Coros Dura review – the brand’s first bike computer impressed me in several ways

Coros is so ingrained in the spheres of triathlon and running that it’s hard to believe the Dura is the brand’s first bike computer.

By equipping the £249 ($249) Dura with extensive battery life augmented by solar charging, Coros has tried to rival the spec of top-end Garmin models, such as the Edge 1040 Solar, at lower cost.

Having released some of the best triathlon watches, has Coros now cracked the bike computer market?

Solar charging and huge battery life

Battery life is the main selling point of the Dura: it’s a claimed 120hrs in full GPS mode.

That’ll see you through many an Ironman ride, without accounting for the extra delivered by the solar panel that’s located above the 2.7in screen.

Whether you really need a solar panel when the battery life’s so vast is debatable, especially as it condenses the screen in the reasonably sized unit to 2.7in. That is comparable to the Wahoo Elemnt Roam, but feels smaller because of the swathes of outer black.

Initial routing glitches ironed out

Navigation is thankfully better than early summer, where many media outlets bemoaned erratic routing and a maelstrom of glitches.

These included the Dura failing to recognise missed turns and then becoming even more confused when rerouting. This seemed a major faux pax for such an important launch.

Thankfully, a July update improved things somewhat. Still, the brand has bought itself an ironing-out breather, with unit shipping delayed until September at the time of writing.

During my test period, things seemed on track, especially on the road. I did take this unit mountain biking once on holiday and the underlying Goggle-based map proved somewhat inconsistent.

Based on years of using Coros wristwatches, such as the Apex 2 Pro, I’m confident Coros will reach where its aiming, but it was certainly an inauspicious start in this market.

A long list of features

Then again, chapeau to a feature-set, which is impressive for a bike computer that includes workout suggestions via the usable Coros app and training plans via the same route.

There’s an FTP test to undertake indoors for hanging training zones off, plus a training load element that tracks how you handle the exertion of each ride.

Then again, for this you do need a power meter or heart rate monitor. You can customise your display, plus analyse your efforts to your heart’s content.

A touchscreen and a dial

All of these features are scrolled through via a dial borrowed from the brand’s watches. It’s neat enough, but arguably not needed as the touchscreen’s so good. Of course, that thought process might change with gloved hands in the middle of winter.

A boon for triathletes is that the Dura automatically connects to any Coros watch that’s paired to your account. When recording a new ride, it’ll search for and pair with your watch if it’s detected nearby.

Finally, it’s also compatible with the major training and routing players including Strava, Komoot and TrainingPeaks.

All in all, it’s a solid entry into the congested bike-computer market, but I suspect there’s much more to come.

You can find out how the Coros Dura compares to the competition by reading our guide to the best bike computers.

Coros Dura specs

Price:	£249 / $249
Weight:	99g
Display size:	69mm (2.7in)
Battery life:	Up to 120 hours (claimed)
Display type:	Touchscreen, Always-on Memory LCD