Coros Dura: My Review After Three Months of Cycling
Written in November 2026 from Bolivia, after three months and 2,000 to 3,000 km with the Coros Dura mounted on the handlebars, from Ecuador to Bolivia. We’ll update it at the end of the trip.
The Coros Dura is the bike GPS you need if you’re going on long rides and don’t want to worry about recharging your device. I’ve been riding with it since August in Ecuador, between 6 and 8 hours a day, and I recharge it about every twenty days. When it comes to navigation, it does everything I need, simply, for about 250 euros. It doesn’t replace a Garmin for training with a coach, but for traveling, I have no complaints… except that it’s just been replaced by a Dura 2 that costs twice as much!
In a nutshell
- Battery life: 6 to 8 hours of cycling per day for about 20 days without recharging. The small solar panel helps under the Andean sun.
- Navigation: Import your GPX track into the Coros app, sync it, and you’re good to go. World maps are downloaded by region.
- The screen: readable in direct sunlight and in the rain, with a scroll wheel on the side for navigating menus while wearing gloves.
- Reliability: No breakdowns or glitches so far, despite rain, dust, cold, and heat. But I’ve never dropped it.
- Price: about 250 euros in Ecuador. The Dura is no longer manufactured; its successor, the Dura 2 Solar, costs around 500 euros.
- Who it's for: long-distance travel and ultra-distance running. For training and racing, I'd stick with a Garmin.
Strengths
- About 20 days of battery life: 111 hours of use on my last charge
- Easy navigation: GPX tracks, app, GPS
- A screen that's easy to read in the sun and in the rain
- A scroll wheel that can be used while wearing gloves
- It attaches to a Garmin mount
- Syncing with Strava is automatic
- About 250 euros
Weaknesses
- The screen seems fragile if dropped (a friend's cracked)
- It's not as feature-rich as a Garmin for training
- It is no longer manufactured, and its successor costs twice as much
Why I Stopped Using My Garmin
During the first half of the trip, from Canada to Ecuador, I rode with a Garmin Edge 1040 Solar, the brand’s top-of-the-line GPS. On the Great Divide, it guided me flawlessly, using the routes I’d downloaded from bikepacking.com. Then, in Ecuador, the screen turned completely brown, and the touchscreen stopped responding.
I contacted Garmin’s customer service several times. Their response: to get a replacement, I had to send the GPS back to customer service… in France. I was in Ecuador, cycling, for another year. In other words, never! For a brand with an international reputation, with stores all over Latin America that could have exchanged it for me right there, I just didn’t get it. That’s what made me switch brands!
The Coros Dura in a Few Numbers
Coros, a brand known for its sports watches, launched the Dura in 2024, its first bike computer (DC Rainmaker). Here’s what the brand and reviews have to say:
| Feature | Coros Dura |
|---|---|
| Claimed range | 120 hours of GPS operation, plus up to 2 hours of driving time gained for every hour of sunlight on the solar panel |
| Screen | 2.7 inches, touchscreen, MIP type (sunlight-readable) |
| Orders | touchscreen and digital dial on the side |
| Weight | about 100 g (without the stand) |
| Waterproofing | IP67 (dust and immersion) |
| Thesis | 32 GB |
| Introductory Price | 289 euros, with stand |
Sources: the5krunner, Cyclingnews, bikepacking.com, Coros.
Battery life: the real selling point
That’s when the Dura won me over. On days when I’m biking, I ride for 6 to 8 hours with navigation turned on, and I can go about 20 days without plugging it in. The proof is in the photo at the top of the article: on my last charge, it showed 21 days of use and 111 hours of riding, with 5% battery life remaining. The small solar panel plays a big part in that: the screen shows 58% “total solar charge.” Here, between Ecuador and Bolivia, we get a lot of sun—and you can really feel it!
On a long-distance trip, it makes all the difference! No more searching for an outlet every night at restaurants, hotels, or our hosts’ homes. On stretches lasting several days without electricity, I don’t even think twice about it anymore.
Navigation: Simple and Effective
- Routes: I download my GPX route, import it into the Coros app on my phone, sync it with the GPS, and off I go. It’s that simple.
- Maps: You download the areas of the world you need, and then you can create your itinerary.
- Route recalculation: I haven't really tested it yet. I saw an update come out recently, but I didn't check what it included.
To plan multi-day stages, I continue to use komoot on my phone, just like I did on the Great Divide.
On my handlebars, the climb display shows the average gradient (5%), the distance (22 km), and the elevation gain (1,301 m) of the climb.
The screen and the scroll wheel
The screen is very easy to read, whether in direct sunlight or in the rain. And Coros came up with a really clever idea: a small dial on the side that lets you navigate the menus without touching the screen. Whether you’re wearing gloves, out in the rain, or braving the cold of the Andes, it’s perfect!
