For 2017 Kona has continued to refine their entire Process range, and made some small but important updates to the 111. This is a bike that featured in the 2014 Dirt 100 (the year that 29ers really started taking hold for us) and had a winning formula from day one. Now Kona have slackened the head angle to 67.5 degrees and added length to the (already long) top tube, creating a more up-to-date layout than before. They’ve increased the fork’s travel to 130mm too, in line with bikes like the Transition Smuggler. These are small but important changes and ones we agree on. Refinements to a winning formula.

‘Low slung and hard hitting and durable, this all-action trail ripper is a bruiser in every sense of the word’

There’s only one model of Process 111. An aluminium frame with a one-by-eleven transmission and a choice of four size. With yet more length added to the frame dimensions we are now seeing reach figures of 475mm and 510mm for the L and XL sizes respectively.

A stubby 40mm stem is standard kit on all sizes and with an incredibly low standover height gives both manoeuvrability and good balance to this big-wheeled trail bike. The short chainstays and low bottom bracket allows the Process to be chucked around in the tight stuff. A short seat tube allow for a longer stroke dropper post (150mm plus) to be fitted if needed.