Kona Tease Aluminum Process X and Process 153 Carbon Frame
Before Kona’s Eurobike booth turned into a rave, we swung by and got a sneak preview of the incoming Kona Process 153, and the Process X Alloy. The two were in frame-only format, and Kona’s European Marketing Manager, Nico Le Carré, was fairly tight-lipped on both counts.
Regardless, aside from geometry numbers, a fair amount can be gleaned from a good gander. There’s nothing major going on with either frame; they booth retain the faux-bar linkage rocked by their predecessors, but there are some noteworthy updates worth discussing.
The 170mm (or 161mm) travel Process X has been around for some time, having been raced by Miranda Miller at the Enduro World Series back in 2020. That was a full carbon affair, boasting two chainstay length options of 435mm and 450mm. The new aluminum Process X, which is as-of-yet unreleased, loses the chainstay length adjustment in favor of the SRAM UDH which, as far as we’re aware, is incompatible with any chainstay adjustment. At least, no one has made it work yet.
Nevertheless, the new aluminum Process X is both single- and dual-crown compatible and approved, with a rubber bumper built into the frame’s top tube to prevent the risk of frame obliteration when the steerer over-rotates in a crash. A flip-chip at the rocker-seat stay interface indicates the aluminum version too will support a 29″ wheelset, or a mullet configuration.
Next up, there’s a new Kona Process 153 on the horizon, and it will boast a full carbon frame. Until now (or next year) the 153 has only been available in aluminum. In favor of SRAM UDH and Transmission-compatibility, it too lacks chainstay length adjustment, but gets a flip-chip on the rocker’s rear-most pivot; switching the orientation of this accounts for the geometry changes that occur when changing the rear wheel size.
No word on availability on either of these frames just yet. More news when we have it.
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