Kona Process 153 DL - Review

The Process 153 is the longest travel option in Kona's three model series, which includes the 27.5” wheeled Process 134 and the Process 111, a genre defying 29er that we reviewed earlier this year. If you hadn't guessed, the numbers correlate with the amount of travel (in millimeters) each bike has, which keeps things simple, and takes up a lot less room than spelling out something like the Humuhumu-nukunuku-apua'a bike that was once in the company's lineup. The Process 153 DL is the brawler of the bunch, with a slack 66.5 degree head angle and a build kit that's meant to be able to withstand a beating. Our size large bike weighed in at 32 pounds without pedals, and retails for $4999 USD. There is also a base model option available with a slightly more basic spec for $3399.

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Frame Design

The advent of dropper posts has allowed Kona to achieve an incredibly low standover height on the Process 153, which is accomplished by reducing the seat tube height and relying on the fixed portion of the dropper post itself to create the extra length necessary for a rider to get the correct amount of leg extension. This also makes it possible to create a size large frame with a seat tube length of less than 18”(450mm) and a standover of only 26.18” (665mm), impressive numbers for a bike with 6” of travel and 27.5” wheels.

The Process 153's frame is constructed entirely from butted 6061 aluminum, excluding the small carbon brace found on the rocker link that connects the seat stays to the front triangle. The back end of the bike is meant to be as stiff as possible, and everything from the use of clevis style pivots, the shape of the seat stays, and the extra-wide main pivot (made possible by using a BB92 bottom bracket shell) has been designed with that goal in mind. Other frame details include the use of internal cable routing for the front and rear derailleur housing, with the brake lines and the stealth dropper post running cleanly on top of the down tube. There's even a spot to mount a water bottle cage on the underside of the down tube, a spot that is vulnerable to getting coated in mud and whatever else the front wheel tosses up, but it's still better than nothing.



Rocker Independent Suspension

The Process uses a link driven single pivot suspension layout, a configuration Kona has used since their first full suspension bikes, although the latest version has seen a few changes to make it work with the bike's low top tube. Kona refers to the design used on the 153 as Rocker Independent Suspension, a configuration that has the bike's seat stays attached to an aluminum rocker that is in turn attached to a U-shaped yoke to drive the rear shock. The shock is mounted directly to this yoke without the use of a bushing or any proprietary hardware, which increases the number of available aftermarket shock options.

Designing a bike is a matter of compromise, which is why Kona ended up with a bike that has 153mm of travel, instead of the ever-popular 160 or 165mm. Where did this seemingly odd number come from? Well, rather than sitting down and saying, “Let's make a 160mm, 27.5” wheeled bike,” the bike's designers decided to prioritize geometry rather than focusing on a predetermined amount of travel. Extra short chain stays were high on the wish list, and by going with slightly less travel they were able to reduce the chain stay length down to only 425mm while still keeping the head angle, top tube length and tire clearance where they wanted. The rear rocker link's position is intended to create a leverage rate curve that plays well with modern air shocks, without any odd spikes or dives that can make shock tuning difficult.

Specifications Price $4999 Travel 153mm Rear Shock RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 Fork RockShox Pike RCT3 Solo Air 160mm Cassette SRAM XG-1070 11-36 Crankarms SRAM X9 22/36T w/ bash Bottom Bracket SRAM Press Fit 92 Rear Derailleur SRAM X0 type 2 Front Derailleur SRAM X7 direct mount Shifter Pods SRAM X9 Handlebar Race Face Atlas FR Stem Kona 40mm Grips Kona lock-on Brakes Shimano XT, 203F, 180R Hubs Shimano XT centerlock Spokes Sandvik stainless Rim WTB Frequency Team i25 Tires Maxxis Highroller II 2.3" EXO 3C Seat WTB Volt Team Seatpost KS Lev Integra Compare to other All Mountain/Enduro/XC

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Climbing / Fit

The reach on the size large Process 153 measures in at a sprawling 460mm, which is part of the reason why all of the bikes in the Process range come with short, 40mm stems. Kona's philosophy is that the combination of a long top tube and a shorter stem places the rider in a better position for attacking technical terrain. Otherwise, simply putting a short stem on a bike with an average top tube length shifts the rider's weight towards the back of the bike, adversely affecting handling. At 5'11” I could feasibly fit on either a medium or large, but going with a medium would have negated the supposed benefits of the long top tube and short stem that Kona is touting, and its seat tube length would have meant that the stock dropper post would need to be extended past its minimum insertion line for me to get enough leg extension, so a large it was. My first spin around the block after getting the bike built up still had me wondering about the sizing, but after sliding the seat forward a good bit further than usual I was able to find a more comfortable, better centered pedaling position. After that initial adjustment, the long reach became an afterthought, and instead of the bike feeling too long, it made every other bike I rode feel short.

When it came time to climb, even with a stubby stem and a non-travel adjust 160mm fork the Process' front end didn't ever feel like it was wandering. There's enough room that it's easy to shift your weight forward, whether by dropping your chest closer to the top tube or standing out of the saddle, and those weight shifts are enough to keep the front end firmly planted. The 785mm Race Face Atlas bars also help in this regard, providing plenty of leverage to maneuver the front wheel, whether you're lifting it over a set of stair-like roots or muscling it around a tight switchback.

