Coros Cycling Computer - Game changer?

[ianrauk]

Coros are bringing out a cycling specific bike computer. Cycling Weekly Review HERE
Its not the finished article but a few things with the unit look like it will be a game changer. A very impressive 120 hours plus battery life. Solar (extending battery life as apposed to charging) and the lowish price point.

There's still a bit of a way to go with some tweaks needed and added, but it's got DC Rainmakers interest HERE so I await his verdict.

 

[Drago]

My Garmin Fenix has a 340 hour battery life and has been recording my rides and stats with aplomb for some time.

Without some more more detail it's difficult to see how this will be ground breaking.

 

[ianrauk]

My Garmin Fenix has a 340 hour battery life and has been recording my rides and stats with aplomb for some time.

Without some more more detail it's difficult to see how this will be ground breaking.

Yes, thats a watch. Not great for those that use maps for navigation on a bike is it? So in that case I would say the computer is not aimed at someone such as yourself.

 

[Alex321]

Coros are bringing out a cycling specific bike computer. Cycling Weekly Review HERE
Its not the finished article but a few things with the unit look like it will be a game changer. A very impressive 120 hours plus battery life. Solar (extending battery life as apposed to charging) and the lowish price point.

There's still a bit of a way to go with some tweaks needed and added, but it's got DC Rainmakers interest HERE so I await his verdict.

View attachment 734397

I wouldn't suggest it is a "game changer" other than for those doing long bikepacking type trips. Most of the current selection of GPS bike computers from Wahoo, Garmin, Karoo etc have plenty of battery life for most normal riders, and have very similar features otherwise.

It certainly looks like a good new option, and for those people who are doing those long trips it could indeed be a game changer.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'd never heard of Coros but it seems they are a training/data kind of organisation https://coros.com/

So I imagine this will be really training data focused.

Edit: This is who they say they are: COROS is a performance sports technology company that helps athletes train to be their best. https://coros.com/about

So I'd expect more in the way of VO2Max and FTP calculations and less in the way of navigation to POIs. But what do I know?

 

[Drago]

Yes, thats a watch. Not great for those that use maps for navigation on a bike is it? So in that case I would say the computer is not aimed at someone such as yourself.

A watch in this instance is nithing more than a comouter worn upon the wrist instrad or the handlebars.

The product photo is vague, but shows little in the way of nav ability with a mono fine dot matrix screen.

The watch, as it happens, can be used to nav on a route, either slaved to a phone or via its own app. It'll show surprisingly good maps, albeit constrained by screen size, or indicate when to turn left and right etc at the appropriate points, not that I use either. As such it's actually very decent for those who navigate by map.

In terms of actual functionality, the new device doesn't appear to be the second coming.

 

[ianrauk]

I wouldn't suggest it is a "game changer" other than for those doing long bikepacking type trips. Most of the current selection of GPS bike computers from Wahoo, Garmin, Karoo etc have plenty of battery life for most normal riders, and have very similar features otherwise.

It certainly looks like a good new option, and for those people who are doing those long trips it could indeed be a game changer.

For those of us who do multi day rides/ Audax etc where you need long battery life. Not having to faff about with chargers and such like, will put it at the top of many a riders list methinks.
But as I said, there's still a way to go with them looking at initial reports.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Reported battery capacity of 960 mAh. The old Garmin Edge 500 was 1000 mAh. Which makes the battery life quite remarkable as it means its power consumption is 1/10th of that Garmin model. How on earth they do that with more features is anyone’s guess.

 

[ianrauk]

Reported battery capacity of 960 mAh. The old Garmin Edge 500 was 1000 mAh. Which makes the battery life quite remarkable as it means its power consumption is 1/10th of that Garmin model. How on earth they do that with more features is anyone’s guess.

Quoted from the CW review
In a week's use, including one eight-hour adventure, the battery is still above 70%.

That's pretty impressive. I can only surmise that they have got the solar charging on the unit right.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I'd never heard of Coros but it seems they are a training/data kind of organisation https://coros.com/

So I imagine this will be really training data focused.

I have a couple of COROS watches, as well as Garmin,Suunto, Wahoo and Polar ones

Had my COROS Vertix 2S on yesterday for a 20 mile run during which I was using it for navigation too. Pretty much what my Garmin watches do., so this is interesting from a cycling standpoint.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Could this mean the end of the traditional Garmin v Wahoo argument thread on Cyclechat? Oh no!

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Reported battery capacity of 960 mAh. The old Garmin Edge 500 was 1000 mAh. Which makes the battery life quite remarkable as it means its power consumption is 1/10th of that Garmin model. How on earth they do that with more features is anyone’s guess.

COROS are pretty good at eeking out more life from their batteries. My watches outlast my Garmin ones my some margin.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Quoted from the CW review
In a week's use, including one eight-hour adventure, the battery is still above 70%.

That's pretty impressive. I can only surmise that they have got the solar charging on the unit right.

Which translates as 36 hours of cycling that week. Now that’s an impressive in a week outside of touring or audax.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Coros are bringing out a cycling specific bike computer. Cycling Weekly Review HERE
Its not the finished article but a few things with the unit look like it will be a game changer. A very impressive 120 hours plus battery life. Solar (extending battery life as apposed to charging) and the lowish price point.

There's still a bit of a way to go with some tweaks needed and added, but it's got DC Rainmakers interest HERE so I await his verdict.

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DC Rainmaker has a hands on first thoughts up now, there's a few " issues " at the moment

 

[ianrauk]

DC Rainmaker's You Tube update.