Not sure on the command post but I probably wont mess with it. On paper I was looking at a $3000 budget. Kona Process, Trek Remedy, Santa Cruz Heckler, Yeti SB-75, and Ibis Mojo SL-R.
Before the demo the Trek and Kona were already at the top of the list and since I found out I could demo both in one day the other bikes fell further down the list. Rode the Kona first and a few things popped into my head being that it was my first time on 27.5 and full suspension.
I heard good things about the Kona and its playfulness but I felt like the bike only worked with you if you were sitting way back. If you got over the front end it wasn't happy. Secondly the Kona felt a bit twitchy and I wasn't impressed with the rockshox suspension. I know the suspension was not set up perfectly but on small pedaly whoops it would bounce around like a Cadillac. Rode about 14 miles total on the Kona and swapped it for the Remedy and I could tell right away it fit me much better than the Kona.
The Remedy felt like more of a climber, it also felt more comfortable, a bit more forward in the cockpit. The Fox suspension was a lot better than the rockshox and the CTD is really nice. I left both the front and rear in trail for a bit and flipped them to descent for a few sections. I like how the descent mode gives good plushy feel while the trail mode makes it climb like a hardtail but with a little bit of give so your teeth don't fall out. When I got to the downhill the deal was sealed.
The bike was fast, confident, and felt like it could hold its line much better than the Kona. The Kona wanted to wander and would jump around too easy but the Trek stayed solid.
I could see a more experienced rider liking the Kona for the playfulness and flickability I keep hearing about (however the rear end on the Kona felt incredibly heavy) but for me and my riding style the Trek was leaps and bounds ahead of the Kona. 100$ cheaper with a better componant spec was also a plus.
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