Durability: nothing to report, but be careful not to drop it
Rain, dust, cold, heat: no breakdowns or glitches so far. To be honest, I bought it fairly recently, and I’ve never dropped it. A friend dropped his, and the screen cracked. It seems pretty fragile in that regard: protect it if it falls, or choose a stand that holds it securely.
The screen on my friend's Coros Dura, cracked after a fall.
The Bracket and Mounting
A nice surprise: I just reused my Garmin mount, and the Dura attaches to it with no problem! If you're switching from Garmin to Coros, you don't need to change your mount.
The app and Strava
The Coros app is synced with my Strava account. I update my activities in the app, and they automatically sync to Strava. That's all there is to it.
What I miss compared to the Garmin
Honestly? Nothing! In my opinion, the Garmin is a more professional GPS—it’s a better choice if you’re planning workouts or working with a coach. But if you want a simple GPS, just for navigation, with a few features and incredible battery life, the Coros Dura is very, very good.
The price and where I bought it
I bought it in Ecuador, at a store near Quito called Tatou WS, for about 250 euros. I would buy it again in a heartbeat: for me, it offers the best value for money for a reliable bike GPS with such a long battery life.
Coros Dura or Dura 2 Solar: Which One Should You Choose?
Bad news for those interested: the Dura is no longer in production. Coros is launching its successor, the Dura 2 Solar, on November 3, 2026, for 499 euros without a mount—roughly double the price of the original. Coros has announced that it will continue to update the software for the original Dura.
| Coros Dura | Coros Dura 2 Solar | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 2.7 inches, touchscreen | 3.5 inches, touchscreen, edge-to-edge |
| Orders | touchscreen and scroll wheel | Touchscreen, buttons, and voice control—no more scroll wheel |
| Claimed range | 120 hours of GPS, plus solar power | 120 hours of GPS, plus solar power (unchanged) |
| Support | provided | sold separately or in a bundle |
| Price | 289 euros at launch | 499 euros without a stand, 549 euros with one |
Sources: the5krunner (Dura 2 Solar product page), the5krunner (Dura 2 Solar vs. Dura), Tour, Cyclingnews, Escape Collective.
One difference matters to me: the Dura 2 no longer has a scroll wheel—the one that lets me do everything while wearing gloves. It’s been replaced by buttons and voice control.
I haven't tested the Dura 2. But if you can still find a new or used Dura for around 250 euros, I'd buy it in a heartbeat for traveling.
The Coros Dura (2024). © COROS
The Coros Dura 2 Solar (2026). © COROS
For some, yes; for others, no
| For whom | My Opinion |
|---|---|
| Long-distance bike trip | Yes: autonomy and simplicity—that's exactly what's needed |
| Ultra-distance (competitive bikepacking) | Yes: a trail to follow, and no more need to recharge every night |
| Weekend Outings | Yeah, if you just need to browse the web; that's actually a little too much battery life. |
| Structured training, road running, working with a coach | No: A Garmin handles workouts and data much better |
My verdict
The Coros Dura is the GPS you forget you’re even wearing: I upload my route, ride for twenty days, then recharge it. For a long-distance trip, that’s all I ask of it. I’ll update you at the end of the trip to let you know if it lasted all the way to Ushuaia. See you at the end of the world!
Your Questions About the Coros Dura
Coros claims 120 hours of GPS battery life. On my last charge, while traveling, I logged 111 hours of activity over 21 days, and I still had 5% battery left—thanks to the solar panel under the South American sun.
Yes, when the weather is nice: according to Coros, one hour of sunlight can add up to two hours of ride time. For me, it significantly slows down battery drain.
Yes, thanks to the scroll wheel on the side, which lets you navigate through the menus without touching the touchscreen.
Mine attaches to my old Garmin mount without an adapter.
For simple travel and navigation, the Coros Dura is the best choice, thanks to its battery life and price. For structured training and working with a coach, a Garmin Edge remains the more comprehensive option.
The Dura 2 Solar has a larger screen (3.5 inches vs. 2.7), buttons, and voice control, but it no longer has the scroll wheel. The advertised battery life remains the same (120 hours of GPS use), and the price has gone from 289 euros at launch to 499 euros without a mount.
It retailed for 289 euros, including the stand. I paid about 250 euros for it in Ecuador, at a store near Quito.
It has not been manufactured since the Dura 2 Solar was introduced in November 2026. You can still find it in some stores and on the secondhand market.
Further Reading
- All of our equipment, weighed item by item: the " Setups" page.
- My equipment review after 20,000 km is coming up in December.
- The Great Divide, where I was still using my Garmin: our story of cycling through Canada.
Julien Roche
Julien Roche, co-founder of Fast Won't Last. Since June 2024, he has been cycling across the Americas with Marie-Liesse, from Canada to Patagonia, focusing on off-road trails and camping. He chronicles the journey on the duo’s blog and cycling adventure podcast.
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