Kona Process 153 DL 29

The Process 153 29 pumps out 153mm of rear travel via a RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ shock and Kona’s ‘Beamer’ suspension configuration, a linkage-actuated single-pivot layout. There’s a longertravel version, the Process X, with 161mm of travel, but pricing starts at £5,499 so we couldn’t include it.

A slack 64.7-degree head angle gives a nod to Kona’s intentions for this bike, while the steep 77.1-degree seat angle makes for a comfortable climbing position. The 455mm reach is long for a medium bike. Sizing for the 29er is limited to medium to extra-large, with no small. Kona do offer a small in their standard Process 153 build, which uses 650b wheels, but not a direct DL equivalent.

The spec is generally decent, but a little lacking in certain areas. While the Maxxis Assegai/Minion tyre combo is one of our favourites, we wish Kona would spec the EXO+ casing on the rear, as they do on the longer-travel Process X. SRAM’s NX Eagle gearing is pretty good, but other bikes at this price (and some below it) come with GX Eagle instead. This offers a slightly wider range thanks to its 10-52t cassette (as opposed to 1150t for NX), which is also lighter, and has a slicker feel through the shifter.

Thanks in part to that steep seat angle, the Process 153 feels easygoing when pointed uphill, and we never felt the need to toggle the shock’s lever to firm things up. On mellower, highspeed trails, the Kona lacks some of the zip, pop and urgency that other bikes here display, instead, feeling more planted and glued to the trail. That’s not to say it can’t be chucked around, because it certainly can, with the 435mm chainstays helping when it comes to lofting the front wheel up. It’s just that it requires a little more muscle to do so.

Get it pointed down something rough and steep, and it’s obvious where the Process 153’s strengths lie. The well-shaped geometry strikes a good balance between stability and manoeuvrability, while the back end soaks up the heavy hits with impressive control, but still offers enough feedback to ensure you can feel what’s going on beneath the tyres. Drop your heels and the Kona is eager to get moving down steeper hills, although here the SRAM G2 RS brakes can feel a little undergunned. The brand’s more powerful Code stoppers would better suit an enduro bike like this.