REVIEW
2024 Kona Process 153 CR/DL Gen. 3
The Process 153 is a bit of a tweener. While this hasn't been legislated or voted upon by the Supreme Council of MTB, current mountain bike designations are quite settled. The majority of bikes that carry the "enduro" moniker have 170mm of travel up front and 160 or 170 in the rear. Going down the food chain, assuming bigger bikes feast upon smaller ones, the next category is "trail" bikes. You may ask yourself, WTF is a trail bike, since all bikes are ridden on trails. The answer isn't clear or satisfying. Beyond being ridden on trails, bikes in this category are generally more capable descending than XC bikes (and downcountry if you must) and less capable than enduro bikes (formerly known as all-mountain bikes). Conversely, the opposite is true in terms of climbing ability and general pedalling prowess. This would put most "trail" bikes in the 130-150mm travel range.
*In case you missed my First Impressions piece on the Process 153, which includes spec and geo charts and lots of photos, you can find it here.
The P153 strikes a silky silhouette. Photo - Cam McRae
Beyond suspension travel, there are corresponding differences in geometry and component spec., with enduro bikes being longer, lower, and sexier. Or maybe slacker. It's a matter of perspective. And, when comparing similar spec levels, Enduro bikes are generally heavier.
All of this leaves the Process 153 in an undefined category. Is it a long-legged trail bike or a diminutive enduro bike? It has 160mm of travel up front and 153 in the rear.* It is relatively slack at 64.5º but these days there are 140mm bikes that are that slack. The effective seat tube angle is 76.9º, which is far from ground breaking, and will end up being much less slack if you are long-legged like I am because of the slack actual STA. Is this a bike seeking an identity, or a versatile bike seeking a rider who doesn't want to be pigeonholed? Let's try and figure this out.
*Actually I've heard that in mullet form, the P153 bounces 158mm
In some situations the SRAM G2 brakes were just fine. The Sun Peaks Bike Park in good weather is one example. Photos - Cam McRae
When things got steeper, more technical, wetter or longer, the G2s were not worthy of the performance of Process 153.
More on the Component Spec.
Those SRAM G2 Brakes
While I was updating my research for this review, I noticed that there are now two price levels for this bike; 7200 and 7700 CAD. I was scrolling through the photos and there was one that showed a Code brake and I thought the PMs at Kona had read my mind. Unfortunately that seems to have been an error because both spec. lists make it clear each model comes with SRAM G2 brakes. On the rear of the "lower" model you'll no longer find a SRAM GX T-type derailleur. In its place is a GX AXS version, which means electronic shifting without T-type. This is a sensible option for people who want to save some cash.
On my first few rides, mainly in the Sun Peaks Bike Park, I was pleasantly surprised by the G2s. They seemed to function well and have adequate power, even on steep sections. A bike park is, however, not a naturally gnarly trail on the North Shore and on subsequent rides the G2s limitations began to reveal themselves. It's true that the power stroke begins quite effectively but it tapers off quickly once you get to a certain point. I have been in several situations where I wanted more bite and I applied more pressure but received nothing in return. At the top end, the power isn't enough for the riding I do. Well, that's not entirely true. I can ride most of the stuff I want to but without the safety valve of powerful brakes or the confidence to charge into things as I want to. They aren't terrible but they aren't Codes that's for certain. In fact I'd say they aren't even as good as Shimano Deore 6120s with four pistons. They aren't too bad for feathering into something slippery, which speaks to decent modulation but on longer, more challenging descents I noticed significant performance deterioration. By the end of a ride I have gotten used to them and I know what to expect, but I can't always ride the way I want to on G2s.
In good weather, on lower angle trails that don't descend for miles, the G2s do just fine. If you are planning on riding steeper and nastier trails, which this bike is undoubtedly capable of, I'd be swapping these out for Codes, Mavens, anything from Shimano at 6120 level or above, Hopes, Maguras etc.
