What you need to know
- The COROS DURA solar GPS bike computer is on sale June 17 for $249 and ships July 1.
- It has a 2.7-inch MIP touchscreen with digital dial and back/lap button, IP67 resistance, and dual-frequency GPS tracking.
- It lasts 120 hours in GPS mode or 70 hours in dual-frequency mode, and recharges 2 hours of GPS per 1 hour of direct sunlight.
COROS made its name as an affordable running watch alternative to Garmin. Now it's releasing its first-ever bike computer, the COROS DURA, with a very similar approach: high-end specs, budget price.
Like the popular Garmin Edge bike computers, the COROS DURA is a water-resistant, backlit LCD device mounted to your bike handlebar that can display offline GPX maps, turn-by-turn navigation, upcoming climbs, and checkpoints for mid-route guidance.
Its 2.7-inch, 480x240 MIP display can last an epic 70–120 hours depending on whether you use GPS only or multi-band GPS, and that's before the solar recharge. For comparison, the high-end Garmin Edge 1040 Solar only lasts 50 hours in dual-band mode with solar.
Meanwhile, bike computers closer to the DURA in price — like the Wahoo Bolt or Garmin Edge 530 — typically only last about 20 hours per charge.
Aside from GPS, the COROS DURA has an altimeter, compass, temp sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope, and it connects via Bluetooth or ANT+; the latter helps it sync with e-bikes and smart trainers.
The COROS DURA tracks your training load and fitness level, though you'll want a COROS Heart Rate Monitor or watch like the PACE 3 to sync heart rate data. It also displays your workouts or training plans and has an FTP Test.
The COROS DURA uses a standard quarter-turn mount that comes in the box. It works in conditions between -20ºC/ -4ºF and 60ºC/ 140ºF. It comes with six main activity modes: road, indoor, gravel, MTB, E-bike, and E-MTB.
As the COROS DURA is its first bike computer, plenty of common features and integrations remain works in progress. COROS says it plans to add Strava Live Segments, "Ride with GPS" app compatibility, music playback controls, Zwift integration, and other software updates down the line.
COROS says it designed the DURA with input from "some of the world's best off-road endurance cyclists" and that it's been tested in real-life endurance races like the Unbound 200. The name Dura means "a hard thing" in Spanish, which COROS says is meant to represent the bike computer supporting you during hard rides.
Android Central has a DURA review unit and intends to test out its reliability over the coming months. So far, we're simply excited by its affordability and longevity. Its price is well below the cheapest Garmin Edge and closely matches the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt v2, while its solar-powered battery life is well above the competition. Time will tell if serious cyclists will gravitate towards it, but it certainly has the essentials for anyone considering buying a bike computer for the first time.
You can pre-order the COROS DURA now before its July 1 ship date at COROS' site.