Weighing in at 33 pounds (with pedals) and shod with Maxxis' grippy High Roller II tires, it's unlikely that you'll be winning a polka dot jersey aboard the Process 153, but that doesn't mean that this is a wallowy mess of a climber – far from it. Even with the Monarch Plus fully opened the rear end movement is well controlled, a testament to Kona's work to ensure that the bike's leverage curve matches that of the current air shock offerings. On long, sustained climbs I usually flipped the blue lever to the middle compression setting for more efficiency, a setting that still allowed for good traction with minimal bob, even when straining out of the saddle to maintain forward progress. Although 2x10 drivetrains are becoming somewhat of a rarity on bikes in this category, the low gearing offered by the 22x36 granny gear found on the Process is still lower that what is possible on a 1x11 setup, and it does help to ease the pain of those never-ending, soul crushing climbs.




Descending

The Process 153 is a fiend for the downhills, with a downright devilish appetite for the gnarliest, steepest trails around, and as soon as gravity takes over Kona's geometry really starts making sense. The combination of short, 425mm chain stays and a long front center creates a bike that can straightline through the chunder without flinching, but also doesn't get bogged down too much when things get tight. The wide bars and short stem make it easy to get into an aggressive, elbows-out position over the front of the bike, ready to take on whatever tricks the trail has up its sleeve. It does take a little extra effort to navigate the 153 through really slow, tight terrain due to its length, but just like you wouldn't expect a top fuel dragster to shine on San Francisco's Lombard street, the 153 does best at higher speeds, which is exactly what it was designed for.

Even when ripping through the nastiness at maximum velocity, the Process 153 still manages to remain lively, in part due to the teamwork of the RockShox Pike fork and Monarch Plus shock. 'Mid-stroke support' seems to be the latest go-to marketing buzzword, but it is an important factor with regards to suspension performance, and both the Pike and Monarch Plus do a good job of exhibiting this trait, recovering quickly from rapid successive impacts, and resisting any undue diving that can cause awkward handling. This support makes it possible to avoid getting pulled into speed-sapping holes, and keeps a certain amount of travel available for those extra-large obstacles. It also provides a good platform to push against when pre-loading the suspension before lofting off the lip of a jump Even when airing off of large rock drops the ramp up at the end of the 153's stroke prevented any harsh bottom-outs, and there was just a smooth, controlled progression as the bike went through its travel.

As far as cornering goes, the word 'slarving', a skiing term pioneered by the late, great Shane McConkey to describe the action of simultaneously sliding and carving on snow may be the best way to put in words what it feels like to ride the Process 153 through a series of steep, S-shaped turns. The low standover height makes it east to get the bike sideways without smacking your knees on the top tube, and the stiff, compact rear triangle helps keep the bike locked into the turn, no matter how hard the bike is pushed. The low top tube is helpful in the air as well, providing a little extra room to get the bike flat without getting ending up tangled in a mess of aluminum tubing.




Component Check

• SRAM 2x10 drivetrain: While 2x10 drivetrains may be nice on the climbs, even with a clutch derailleur they have a tendency to clank and clatter when things get rough, and I did manage to drop the chain a few times while riding through particularly chattery sections of trail. I'm sold on the benefits of a 1x10 or 1x11 drivetrain, and if the Process were my personal ride the first thing I'd do would be to convert it to an extended range 1x10 setup by ditching the front derailleur and shifter, and swapping the two chainrings for a narrow-wide ring (the X9 crankset will even accept spiderless chainrings). That would save a good chunk of weight, and with the addition of something like OneUp Components 42 tooth cassette cog it wouldn't mean sacrificing too much low end gearing. Plus, it's a hell of a lot cheaper than springing for a 1x11 setup.

• KS LEV Integra dropper post: We ran into issues with the Integra on our Process 111 test bike related to the post's reliance on housing, rather than cable tension, a design that made it act up whenever the housing was inadvertently moved. This issue has been addressed, and there wasn't any trouble with the updated post on our 153. It raised and lowered smoothly every time, and the actuation lever is one of the most ergonomic options currently available – it's easy to activate and less likely to snag on shorts or skin than some other designs.




• Race Face Atlas handlebar: Finally, we don't need to complain about handlebars being too narrow. At 785mm, the Atlas bars are plenty wide, with a comfortable 8 degrees of back sweep. There are marked gradients to trim them down if need be, although I'd recommend trying them at full width for a couple of rides before busting out the hacksaw.

• WTB Frequency Team i25 wheelset: WTB's i25 rims, laced to a set of Shimano XT hubs, held up very well for the duration of our time on them. The 25mm internal width provides a good platform for running wide tires, and the 32 hole, 3 cross lacing pattern means that replacing spokes and truing the wheels is as hassle free as possible. Shimano's XT hubs are reliable and easily serviceable, although the Centerlock rotor mounting system still isn't as common as a 6 bolt set up.





Pinkbike's Take:

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Reviews and Tech Reviews Enduro Bikes Trail Bikes Kona Kona Process