In its day the Rockshox Reverb Stealth was a great post. That day has passed and there are much better options for less money. Photo - Cam McRae
That Rockshox Reverb Stealth 200mm Post
The Rockshox Reverb Stealth post that came on the P153 worked just fine. It returned with reasonable speed and it functioned as expected whenever I asked. But... it's a bit of a pain in the ass. I prefer a post with more than 200mm of travel, which is the max for Reverb and normally I would swap in something longer for a test so I can ride the bike without any limitations. I just leave the existing lever in place and swap in a longer post, attaching the existing cable. It takes about 15 minutes. With the Reverb this process would entail removing the hydraulic line and lever and installing cable, housing and lever. Then, when it's time to get the bike back to stock, I'd have to remove the cable, housing and lever, re-install the Reverb hose and lever, and then bleed the post to get it functioning as it should again. It's not a terrible job and I've done it before, but I didn't do it this time because, as mentioned, it's a PITA.
Beyond that, droppers have come a long way since the Reverb Stealth was released and they provide more drop with less length, meaning you can run more drop with, for example, a OneUp dropper. For a frame that maxes out full insertion with a 200mm Reverb, you can install a 240mm OneUp. The OneUp also performs well and is easy to work on, for at least 200 CAD less at retail. So why did Kona spec. the Reverb when virtually no other manufacturers do, aside from the AXS Reverb on very high end bikes? That will likely remain a mystery.
I didn't have any problems with the WTB KOM Trail i30 TCS rims, but if you are hard on hoops, you may want to install inserts.
The WTB KOM Trail i30 TCS Rims
When Mike Wallace tested the Kona Process X back in 2021, he destroyed a couple of the same rims that are on the P153. The WTBs on my tester have been just fine but there area couple of provisos. Mike is harder on rims than I am and he also rode the bike more since, at the time, that was the only non-DH bike he had at home. I also spent about half my testing time on a different rear wheel, checking out how the P153 handled as a mullet. It's possible that WTB has made some un-announced changes to these rims in the meantime but for people who are hard on rims, it's worth being aware that you may be shopping for a new rear after a stretch of abusive riding.
The Process 153 feels at home on lower angle trail sections because of its modest geometry and snappy suspension. In this regard it leans toward the trail category.
On The Dirt
One measure of a bike's capability for me is whether I can ride moves in my normal rotation without hesitation rather than walking around. This was true for the Process DL and I was surprised at how comfortably I could handle rock faces, drops and jumps that I usually tip into on 170 or 180mm bikes, as long as I didn't need to stop abruptly at the bottom. There were times when I felt like my margin for error was smaller but I didn't have to walk anything I usually ride because of the bike.
Landing bigger moves, like drops to flat or rock faces with abrupt transitions, was another unexpected strength. The 160/150 Rockshox combo of Lyrik Ultimate fork handled one-off big hits with surprising composure. Nothing builds confidence like a soft landing when you are expecting chaos.
The Process loved the windy bits, particularly once it was mulleted. I could lean into berms aggressively (for me) and with confidence.
Twisty Bits
I have really been enjoying leaning into corners on the Process 153, particularly bermed ones. It seems like every time I saddle up I can tip it a little deeper and stay lower on the berm for a faster line. It also performs well in tight jank, a North Shore specialty. On a recent ride I found myself on a trail that suffered in our torrential fall rainstorms and what once was a spot where you could tip your shoulder and arc between a couple of trees became treacherous I found myself heading directly toward a tree on top of a drop directly to my right in the direction of the trail. On other bikes this move was almost impossible but the slightly shorter and more agile P153 gave me lots of space to execute without slowing down much at all. This ability has been accentuated since I've been riding the bike as a mullet (more on that below).
Janky sections of trail, like this tight corner between trees, were no match for the Process.
High(er) Speed Chunk
If you think about going fast on a mountain bike in absolute terms, there are few places on the North Shore that meet that standard. It's either too steep or too tight or too rough, and often all three at the same time. So when I say "high speed" I mean for-the-Shore.
