This thing has become some weird sort of white whale to me. However, I did end up finding one to maybe buy... But the problem is I'm still not sure what the hhhell this bike is. Generally a mash up of the XC hei hei and the famous Process line, but that flex stay is what really throws me off. At 140mm travel.
And the worst part is it seems like practically NO ONE owned them and even less people reviewed them be it official media or average joe. So you're my final hope vital forums.
140/140. 68 degree front end. Massive head tube that generates some healthy stack for a fairly contemporary reach ratio. Slightly longer seat tube generating a not-quite-Process-like standover, but still by no means an XC bike. BB height is low for a Kona, and quite low for 140mm travel... But not dangerously so.
But the flex stay. I mean I'm looking at a carbon model so it's a little more plausible. Kinda crazy they did an alloy one that still used flex stay at 140mm?? Was this ever a problem or point of contention with this bike? Sure it won't feel plush or controlled but it would still be used as more of a trail bike / jib bike. I think if anything my concern is being 200 pounds and driving an old carbon flex stay at 140mm travel. Is that just NOT a good idea as a purchase?
Naturally would be weighing this up against options like a 2019 5010 (130/130 vpp) but it's hard to get SC owners to part with those things. Just saw this great deal on a Hei Hei Trail but feel like it's a trap... Confusing bike.
That is the CR/DL trail 27.5 bike. iirc, that particular one was a 2018. I had a 2018 carbon version that was my XC race bike back then. the 29r version was 100r/120f and was moderately progressive for the time, it honestly rode like an xc version of the process 111. The 29 version used a strange shock size of which I can't remember (it was standard eyelet on the 29 version, not trunnion)... but it had a propensity to break/bend upper rocker link bolts and side loaded the shocks enough to smoke them pretty fast. The derailleur hangers for this era of kona were TERRIBLE and I would go through a handful of them per year. I actually had a sutra of this era as well, and I would smoke derailleur hangers in a single ride... eventually leading to me selling the bike despite loving everything else about it.
I digress, the flex stay setup on the 29r version was well ahead of it's time, more relatable to the way the flex stays on the spur feel. The bike was quite springy, but it really lead to an energetic feel and you could pop this thing off of lips like you wouldn't believe. Hard enough for me to snap 1 rear triangle and 1 front triangle. I am leery of a 140mm version of that same flex stay suspension as the 29 version loaded the flex stays at or near bottom out of the shock and had a lot of spring back. Kona was slightly notorious for not being overly sophisticated in this era and yolo'ing some things that should not have been yolo'd... so, not sure what they did with this bike.
If you're looking for MX ready/capable bikes for cheap that are analogous to the 5010, then check out the 2022 Giant Trance X (27.5 alloy version) or the 2022 Giant Trance X 29 (advanced or alloy). The 27.5 version of the 22 trance X, was a truly amazing bike and one hell of a sleeper. It was an amazing bike with arguably better geo then the 5010 of the era and depending on your preferences, the current one too. The only complaint was that they were lacking in stack, so it was best to size up to accommodate the reach you would lose with spacers, but they also had a bit too long of a seat tube (most of us were buying the XL and cutting the seat tube down btw). A few of us were buying the 27.5 bike for under 1,300 (at cost) and converting them to MX (under fork it from 160 down to 140-150) or keeping them jib bikes. Insane value and they jumped so fricking well that they were an absolute hoot at summit. The trance x 29 of this same era is also a great bike to mullet convert as it has a flip chip that can actually correct for geo. You can get these frames for 500 second hand and full bikes for under 1,300-1,500 with top tier builds. The 27.5 bike was such a sleeper that they can be hard to find. The path sold boat loads of them during the pandemic availability crisis, so in socal they are readily available and pop up often.
Oof, well that probably settles that. I figured riding a bit harder on that overall linkage design might cause long term issue. And that would be with a brand new one, not whatever old clapped out one is found on facebook.
Isn't there a website that basically manufactures for hangers of nearly any bike no matter the age? Or do they actually just sell old stock and don't have guarantees on having every hanger? Thought I saw that somewhere.
Yeah the second I see a rad 5010 it is scooped up well before I can even start haggling for it like the poor I am. I also heard the alloys of that era were dicey and potentially best avoided. And for my weight I try to heed any caution that gets rolled around the rumor mill.
I feel like I'll end up just buying the cheapest Process 134 I can find and make it single speed and sloped.
This is after me foolishly inquiring with the Canadian distributor how much getting a Dartmoor Jibbird into the US would be. Once the number passed 10k CAD I was out, and he wasn't even done counting all the various tariffs and fees yet 😂
Wheels manufacturing is the defacto source for old derailleur hangers. People talk shit on sram, but I remember the times where each LBS had a wall of derailleur hangers and a lot of brands had some truly terrible hanger designs. I digress, the wheels mfg version of the kona hanger was slightly better, but still would twist/break very fast. I imagine that there will be a time soon where finding derailleur hangers for these niche bikes will not be possible. If Wheels MFG stops making hangers, or goes out of business... there's going to be a lot of junk bikes.
Double oof. Out of stock for Trail DL. I'm assuming the CR DL and Trail DL hanger of that era is the same one for this bike. And I'm assuming if it's out of stock they don't intend to do production runs of a hanger nobody is buying? Unless their business model can accept one offs, maybe at higher cost. Welp. Bummer.
Hanger for much older process 134 is in stock so... I guess that tells you about all ya need to know 😕
On top of the fact almost no shot I find a second hei hei to siphon parts from. Whereas with a 5010, illogical as it could be, you'd likely find bikes/frames to cannibalize for quite a while. In a worst case scenario.
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