It was time for the last DC Rainmaker Open House in Amsterdam, and the event certainly didn’t disappoint! It was the largest one to date, squeaking in everyone we could within the roughly 200-person limit we have for the DCR … Read More Here → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago

Week in Review – December 15th, 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 → | Continue reading


@dcrainmaker.com | 3 months ago