When speeds increased and the trail was relatively smooth or undulating, the Process 153 was right at home, stable and solid. When things got rougher, with heavy impacts in close succession, the bike started to feel quite jittery. This was particularly pronounced on a section of trail we rode recently that has long ledges, almost like steps, that have the bike bucking up and down as the front and rear ends alternate taking the hits. I couldn't go as fast as I normally do in these situations and I wasn't sure why. I ramped up the pressure, made sure my rebound was fast enough, and added some compression for a little more composure and things got a little better but not dramatically. It was the only spot during the ride that I couldn't keep up with my buddies on longer travel bikes.
Everything looks easy on the Internet but this has been a tricky move for me in the past because of what comes next. It was a breeze on the Process.
Obviously a 150mm bike won't handle big hits with the same efficiency as one with 170mm in the rear but it wasn't single hits that were the problem, it was repeated ones. It felt a little like the rear shock was packing out some but it may simply have been overwhelmed by the barrage of forces. These were rare occurrences and I can only think of a few situations over many rides when this behaviour was exhibited but it was consistent. This was the only situation where the P153 felt like a trail bike in a negative way.
Interestingly, this behaviour became more pronounced once I installed a 27.5" rear wheel. This makes sense in terms of the rear wheel hanging up a little more because of the smaller diameter but, considering the bike is said to have more rear wheel travel in this setting, it doesn't line up as well.
While I felt pretty good about my suspension settings toward the end of this test, it's possible I missed something, and that these less-than-stellar characteristics could be improved with some different settings. I will list my pressures and clicks at the bottom.
I've been getting better at drops and gaps but they still aren't my forte. The P153 gave me lots of confidence and often had me going a little harder on lines I had ridden before.
Mulletting the Process 153
The Process has a simple flip chip adjustment that is said to preserve the geometry of the 29er and it apparently adds 5mm of travel to the rear. I can't say I noticed any more travel but I appreciated the improved agility and performance on the steeps. I also like the way mix wheel bikes tip into corners with less effort and they are also easier to tip over once you are in the corner. As I mentioned above, the only significant weakness of the performance of the P153 was when speed and large impacts merged and this characteristic became more noticeable with the smaller rear wheel. It would be interesting to try the bike with the 275 rear without changing the flip chip. It would slacken the bike out some but it might lower the BB too much and, to be fair, it rides pretty well as intended.
Here's the Process with a 275 rear wheel. If it doesn't look small, that's likely because the Goodyear Wrangler 2.6" rear tire is enormous. There is about an inch difference in diameter between the front and rear wheel like this. You'll also notice my saddle is out the back a little, despite being pushed forward on the rails. I didn't have it at full height at this point but it was close. Photo - Cam McRae
Body Position
After a few days of riding other bikes I jumped back on the P153 recently and found I wasn't as happy as I thought about my positon on the pedals and in the saddle. I had put the saddle down a little to get some extra drop during a shuttle ride and when I raised it up again this time I found myself reaching for the bars too much. The effective 76.9º seat angle is out the window when you have a lot of post showing. I measured the actual seat angle at 69º so my effective seat angle will be somewhere between that and the 76.9º that is calculated for riders whose saddle height matches handlebar height.
The bike fit me better once I put on these riser bars. Photo - Cam McRae
I also felt a little too far over the front descending, compared to other bikes I've been riding. The stack is a little short but the P153 isn't the worst offender in its category with 625mm worth. Now that bikes can be sized based on multiple body parameters, rather than just leg length, I guess it makes sense to have a stack that's on the short side but it's less than ideal for tall riders who are mostly legs like me. To compensate, I installed PNW's 50mm rise Range handlebar and the slightly shorter 32mm Loam Stem. This produced an instantaneous result. I rode identical trails on consecutive days in order to compare these changes and they were immediately felt. While climbing, I was much more comfortable without any noticeable loss in power and on the descent I attacked lines with more confidence and launched several moves I had rolled the day before. I haven't yet decided if 50mm risers are for me on every bike but in this case they were just the ticket.
A likely contributor to the sudden discomfort I was feeling before I made these adjustments was some bruised ribs. My strained intercostal muscles may have turned a position I was happy with into one that felt crappy. It's also possible that I became more aware of my unnatural position because of my slightly broken body. This seems more likely though because the bike felt better than ever after these tweaks.
