Opinions are divided when it comes to Kona. The Canadian cult brand polarises time and time again, there's no other way to put it. The bikes are usually not exactly cheap, but are usually not luxuriously equipped. They are often not the fastest and not the lightest. But if you are lucky enough to sit on one, you often quickly forget the better price/performance ratio and lower weight of the mail-order bikes or the innovative technology of established brands that always impress you so much at home in front of your desk. Because Kona bikes generally only want one thing: to be fun. And that almost always works.
The old process - and what the new one should learn from it...
The old Process 153 - One of our sister editorial team's favourite bikes from 2014 to 2017 FREERIDE was one such bike. Even more blatant and blessed with an even more loyal fan base: The Process 111, an absolute flop on paper: weighing almost 14 kilos, suspension travel like a pumped-up marathon fully (120/111 mm), equipment for 4000 euros with an aluminium frame also only average. On the other hand, the bike took wing downhill even with the slightest wave and scurried over root patches and through bends, making you think you were sitting on a wild squirrel.
Development goals for Process 134: Lighter, more efficient but just as much fun
This is exactly where the new Process 134 wants to pick up and combine the qualities of the old Process 111 - rear suspension, liveliness, suitability for descents - with the qualities of the Hei Hei line, which is also more fun than racy. Thanks to its full carbon frame (2650 grams with shock in size M), the new Process 134 should be light and efficient enough for long tours, playful enough for lots of fun in corners and on flatter trails and capable enough even for tough Canadian trail descents. Update: The weight of the top model CR/DL is exactly 14 kilograms in frame size M.
Chassis and geometry
The new Process 134, which will be available with an aluminium or carbon frame and in 27.5 (aluminium only) or 29 inch, has been made slightly longer and slacker at the front and slightly steeper and shorter at the rear. The seat angle is a pedalling-friendly 76.5 degrees, the chainstays measure only 427 millimetres for the 29-inch bike, despite a tyre clearance of up to 2.5 inches. The reach (475 millimetres in L) in combination with the slightly lower bottom bracket (-33 millimetres) and the long fork offset (51 millimetres) should ensure a smooth ride. The steering angle is a balanced 66 degrees.
In terms of suspension technology, the old Moto rear triangle from the older Process series has been abandoned in favour of a more classic four-link design like its big brother, the new Process 153. The rear suspension should be more progressive so that the bike offers plenty of counter-pressure for an active riding style. If you prefer it to be more linear or even more progressive, you can of course remove or add spacers to adjust the characteristic curve. A more constant and balanced anti-squat value was also important to the engineers, which should ensure that the bike does not harden up too much when pedalling over rough terrain and does not lack too much efficiency when pedalling.
Chainstay protector, cable guide, vario supports - the details
Other details that have been worked on for the new bike include a straighter seat tube for a greater insertion depth of dropper posts with a low standover height, so that riders with shorter legs can also use long dropper seat posts. The frame is also protected by a frame guard under the down tube. Comprehensive chain and seat stay protection in combination with the low chain stay on the drive side is intended to minimise riding noise. The cables run inside the frame on the carbon models, but are also protected against rattling by internal cable guides. This also pleases the mechanic, who no longer has to fiddle around in the frame if a cable needs to be completely replaced.
All information on the new Kona Process 134 can be found on the Website of the manufacturer. Prices and weights are not yet available, we will add them as soon as possible.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
