Kona Process 134 CR/DL 29

Outside of the pure race-bred XC and DH machines, trying to assign genres to bikes tends to get writers and brands in trouble. What makes an “enduro” bike, if you’re not racing? What the hell is “downcountry”* anyway? Is it still gravel if it has a suspension fork? And please, “fast trail”?!

Things get even more nebulous in the middle of the range – 135-155mm bikes, often referred to as “trail” bikes. Presumably because they’re for riding on… trails? Isn’t that what all mountain biking is? What kind of boring, nondescript term is “trail”?

*or Shore-Country

On paper, the Kona Process 134 falls squarely in this Boring Bikes category; so squarely Kona calls it a “mid-travel trail bike”. It has modern geometry that would have raised eyebrows a few years ago, but nowadays it's not pushing any boundaries. It has a wireless drivetrain that would have raised eyebrows a few years ago, but nowadays it's not pushing any boundaries. Its general faux-bar layout has been used by Kona since the 90s, and the blue paint on this particular CR/DL version was referred to by folks on the trails across the gamut from “cheap looking” to “fantastic”.

So why would you shop for a Process 134 – or comparable bike from any brand – given the perceived mundane nature of these trail bikes compared to something like a Kona Process X, Santa Cruz Megatower, or genre-bending bike like a Rocky Mountain Element or Transition Spur? It's probably not going to be spectacular at anything, it's heavier than its XC brethren, it's not burly enough to get truly rowdy, and it all sounds kind of middling.

And yet despite the difficulty of marketing Boring Bikes that are Jack-of-no-trades, brands sell more bikes in this category than anything else. Why?

Frame & Geometry

This is the top of the line CR/DL, which gets you a carbon frame and comes in at 9299 CAD. Geometry numbers are right in line with industry norms for 2023, albeit with slightly shorter chainstays. There’s room for a water bottle, some rubberized frame protection to keep things running smoothly and quietly, and internal cable routing. There are multiple other builds, including alloy versions down to 3499 CAD. The Process comes in 29- and 27-inch-wheeled varieties – this is the larger option, in a size Large, which comes in dead on my preferred reach of 475mm.

Bike Spec & Components

As you’d expect from the top of the range, the CR/DL comes with a build kit that seems well thought out. Highlights include RockShox Ultimate dampers on each end, DT Swiss 350 hubs, SRAM GX AXS Drivetrain with an XO1 cassette, and SRAM G2 RSC brakes. There's a fair number of Kona house brand components aboard in the form of handlebars, grips, and saddle - all things that are often upgraded or swapped out, and they don't generally distract from the overall build so it's not a significant downside.

Often, I look at tires to try and work out what a brand really thinks the bike is for over what the web copy says – and in this case, the Maxxis EXO MaxxTerra DH-F/Dissector combination does a good job here, defining a bike that’s ok to get a bit gnarly on, but wants you to pedal up the hill; this is a tire combination I’ve been known to run in the past on personal bikes. The 200mm rotor up front and RockShox SuperDeluxe rear shock reinforce the fact that despite being a shorter travel bike, Kona wants you to have fun going down. One nice touch that may go unnoticed by many: the cassette is actually up-spec’d from the rest of the drivetrain to XO1.

Riding Impressions – Climbing

The Process 134 climbs very efficiently, my only real gripe being when things get too steep, the combination of a somewhat slack front end coupled with a short rear end gives the front end some wander. It’s a minor gripe though; this isn’t a race machine. Pedaling uphill on the 134 is comfortable with good traction and good efficiency, and although the seat tube looks quite slack, the ESTA is a reasonable 76.5 degrees. I did use the climb switch for anything less than rough, but this is more of a personal preference than necessity, and the low-ish breakaway force of the SuperDeluxe Ultimate’s switch means you’ve still got plenty of comfort when locked.

Riding Impressions – Descending

Kona says, “…the 134mm of rear travel descends like nothing you’ve ever experienced on a mid-travel trail bike. This bike is our secret weapon. It climbs lightning fast and rips downhills like a hungry cougar chasing an ill-fated deer. Sorry, deer. Your time is up."

Which to start, made me roll my eyes so far back into my head that I think they came back around the bottom. But coupled with the spec choices discussed above it shows Kona thinks the 134 should be a riot to ride, not a blasé Boring Bike. And in the terrain across a wide range of the bell curve, they’re correct. I did find the suspension a bit harsher than expected on rough, repeated hits, but there's a nice progressivity to the rear end that deals with more isolated large hits well and provides a good platform to push off and play around.

The short rear end means it's very easy to get the front end off the ground if that's your jam and it corners aggressively; given the choice I'd trade this for a bit of length and stability. But perhaps the decision made here makes sense as this isn't a purebred race machine that's after speed at all costs, and it is nimble and easy to move around on the ground or in the air.

The Three Tire Test

In an effort to find out how versatile the Process 134 could be, I did a bit of experimentation and rode with three different wheel and tire packages:

• Stock wheels and tires
• We Are One Unions with Maxxis Assegai/DHRII (Maxxgrip, EXO+)
• RaceFace NextSLs* with Maxxis Forekasters (DC, EXO)

If you've only got one bike how much can you expand the envelope, or improve performance characteristics with a wheelset change? In lieu of multiple bikes, is two-wheelsets-one-bike worth it?

It depends. I really enjoyed the Process with lightweight wheels and fast tires, you lose an expected amount of descending grip but it seems to really free the bike up on a lot of terrain, and it climbs very well. Comparatively, the MaxxGrip Assegai/DHRII combo felt like dragging a piano up the hill, and while grip and error margin improved somewhat on the descent, the fundamental geometry and suspension limitations remained.

The real takeaway, perhaps, is that Kona has done an excellent job with tire choice here - DHF for grip and confidence, Dissector for rolling resistance, and an overall package that will do well in most terrain. I'm not sure that outside of a race scenario a second wheelset is worth it, however if your riding skews towards the light/fast/XC end of the spectrum it's an upgrade the bike handles well.

*I reviewed the wheelset here, and the tire review is coming soon

Conclusions

Boring Bikes are aimed at folks who don’t have the luxury of a quiver of bikes – they need one bike to do it all. This requires compromises and in much the same way I struggled with the Santa Cruz Tallboy, I initially struggled with the Kona Process 134. It wasn’t a bike I reached for all the time, but that’s because I have a big, aggressive 170mm sled and a lightweight 120mm rocketship; I’m usually going out to ride gnarly things or pedal far and hard.

But what if – like most folks reading this – you’ve only got one bike? The Process 134 covers a lot of terrain in a way that’s fun and engaging, and although not entirely optimized for either end of the spectrum, I could be comfortable on all-day XC rides, bike park flow trails, and moderately gnarly tech as long as you're not trying to win. Yes, the 140/134mm travel Process does have its limits – high ones at that - but eventually, you run out of suspension and geometry. But until you get there, it's a playful and efficient bike that will suit the riding needs of the vast majority of folks, on the vast majority of terrain.