There wasn't a slab or jump or chute I had to avoid because the P153 wasn't capable enough, despite the brakes. This move had an abrupt transition at the bottom which was handled easily.
Strengths
- Solid feeling build with no rattles
- Very quiet on the trail
- Versatile geometry feels at home in many situations
- Pedals well with minimal bob without climb switch engaged
- Good suspension performance
- Roomy standover accommodates riders of different sizes
- Corners beautifully
- Handles big hits like it has more than 153mm of travel
Weaknesses
- SRAM G2 brakes are suitable for trail bike territory but out-gunned on more challenging lines
- The effective seat angle looks good on paper but taller riders may find themselves too far behind the bottom bracket to effectively get power down (I was okay once I pushed the saddle forward).
- Chunk, or repeated heavy impacts, or rough and loose conditions, when paired with speed, are not the P153s strength
- I found the stack a little low and preferred the bike with a 50mm riser bar
- Rockshox Reverb Stealth seat post is limited to 200mm, overly complicated, and requires more insertion length than other posts of similar drop
Winston the poodle rating my form.
For 2025 there are two versions of the Process 153 CR DL, one with GX T-type and one with GX Eagle AXS. The less expensive version has the same fork I rode, the very capable RockShox Lyrik Ultimate RC2 Charger 2.1 DebonAir, while the pricier version comes with the more recent, RockShox Lyrik Ultimate RC2 Charger 3 DebonAir+ w/ButterCups. The top version sells for 7700 CAD/5500 USD while the slightly more modest model is priced at 7200 CAD/5000 USD. Both are very well priced, even considering this deflated market.
Suspension Settings
I often decide to start from scratch on my suspension settings part way through a test period to verify the clicks and pressures I've settled upon by that point. I decided I'd check out Kona's recommendations for my weight as well as their suggested sag percentage, but I came up empty. Maybe it's there, but if it is, I couldn't locate it. This isn't a big deal for me, but it surely could be for those less experienced with bike set up. That's one area where Kona doesn't deliver. I couldn't find any set up recommendations at all.
I found an owner's manual, which is the same for every bike in the line and seems to have been written by lawyers to prevent legal actions. It contained nothing I considered helpful, which is often the case with owner's manuals, but some companies have started to do a much better job .
In the end I settled on a little more pressure, a little more compression and a similar amount of rebound, and everything felt pretty good. My final settings on the bike, with clicks counted from fully closed are:
RockShox Lyrik Ultimate RC2 Charger 2.1 DebonAir:
69 PSI, HSC 3 out, LSC 9 out, R 11 out
RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Trunnion
172 PSI, HSC 3 out, LSC 3 out, R 8 out
This was a spot where I could have used those riser bars but I hadn't installed them yet. There was no transition from ramp to dirt and another move followed it immediately so I had to push the bike forward to try and smooth things out. Those extra 50mm would have come in handy.
Final Words
The Supreme Council might have a tough time putting a stamp on the Gen. 3 Process 153. In some ways it handles like an enduro bike, stomping big lines and landing softly, but it's not too much for lower angle trails or janky business thanks to its modest length and sensible geometry. Based on my experience on really rough and fast stuff, it may not be suited to everyone looking for an enduro beast, but that's the only situation where it wasn't up to the task. It's great in the air, beastly in corners and it devours flow trails, even technical ones with quick left to right switches and surprises to keep you on your toes.
If you are looking for an über capable trail bike that climbs well and descends like a demon, this could be your cuppa as well. Long days in the saddle will be welcome and the rewards on the descent will be super-sized.
The build seems very well sorted, with no rattles or creaks and it runs silently, which boosts confidence and ramps up the flow state.
What I'm getting to is, this is a really nice bike. I have some quibbles with the spec. But the post isn't a fatal flaw and I'm sure the brakes could be improved with some after market pads and maybe some HS2 rotors, for those who require more bite. Even the price is nice.
Well done Kona 3.0.
