Kona's latest custom Operators and Processes

[Dibbers]

Used to ride DH in the early '00s and new bikes solve all the gripes I use to have with old geometry, they were way too short, too tall, seat angles too slack, head angles too steep. If modern geometry had been about then we would be so much quicker today.

Seat angles still look a bit slack on the Process. With the dropper up you're out over the back wheel, not where you want to be for climbing. With it down you're too far forward for DH.

 

[mk one]

Used to ride DH in the early '00s and new bikes solve all the gripes I use to have with old geometry, they were way too short, too tall, seat angles too slack, head angles too steep. If modern geometry had been about then we would be so much quicker today.

Seat angles still look a bit slack on the Process. With the dropper up you're out over the back wheel, not where you want to be for climbing. With it down you're too far forward for DH.

Strange thing to say, as at the time the geometry was modern

Absolutly nothing wrong with any of the dh bikes i have, or had. Its kind of the same as the current thought of a lot of people, that you need a 27.5 or 29 wheel bike to ride xc, like the 26 is all of a sudden no good anymore despite the fact they were fine until then and still are.

 

[Dibbers]

Re:

Not strange at all. Just because it was modern at the time doesn't mean it was right.

I never understood cutting down your handlebars in the day either. Even when risers came out they were never wide enough. 800mm is spot on now. It's only taken manufacturers 20 years to listen to customers and not shovel out what corporate marketing strategists thought would sell the most - road bike geometry with knobbly tyres and skinny bars.

I'm a big fan of 29ers. I compared my Strava times from this year's Alps trip on a 2018 Enduro coil 29er vs my last trip 10 years ago on a BigHit 26/24 wheeler and the modern bike blew the old DH specific bike out of the water, the ability to hit obstacles with speed and confidence. 26 is fine for tame trails but when it gets rough, I'd rather be on a big wheeler.

 

[mk one]

Thats true of a lot of things, it doesnt mean the older item is no longer any good. And some of which is subjective.

 

[Lacuna]

Re:

I do actually find my old 26er DH bike very difficult to ride now after so long on a my 'modern' 650b trail bike and 29 XC bike. The DH bike feels way too short now. The 160mm trail bike has made the DH bike pretty much redundant now anyway

 

[eshew]

Re:

Keep in mind, back in the day it wasn't just dh. It was dh and drops and skinnies. Less wide open fast machine built trails and more big drops with little or no transition. Wheely drops were a necessity, now you've got smooth landings.

The short reach and steep angles were decided upon as an evolution from the decade of xc focus and as a solution to north shore style riding. Uber steep natural terrain with little room to manouver and the need to pull up the front end at a moment's notice. Steep rollovers where a high bb was a necessity. Something a long long and slack bike wouldn't do well at.