Less than two months after being saved from closure, Kona bikes has released its next generation Process trail bikes, and a whole new (or rather, old) way of distributing them.

Back in April Kona’s then owner Kent Outdoors said it wanted rid of the bike business altogether, and that meant selling or closing the famous Pacific Northwest brand. Up stepped original owners Dan Gerhard and Jake Heilbron, who bought Kona back and vowed to pause its online sales operation in favour of bike stores and dealers.

With the launch of the new Process 153 and 134, Kona is going back to its Ride Online Program – buy online, pickup from a store

Now it seems like the founders’ impact has been pretty swift, with a new, third generation Process 134 and Process 153. Gone are the ridiculous sales of 2023, where the Process was probably the greatest BOGOF in history, and instead we get normalised prices and standard, bike store distribution. And as with most of the best mountain bikes in 2024, it boasts a greater spread of sizes and mullet options too.

Process 134 and 153 need to know

• Two new Kona Process bikes, the 134 with 134mm travel, and 153 with 153mm
• Four bikes in each travel range: two full carbon with internal routing and two alloy with external
• Greater range of sizes, with M, L, XL and now a Small option for shorter riders
• Bikes come as 29ers, but there’s now an option via the flip chip to go mullet
• Konas now sold online in the US and Canada, with collection from a bike store with the Ride Online Program
• Bikes start from $1,899 (£2,199) for the entry level Process 134

Kona’s latest Process bikes come with 29er wheels, but you can mullet with the flip chip mounted on the rocker link: Mix for mullet, Match for 29er

There are two new models to choose from, the shorter travel 134 designed as a lightweight trail bike, and the 153 that’ll work for enduro or the trails. Both come as full 29ers, but with a new flip chip built into the frame the option is there to mullet the bikes and keep the same geometry. Check out the new Process 153 in Kona’s masterpiece of a marketing edit…

Process goes small

When the Gen 2 Process launched six years ago it definitely pushed the boundaries in terms of big sizing, with the largest XL developing a massive 515mm (20.3in) reach. Great if you’re a tall rider then, but with just three sizes (M, L and XL) you were stuffed if you came up short.

The new Process keeps the top end sizes and adds a Small to the mix, it’s got a 430mm (16.9in) reach, and like all the bikes in the Process ranges, a 435mm (17.1in) chainstay. What the bike doesn’t have is a particularly slack head angle, at least for 2024. Kona’s kept that in check at 65.5° – a conservative figure to judge by the Process’s peers.

We’re really pleased to see cable routing through the frame rather than the stem or headset, on carbon bikes. Alloy bikes get external routing, dropper excepted

Frame details

The carbon frame bikes use internal frame routing, while the alloy bikes all use external routing – with the exception of the dropper post – to make home servicing easier. Kona has built its seat tubes smaller too, for better standover height, and increased the length of droppers the bikes come with – 240mm on the size XL.

The bikes are also air or coil shock compatible, thanks to “revised suspension kinematics”. Kona says it has increased its small bump sensitivity while simultaneously increasing progression throughout the stroke, which means a more supple start to the suspension travel, and a firmer feel later on.

How much is that Process in the window?

Kona has paused its direct sales operations, instead in the US and Canada you can buy online and then have a bike delivered to a store. Kona says this is great for those small shops because they recieve the same margin they always have when selling a bike, but get much greater reach to customers. The top end Process 153 CR DL retails for $5499 (£5,999), there are four bikes in the range and start at $2,499 (£2,199) for the Process 153.

Kona Process 153 CR DL, complete with more space for a bottle, and gear mounts on the top tube

Process 153 details

Process 153 CR DL $5499 (£5,999)

The top bike in the range comes with a full carbon frame and of course 153mm travel. It uses RockShox suspension, with a Lyrik Ultimate RC2 fork and Super Deluxe Ultimate shock. You then get a SRAM T-Type GX AXS drivetrain, WTB KOM Trail i30 rims on DT Swiss hubs, and of course the flip chip located on the rocker link to swap from 29er to mullet.

Process 153 CR $4,499 (£5,999)

The CR bike gets the same carbon carbon fibre frame as the 153 CR DL, but the drivetrain switches to cable operated SRAM GX. There’s Fox Performance Elite suspension instead of RockShox, but the same wheel setup, complete with Maxxis Assegai and Minion tyres front and rear.

Process 153 DL $2,999 (£5,999): and Process 153 $2,499 (£5,999)

Both the 153 and 153 CL bikes use 6061 alloy rather than carbon, the entry level bike uses a brilliant budget Microshift Advent X drivetrain and RockShox Yari and Deluxe Select Plus suspension. While the 153 DL uses a blend of SRAM NX and GX for the drivetrain, and Super Deluxe Select Plus shock and Lyrik Select fork.

The 134 blurs the line between trail riding and back-country zipping

Process 134 details

Process 134 CR DL $5,499 (£5,999): and Process 134 CR $4,499 (£5,999)

Again there are four bikes in the 134 range, all develop 134mm travel on the rear, and the top two bikes, the CR DL and CR use carbon fibre frames.

The Process 134 CR DL gets RockShox suspension and a SRAM AXS T-Type drivetrain and the same wheels and tyres combo as the 153 CR DL.

Kona drops the 134 CR bike to a SRAM GX cable operated drivetrain and Fox Performance Elite suspension. The Process 134 DL $2,999 (£5,999) and 134 $1,899 (£2,199) get lower tiered SRAM and Microshift drivetrains, and RockShox suspension.

The Process 153 on home turf