Height - 6'/183cm (mostly legs)
Weight - 165lbs/75kg
Inseam - 37"/94cm. (turns out I hadn't measured correctly previously)
Ape Index - 0.986
Age - 58
Trail I've been stoked on lately - Sam's Dad's Trail
Bar Width - 760mm
Preferred Reach - 485-500mm
Comments
Raymond Epstein
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The best thing you can do with a Reverb post (outside of switching to something else) is to install the Wolftooth Sustain cable conversion kit. It is surprising how well these work and make the Reverb a nearly trouble-free post. Even more surprising is that Rockshox doesn't just go this route now.
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RNAYEL
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I really enjoyed my experience with the Wolftooth Sustain, the only limitation is that it isn't compatible with the C1 post, and that's what's been spec'd on bikes for the past few years as it's been the "current" model for quite some time.
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Brian Tuulos
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Never understood the wish to ditch the hydraulic activation on the reverb. Reverbs weak point is the post guts itself. I find the hydraulic lever very consistent and smooth feeling. Bleed is super easy too. I dont ride in very low temps tho
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Lynx .
1 month, 2 weeks ago
It's actually even kind of useful if you haven't fallen for the "You need a 1x setup" schtick that the industry has got everyone believing and run a 2x with front derailleur ;-) But yeah, it's mainly that the post that sucks, need doing away like how they just vanished Avid.
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Briain
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Not just wolftooth a few companies are making cable conversion kits. But removes 90% of problems with reverbs
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finbarr
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Thanks for saying that about the Reverb. I don’t get why companies are still speccing them. They must have a warehouse full or something. Chromag specs Reverbs across the board on their builds and it has mystified me for a few years. As you say, the OneUp is cheaper and better in basically every way.
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I feel like Shimano has been more stubborn about hanging onto an idea that is both less desirable and less functional or convenient than the competition but SRAM wins this one. Of course they have hung their hat on AXS posts so providing a cable actuated option likely feels like a step backward.
Two Shimano examples are microspline - which makes their hubs incompatible with other systems because they don’t accept XD drivers, and, also with hubs, persisting with loose bearings when cartridges last longer and don’t destroy hub shells if you fail to maintain them properly. The Luddite in me loves them and I will happily rebuild them but most riders do not in my experience.
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Lynx .
1 month, 2 weeks ago
IF, big if, you can get a Shimano cup 'n' cone hub adjusted perfectly, they're beautiful, but as you say, it's a PITA and takes lots of skill/knowledge to get it - I've got an old, perfectly adjusted 26er XTR rim brake wheel and it's so beautiful and smooth, pity it's rim brake or I'd strip it out the 26" rim and build it into a nice 29er. Thing is, most won't notice the difference between that and some sealed cartridge bearings that are easy to replace and as you said, won't mean you need a new hub shell if you forget to do the minimum yearly service they require.
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Mike Kittmer
1 month, 1 week ago
Spot on. If you maintain your hubs, the higher end ball and cone stuff was brilliant.
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Lynx .
1 month, 1 week ago
I really like them and they're still making them, so would love to buy the legendary Shimano tool I've heard of which makes the job a lot easier and reliable, anyone know the name or part number etc? It really is a PITA to try to get them right, especially if you only have the wheel and not bike it'll be mounted in.
I've searched and searched, but have never been able to find it, yet have heard it mentioned many times.
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ShawMac
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I'll mention the sheer difficulty for the average consumer to figure out which Shimano parts/rebuild kits and then get your hands on them, for hub overhauls. There are no parts look up that I could find
I have an XTR hub (FH-M9010-B I think), but with an HG driver and the only instructions I could find were yours Cam, and when I open it up it is completely different than the Microspline hub you overhauled. Different seals, # of balls different... the exploded diagram looked more like an XT, so I ordered some caged bearings from Aliexpress, the only online source I could find. No dice, different diameter... I ended up just raiding balls from the new cages and plunking them in the old fashioned way.
It is working, but it was a bit frustrating.
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Lynx .
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Yeah, Shimano is absolute CRAP when it comes to after sales servicing and keeping product running. Just looking at their brakes, there's no parts available to rebuild a lever/master cylinder, only option is to find one with a broken clamp and steal the parts, same for the callipers, such a shame too as bang for buck, they're damn hard to beat.
