Are there any here? I can’t find any reviews for the 20/21 versions and I’m wondering how they stack up for heavy trail (Peak District) and sometimes enduro usage.

The value proposition isn’t great, but I can maybe let that pass me by.

Because Kona.

Search on here makes me wonder…

Does anyone on here actually own a Kona?

Save for the obvious 90s classics. In all honesty, it’s partly through nostalgia that I’m considering it in the first place.

Haha I get your point – yes, I have a 2016 Kona, so nearly up to date.

I think they struggle on value (because of import duties or similar? Not that it would only impact Konas). But I think the dealer network is also tricky, with some big online discount retailers.

I haven’t found the UK support to be great TBH, compared to other brands. I don’t think the UK side is any significant part of their operation.

I have a 153 29

Its not lightweight, but standard for similar bikes, pedals & climbs pretty well, steep SA helps, descends really well, not the plushest rear stock, needed a dpx2 for me to get the right feel, now it’s great balance of grip & comfort, very confidence inspiring, feels like cheating on steep descents
Jumps pretty well, corners really well, you need to lean into the front to get the best out of it
But it’s such a good bike for railing corners & the shortish seat stays keep it manoeuvrable & fun even if the wb is quite long
Mud Clearance is ok, cable routing is nice & tidy, takes a long dropper really well.
I’ve taken mine a bit slacker with a – 1 angleset

I love it, can get me down anything and pedals well enough to be an all day bike, needs big hills to get the most out of

I had an older 153, it tried to kill me. I sold it. We didn’t bond. I never bought it presents.

Thanks Owen. Which bike have you got and how do you find it?

Has your support been through the dealer or direct with the distributor?

So many good options out there and Kona don’t really compete on price. But they’ve always been good bikes otherwise and I may be in an insurance-voucher-deal where it’s a viable option over alternatives.

@kimbers Just what I wanted to hear really. Prime choices are a Remedy and Spectral, so both 27.5 as per the Process.

If the 29 is playful and climbs well then I can only imagine that the 27.5 is similar. Downhill may be different of course but not that far off, I imagine. Good to know about clearance and routing.

@weeksy 🤣

Well I had a Hei Hei and several Units. Definitely not great on value for money these days. The 153 got updated for 2021, mostly better geometry, so probably not many out there for reviews yet. Looks like a solid bike.

Bikes and Buddies are good for spares and bearing kits here.

Also any time I’ve emailed Kona I got a reply straight back from someone that knows what they’re talking about, like the designer. Won’t get that from many companies.

Sounds like others have more relevant experience of the Process bikes – I have a HeiHei 29 Trail, which is a different suspension format. It’s a nice bike, but when I bought it the whole “process” geometry was much more cutting edge – the longer reach and more aggressive geometry was something Kona was doing well, but now every other brand has caught up.

My support (for a rear triangle crack) was through the dealer. Hard to know if I would have got a better experience by pushing it and involving Kona directly, but I got a basic fix. No frills or great service story though.

Where did yours crack? Happened to mine as well. Kona sorted it quickly, just asked for a photo and serial number then sent out a redesigned rear triangle.

2019 Process 153 CR owner here, not ridden it much due to the fork having to be recalled and lockdown restrictions limiting where I ride. It replaced a 2016 Process 111 DL and feels like a more capable version of the 111, which for me is exactly what I wanted. I got the 153 from Winstanleys in Feb this year for £2.5k (46% off the RRP!). I also own a 2017 Hei Hei Race DL which is great XC/light trail bike.

I agree that Kona’s pricing isn’t very competitive with other (bigger) brands though you can find them on discount. Winstanleys always seems to have good deals on Konas. They have never been the lightest bikes but have always had great geometry. My first proper mtb was a Kona, i’ve always been a fan. I also like that they are not as common as some brands.

I have a 2015 Process 153 27.5, really liked it but had a few issues with it, frame became vey flexy at the back end despite new bearings, rear axle, wheel etc. It also really needed steep terrain to get the most out of it so wasn’t getting ridden much. I really wanted a new 134 but but the spec/price balance wasn’t there for me and I couldn’t find any XL deals.

Agree with a couple of comments on here, I’ve always been a fan, I’ve got a 1998 Stars n Bars Aha, a Raijin, missed the 26 Ti party so jumped on the 29 bandwagon (wheels) also had a Process swapped in for a Remote Control which is like the Process with wings 😎I’ve also always liked the uncommon Ness? 🤔 of them 😎having a soft spot for BC points me in their direction ( I know they are just over the border)

I demo’d an aluminium 27.5 Process 153 a couple of years back and I liked it. At the time I had an older Process 134 and a Knolly. I wanted to buy just the frame and move all the bits over from my Knolly, they don’t make it easy to buy just a frame so I went elsewhere.

It pedalled better than my 134 and with some tweaking I reckon it would have descended almost as well as the Knolly.