QUICK HITS
• 153mm linkage-driven single pivot
• Full 29er or MX option (via flip-chip)
• HTA 64.5°
• STA 76.7° (effective)
• REACH 480mm (large)
WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE KONA PROCESS 153 CR/DL
Kona has several offerings of its third-generation Process 153 enduro mountain bike, each with lettering to distinguish one from the other. Our Process 153 was of the “CR/DL” variety, meaning it is a “carbon” frame and a more “deluxe” component spec. Since we got that out of the way, I will drop the “CR/DL” from here on out.
FRAME AND FEATURES | The Kona Process 153 boasts clean lines and an overall sleek look. Its frame matches its suspension design — no fussing or overcomplicating something that just works. The Process 153’s frame takes the traditional trail bike form and aesthetic many look for when buying a bike.
But that doesn’t mean Kona hasn’t added some of the amenities we look for. Cables and hoses are internally routed, with the derailleur and rear brake exiting just before the bottom bracket. While the rear brake remains externally routed along the stays, the derailleur housing dives back inside the chainstay, which eventually exits near the rear axle. However, with Kona’s incorporation of the UDH and the use of SRAM Transmission of this Process 153, there was no need to fuss with derailleur cables
The driveside chainstay is perhaps the only place Kona breaks away from “simplicity” with an asymmetrical design that puts this stay lower than the non-driveside. While the entire S–XL size range comes as a full 29er from stock, a flip-chip on the rocker allows the Process 153 to be run in an MX configuration if desired, too.
The front triangle has ample room for a large water bottle and a frame mount on the underside of the top tube. Frame protection stretches from the bottom bracket up the downtube a few inches. A shuttle guard is located at the top of the downtube to keep the frame from rubbing on tailgate pads.
SUSPENSION | Kona continues to use their tried and true linkage-driven single pivot suspension design. While single pivots may be a tad more simplistic than other designs, it is important to note that simple doesn’t equal poor performance. Up and down, the Process 153 handles terrain well. Anti-squat sits around 100% at SAG (depending on preferred SAG), and the RockShox Ultimate-level suspension performed nearly impeccably on the trail.
GEOMETRY | The geometry is well-rounded on the Kona Process 153, and was spot on for my preferences. Reach ranges from 430mm to 515mm, with a 480mm reach on our size large. That said, the bike both looked and felt shorter than its claimed reach. Chainstays stay at 435mm across all sizes, which gave our Process 153 a 1244mm wheelbase.
The HTA sits at 64.5°, and there’s a 76.7° effective STA that slackens slightly as frame size increases. Stack ranges from 615mm on a size small to 635mm on an XL, with a more moderate 625mm stack height on our size large. 345mm separates the bottom bracket from the ground, with a 30mm BB drop on sizes M–XL, and a 20mm drop on size small to go with its smaller 27.5” rear wheel.
BUILD SPECS | Two build specs are available for this Process 153 CR/DL — the Eagle Transmission (tested) and GX AXS. Aside from some suspension and drivetrain differences, the only other thing separating these two builds is roughly $400.
As I stated, the “DL” in the bike’s title refers to the Deluxe level RockShox components spec’d on the frame. This would include the 160mm RockShox Lyrik Ultimate, and the trunnion-mounted RockShox SuperDeluxe Ultimate shock to control the 153mm of travel. This Process 153 also sees a SRAM GX Eagle T-Type drivetrain.
WTB and DT Swiss handle the wheel build, with alloy KOM Trail i30 TCS hoops laced to DT 350 hubs. These wheels are wrapped in a Maxxis Assegai/DHR rubber combo. SRAM G2 brakes and 200mm SRAM Centerline rotors wrap up the major components on the Process 153.
The cockpit has a smattering of brands, including a WTB Volt saddle sitting on top of a RockShox Reverb hydraulic dropper post. The remaining components — bar, stem, grips — are Kona-branded in-house components.
Overall weight for the size Large Kona Process 153 CR/DL sat at 32.5 lbs (14.74kg).
THE DIRT
I’ve had this Kona Process 153 for the better part of the year, spanning our winter and spring/summer riding seasons. This meant steep, chunky descending, as well as bigger pedaling missions. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Process 153 handled just about everything thrown at it well.
SETUP | As is common with most bikes these days, setup was pretty easy. Aside from putting the front wheel and handlebars on the Process 153, the only other need was to bed brakes and set up the suspension. I’m familiar with the Lyrik and Super Deluxe, finding my numbers relatively quickly without too many tweaks.
CLIMBING | Despite the 153mm of rear travel, the Kona Process 153 pedaled and climbed well. Its efficiency was noticeable on mellower trails or fire roads. I imagine the sub-33 lbs weight also aided this long-legged trail bike going uphill. A moderate 625mm stack and 64.5° HTA helped strike a good balance on the ups and downs, keeping enough weight over the front without being too dramatic.