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Ride.DMC
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I suspect that smaller bike companies like Chromag and Kona don't get to choose what parts to leave/take when they are specc'ing components. SRAM probably tells them if you want "X" number of shocks/forks/transmissions/brakes at "Y" price you are taking these Reverb Seat posts.
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Lynx .
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Great write up Cam, very thorough and informative, will be interested to hear if you do any more tweaking with the shock and/or a swap to see if that might help the repetitive hits thing. Would be curious to know the actual ESTA at your saddle height and what that height is. Kona seems to like keeping Stack not too high, most likely as you say to accommodate a wider range of riders, but if you're taller, then unless you run a higher rise bar and instead run spacers, you loose Reach.
As to the last changes you made to the cockpit, yeah, when the body's not 100%, especially in that area, you'd feel the slightest "outs" that you don't notice when the body is good and adapts to small stuff.
Curious Cam, have you ever ridden a short travel bike with the right geo on the NS or is that absolutely not your thing? For me speed is a "killer" and the extra challenge of less suspension, keeps speeds down and the challenge up, but once the geo is there, I find you can ride almost anything you can on those long travel bikes, just a slower.
To the specing of that dropper, most likely it was part of the whole drivetrain/suspension package, thrown in at a serious deal to try and help get them out of the warehouse, because as you said, royal PITA and expensive when there's loads of lower priced and better options out there.
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I have ridden a few shorter travel bikes that might now be called down country bikes. I had a blast on a Santa Cruz Tallboy, the Canyon Spectral 125 and a Kona Honzo ESD, all of which I enjoyed. And I came to similar conclusions about what is rideable.
I would generally be riding them with buddies on bigger bikes though so they weren't ideal for me. If I lived somewhere else all three would be good choices.
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BarryW
1 month, 2 weeks ago
"Kona seems to like keeping Stack not too high, most likely as you say to accommodate a wider range of riders, but if you're taller, then unless you run a higher rise bar and instead run spacers, you loose Reach."
I always find this an interesting observation, because maintaining reach while having a taller stack means a longer wheelbase. And yes it's basically never mentioned as a follow-on effect of the longer head tube. To me tuning with some spacers and a higher rise bar gives plenty of leeway to adjust stack, without wheelbase being part of that equation.
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Lynx .
1 month, 2 weeks ago
@BarryW - Except that you don't need to make the WB longer, just increase the Stack and then, like adding spacers under the stem, the Reach decreases, BUT, at least then you know the actual "true" Reach at the Stack you need instead of buying a frame with the Reach you want, only to have to add 40mm of spacers and reduce that "ideal" reach by 10mm or more, depending on the HTA.
In other words, the 483mm Reach on my XL 2018 Unit and 601mm Stack with a 20mm rise bar and 27.5mm of spacers works fine for me, but it'd be nicer if it was a 476mm Reach with 625mm Stack so I only needed say 10mm of spacers - looks so much nicer and cleaner, IMHO.
Wish I didn't hate how anything over a 20mm rise bar looks, but I do and well, it is what it is, so it's spacers and Reach loss for me.
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Trent Blucher
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I miss my old Kona 153 and this new one piqued my interest but that STA isn't gonna work for me anymore. My lower back hates climbing with slack seat angles and that one is visibly too slack which is a pity.
Glad to see Kona back up and running though, legendary brand.
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Kerry Williams
1 month, 2 weeks ago
It's good to see that Kona is still making bikes that are easy to love. I had a Process 153 back in 2016. It was the most confidence inspiring bike I have ever ridden. To the point where I broke my leg trying to find it's limits (found mine instead). I have since moved on to other lesser travel bikes, but will forever remember how much I loved that bike. Every time I think about a new bike, Kona is on the list. Maybe it's time for another? hmmm......
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Allen Lloyd
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The Reverb and brakes on this one would both need instantly replaced. As I get older my ability to ride around components that are terrible for no good reason is gone. Your experience with the brakes describes every SRAM brake I have ever touched. I have not tired Mavens, but even the strong SRAM brakes never feel like they have enough power. The way I describe it is their brakes feel like a Peep that is stale, there is a squishy ness that makes me want to vomit. I will take a wandering bite point every day over the complete lack of a bite point. (rant over)
This is one that is begging for a frame only buy and move parts over.
