THE PROCESS OF EVOLUTION

Kona unveil a reshaped, carbon-framed version of their acclaimed Process 153 trail bike

Kona’s Process 153 has gained a reputation for descending prowess. On the new version, the Canadian brand have aimed to match that with radically improved pedalling. To achieve this they’ve altered the position of the main pivot and aligned it for 1x12 drivetrains, at the same time as steepening the head (66°) and seat (76°) angles. Elsewhere, the geometry is largely unchanged, with snappy 425mm chain-stays paired to a long reach (475mm on the large). There’s 10mm of BB drop, seat tube lengths are short and standover low.

While the new bike looks very different to the original Process (and a lot like Kona’s Operator DH bike) it has a similar leverage curve. It still delivers 153mm of travel, but the suspension has been tweaked to work with RockShox’s latest trunnion-mounted metric shocks.

In it for the long run

The new frame shape has been made possible by carbon construction. This extends to the rocker link and seatstays, but, in the interest of durability, the chainstays remain aluminium. Longevity is a key criterion for Kona, and along with speccing oversize main pivot bearings and press-in headset cups, they’ve ensured there are no threads in any of the carbon parts. They’ve opted for a press-fit BB though, which sits in a wide (92mm) shell that adds stiffness and reduces side-loading on the shock. Other features include a longer section of uninterrupted seat tube to maximise dropper compatibility, fully internal cable routing and a spare mech hanger hidden in the down tube.

The Process 153 CR/DL is the top-specced bike. It costs £6,099 and comes with a RockShox Lyrik RCT3 fork and Super Deluxe RCT shock, a SRAM X01 Eagle drivetrain with Truvativ Descendant carbon cranks, and SRAM Guide RSC brakes. The carbon frame is only being offered on the top two bikes, but there’s a range of more affordable aluminium options too, starting at £3,099.