That said, the single pivot seemed to get a bit overworked on more technical climbs. On repeated, sequential moves, like going up rocks or roots, the Super Deluxe Ultimate seemed to sit in its travel a bit too much. Attempts to adjust the rear shock to get more support on climbs took away from the suppleness I loved on the descents.
Ultimately, I was not willing to sacrifice descending performances for a bit more climbing efficiency. I would much rather work a bit harder on the climbs and lean into descending.
DESCENDING | Climbing ability combined with descending prowess makes the Process 153 a standout all-arounder for those who don’t mind pedaling, but still want to get rowdy on descents. As I have come to expect, the RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate paired with the Lyrik Ultimate provided a supple yet supportive ride.
Especially in the first bit of travel, the bike tracked the ground very well, and small bump compliance was impressive. As the suspension entered the middle of the stroke, it became more supportive, protecting against any harsh bottom outs and keeping the bike lively. Soft and supple off the top and firm through the middle and end of the travel is what I (actually, I think everyone) wants from their suspension, and the Process 153 certainly delivered.
However, I ran into a couple of issues when I pointed this bike down the hill. First was a lack of stability at higher speeds, which I narrowed to two potential issues: the linkage-driven single pivot and the shorter chainstays. At higher speeds, there was some pedal feedback, which can be common with single pivots. It was somewhat unsettling through the high frequency bumps that can plague my favorite descents.
That said, 435mm stays meant I couldn’t push the Process as hard as I would have liked. Was it the single pivot or the chainstays? Perhaps a combination of both? Having ridden and reviewed the Process X with longer 440mm chainstays, I have my money on the shorter stays. Chainstays are a personal preference, and I prefer mine a bit closer to the 440 mark.
But the glaring issue on this bike was the underpowered and underwhelming SRAM G2 brakes. Whether you call them long-travel trail bikes, mini-enduros, or all-mountain bikes, something with 150mm of travel deserves good stoppers. The lackluster G2s undoubtedly held this bike back. It was difficult to even discuss the Process 153’s potential with these brakes fitted.
FINISH & VALUE | It seems like the Kona Process 153 is the tail of two stories. On the one hand, this $5400 bike has some components that fit that bill. First, the frame looks sharp and clean, which is what you would expect of a bike in this price range. Yes, Kona hasn’t jumped on the in-frame storage bandwagon yet (thankfully, I don’t really care for it), but they are on par with internal cable routing and UDH accessibility.
The suspension is phenomenal (likely what I would spec the bike with if I were a product manager), and the SRAM Transmission shifts great. I’m even a fan of the WTB/DT Swiss wheel build — it isn’t going to change your life, but it is a solid spec.
However, Kona seems to miss the mark elsewhere, especially for a bike they consider their “deluxe” (DL) build. A big bike with a $5K+ price tag needs something better than G2 brakes, for example. An argument could be made that the Process 153 is actually closer to $6000, considering you’ll need to replace the brakes.
COMPONENT REPORT
I hate to beat a dead horse (what a terrible expression), but the G2 brakes were really disappointing. I also didn’t get along with the long 175mm SRAM GX cranks. My first few rides on the Process 153 left me wondering if I was experiencing pedal bob until I realized it was just my hips dipping more than I expected.
That said, it is important to put together an appropriate timeframe for this bike, which will be purely speculative but, I think, a pretty good guess. Kona released this bike near the end of 2024, which means product managers were likely working component deals a few years prior, putting this Process 153 in the pandemic timeframe. Would Kona want to spec a 153mm all-mountain bike with SRAM G2 brakes? Probably not. Were those brakes the only option available for Kona during this timeframe? I’d put my money on ‘yes.’
The only other issue I had was with the SRAM Reverb hydraulic dropper post. Fortunately, it didn’t happen until the end of my testing time, but the post developed some squish (20mm or so) when fully extended. Giving the post a bleed helped, but the squish remained. Again, this could be a preference thing, but I’ll always take a mechanical dropper over a hydraulic one.
The Wolf’s Last Word
Kona provides a solid option for us all-mountain lovers. While this iteration missed the mark on some component specs, we are excited to see what Kona has up their sleeve for future releases of the Process 153. It is great to see a brand like Kona releasing solid options in such a tumultuous time. 
Price: $5,400
Weight: 32.5 lbs / 14.74 kg
Website: konaworld.com
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ABOUT THE WOLF
The local boy — Travis was born and raised in Bend, OR. Skateboarding consumed his life until his high school years (yes, he can still kickflip), but was replaced by mountain biking…then rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and finally back to mountain biking. After a stint in the big city, Travis returned home, trading a teaching career to be an okay mountain biker and above-average journalist. He is an outspoken 90s grunge fan, cornering poor souls in conversations about the meaning behind the lyrics of Alice In Chains’ “Would.” Most days, Travis hopes to be outside, whether that is on an early morning ride or a hike with his family (the best days include both).
Rank: Contributing Writer
Size: 5’8” / 172cm | 195lbs / 88kg
Social: @travis_reill_writes
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