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FlipSide
1 month, 2 weeks ago
A build from the frame up would be my strategy too. It usually is.
If I was to buy the bike complete, I agree the G2 would get replaced right away, but I think I would keep the Reverb.
I've had a few Reverbs in the fleet (still do), as well as OneUps V2 and V3. There is no question for me that a OneUp is the way to go and I would certainly never buy a Reverb aftermarket. However, I've had good luck with my Reverbs in terms of reliability and performance in the pas 12 years. The hydraulic line is a bit of a PITA to deal with, but it's not worse than a brake line.
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I would agree with that performance assessment of the Reverb, as long as it fits in your frame. Any cold weather issues?
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FlipSide
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Good point. They do get a bit slow when it gets really cold, but IME they never stopped working.
One important disclaimer however: I am in Québec, so we only have a few weeks of cold weather in the fall season, before the trails are unrideable for several months. For the last cold rides, I generally prefer riding my hardtail, on which I never had a Reverb. As a result, I have limited cold weather experience with a Reverb.
For sure, I would never put a Reverb on a fat bike for winter use.
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Lynx .
1 month, 2 weeks ago
How cold are we talking, I've never experienced it and sometimes it can get downright chilly in certain parts of the island, might even get down to 20C in the highest place, here maybe 23C :-D Sorry, couldn't help the little dig, it's lovely when it cools down like it has now, 29C as a high feels absolutely balmy compared to the 34C+ air, feels like 40-42C days we had in Sept/Oct.
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Michał Lalik
1 month, 2 weeks ago
It's interesting that you say you're "all legs". 84 cm inseam is textbook average for 183 cm height, based on anthropometric data. Also preferred reach on a longer side confirms that you're definitely quite a bit of torso ;)
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Clearly my inseam doesn't tell the entire story - or maybe that number is wrong? If you saw me in a speedo (lucky you!) you would agree. Also, if someone my height or even taller gets on my bike they invariably lower the saddle, usually substantially, and I'm not a noob in terms of bike fit who thinks my leg should be straight at the bottom of the stroke. When I have it at my preferred pedalling height my pelvis doesn't rock side to side.
My chiropractor also recently noted that there is very little gap between my ribs and the top of my pelvis, and that was lying on my back. Sitting in a chair as I type this there is no gap at all. My arms are also a little short.
It's possible I was slapped together with spare parts.
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Kerry Williams
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Just goes to show, there's many different measurements between joints that can very from person to person. I guess that's why bikes can feel so different from person to person.
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Velocipedestrian
1 month, 2 weeks ago
There's supposed to be a gap 'twixt rib and hip? I really am the same dimensions as you.
Weird, but really handy when reading reviews.
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Lynx .
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I replied to you, but think I forgot to actually hit send and did another reply and so it didn't post.
So yeah, 6'2.25"/188.5cm, 34.25"/87cm inseam and I consider my legs long, as do most others, same thing normally happens, someone my height gets on my bike and has to use the dropper to lower the saddle because their legs are way shorter. My arms though are proportiante to my legs, think the span is actually an inch or two more than my height.
To the space between the ribs and hip, not sure what "clearance" is, but if I pinch my index and thumb together, that's about all the room I have been those 2.
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BarryW
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Except your inseam does tell the entire story actually. Lol.
It doesn't tell the story of your arm span, but it tells us exactly what your torso length is.
My guess is that a huge percentage of people (in my experience) don't run their saddle high enough to get optimal power delivery. I also have people my same height with similar inseam say my saddle is too high. But I would across the board say they all need to scootch up thir saddle a little bit for optimal pedaling.
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I just did a proper measurement. It's more like 37" actually. So I guess you are right.
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bushtrucker
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I thought the same. Seems about average. I'm 182cm (5'11.5" ha) with a 90cm (35") inseam which is pretty much the definition of all—or about half—legs. And yes my MTB's have min 3" riser bars on them. I do appreciate NSMB posting inseam numbers with reviews though. Does provide a bit of necessary context. And funny how you start to pay a bit more attention once you realise a reviewer is similarly proportioned to yaself. Still can't belived you were riding an XL ESD Cam!
