Cyclists demand a lot from their computers, those handy little devices that sit on your handlebars and tell you where to go and how hard you’re working. They need to be small but mighty, with easy-to-read screens, ample battery and solar power, seamless connectivity to apps, and the ability to navigate in remote terrain. Plus, they must withstand abuse and be able to store and access reams of data. That sometimes results in a pricey computer that’s so fancy, it’s frustrating to use on the fly.
In June, Coros—a sports technology company best known for performance watches—entered the cycling computer market with the Dura Solar GPS. Reasonably priced at $249, the premise behind the Coros is that it is the device for adventure exploration and training, thanks to a battery life of 120 hours (or 70 hours in dual frequency mode). That battery life is extended via solar power. Plus, it has a full ecosystem of personalized training guides and physiological data, downloadable via its accompanying app.
Turns Around the Sun
One hundred and twenty hours of battery life is five days—more than double that of most other cycling computers. Add to it a reported solar recharge of one hour for every two hours in the sun and the Dura should easily make it through an Unbound XL or any hundreds-of-miles suffer-fest race of your choice. So confident was Coros about the battery power that its plea to journalists was to leave the device on (and on the bike) between rides, because it goes to sleep on its own and takes only two seconds to wake up.
In a further nod to simplicity, the Dura has a touchscreen and a digital dial on the right side that makes for easy scrolling between maps, fitness tracking, and data screens. Like most cycling computers, it operates on dual-frequency (L1 + L5) GPS, automatically detecting the best satellite frequency to use wherever you are. For those impatient with the lag time to upload to Strava or other apps after a ride, Coros syncs while in motion, making the day’s stats instantly available, a nice feature if you’re perennial in a hurry.