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The XL ESD was actually a mistake and it was too big. I ended up on a large which fit great.
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Blofeld
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I found this review especially clear regarding the intentions of this bike and the types of terrain where it was ridden. Nice job! I feel like this bike’s category is somewhat of an echo of the SB150 which was so successful in 2019…did you ever feel the desire to overfork it? I get the impression that the rear suspension didn’t call for more capability up front, but I’m curious.
Your description of the suspension not handling the rough-and-fast chunk is exactly the way I think of a single pivot stiffening under braking. In Weaglese terms, I think this is a consequence of the anti-rise being too high. I’ve read about some creative ways to tune the front/rear suspension balance to adjust for this characteristic, but it’s something I’ve never gotten used to when riding bikes back to back.
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I'm a pretty keen over-forker and I would certainly try it if I was hanging onto the bike longer, but I didn't feel like there was a problem that 10mm more travel up front would correct.
Creative tuning would be interesting. I certainly wouldn't say the issue I perceived couldn't be improved or solved entirely. It's also such a rare condition for us that I probably didn't put as much time into solving it as I would have if I lived elsewhere.
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bullit
1 month, 2 weeks ago
RockShox Lyrik Ultimate RC2 Charger 2.1 DebonAir:
69 PSI, HSC 3 out, LSC 9 out, R 11 out
RockShox Lyrik Ultimate RC2 Charger 2.1 DebonAir
172 PSI, HSC 3 out, LSC 3 out, R 8 out
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Thanks. Cut and paste error corrected!
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RNAYEL
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The reverb and G2 brakes were likely spec'd because Kona got a good price from SRAM for a full kit build. Since Kona was already going RS fork and Sram drivetrain, it may have been cheaper to keep going Sram than switch to other brands for brakes and seatpost. Both the reverb and G2 are older models and presumably, there's inventory to clear.
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Those in the industry say they don't engage in those practices, which have been singled out as anti-competitive (thanks Lynx) and could run afoul of trade laws.
It seems certain this happens but it may not be as simple as discounts. There are other ways to sweeten a deal of this sort that don't show a lower price on paper.
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Kerry Williams
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I bet there are ways around it. The industry that I'm in, offers different types of rebates. This way, the price on paper doesn't look suspect. Sneaky, but I guarantee that all industries do this sort of thing.
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Jotegir
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Yeah, it's volume discounts rather than bundling. Bundling is anti-competitive behaviour but volume discounts are not. So they aren't supposed to say "make all these bikes SRAM only and you get a discount" but they can say "buy this many of product X for your bikes and we'll give you this discount on both product X and product Y", but the outcome is the same, because by the time you hit the volume on everything, well, you've got yourself a bundle going!
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Jotegir
1 month, 2 weeks ago
The G2's are discontinued and I wouldn't be surprised if the non-AXS Reverb was going that way as well. I'd have to assume that's where the big savings for Kona came from. That or these were sitting in a warehouse for a full season due to the... difficulties.
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Cam McRae
1 month, 2 weeks ago
That’s good info
Times are tough in the industry right now so you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. For the right rider (rather than us stuffy enthusiasts) in the right location, both of these products will do just fine.
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Jotegir
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Every decent mechanic out there has a reasonably competent guide/g2 bleed and the reason is that these brakes are everywhere and 90+% don't get replaced. Just like 7 or 8 years ago everybody had a "one beer" length Reverb line bleed.
I'm expecting the non-AXS reverb to go seeing as they're more or less universally disliked now. I get why the AXS version continues to appear on bikes and if I were SRAM that's the basket in which my eggs would be placed. I'd go so far as to say it's too late in the game to redeem the non-AXS Reverb, it had its time when there was like three other options but the reputational damage is likely irreversible without coming out with a flawless version that was priced below PNW and oneup (which won't happen).
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Briain
1 month, 2 weeks ago
I'd be amazed if there isn't a new reverb on the way. Longer travel options everywhere and a few companies also making wireless dropper to boot
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