We might be only half way through the year, but the industry are now gearing up to release details of their 2015 range bikes, and the latest to do just that is Canadian brand Kona, with three new models coming in the new lineup.

Kona have been designing some really good bikes in the past couple of years which have gone a good way to turning the brand around. This week they’ve released a few sneak details of what to expect for their 2015 range, and most of the changes (though not all of them) are on the longer travel bikes.

“2015 represents another step for the renewed energy that began five years ago,” explains Jake Heilbron, one of Kona’s original founders. “An expanded and refocused product team has created a range of deeply detailed bikes that get at the heart of the needs of bicycle enthusiasts in a wider variety than ever before. This unrelenting drive to make the best in cycling design and technology is deeply ingrained in our entire company’s DNA now.”

Process 167

The Process range expands with the introduction of the new Process 167 (£3,999), which as you can probably guess from the name, is essentially a longer travel version of the well-received Process 153 DL. The new 167, however, sticks with 26in wheels, perhaps an odd choice considering the success they’ve made of 650b wheels on their shorter travel bikes. They say the reason for using the smaller wheels is because they didn’t feel they could get the desired geometry with 650b wheels.

“To fit 27.5-inch wheels in this frame we would have had to lengthen the chainstay, raised the bottom bracket, or reduced the travel,” says Kona.

Travel is ramped up to 167mm and utilises the RockShox Vivid Air RC2 shock. This is matched up front with a 170mm RockShox Lyrik DH fork. Expect a 65 degree head angle and 415mm chainstays, and a build kit including a 150mm KS Lev dropper post and SRAM X1 11-speed groupset.

Precept 200

Say hello to the Precept 200 , Kona’s all-new downhill bike which sits under the Operator top-level downhill bike. It’ll cost £2,399 and like the Process 167, it rolls on 26in wheels. Travel is 200mm with a 64 degree head angle and a RockShox Domain 200 triple clamp fork.

“The Precept 200 uses our proven Swinger Independent Suspension for reliably plush travel in a package that’s laterally stiff, durable and able to eat up the rough and tumble of the DH world—no questions asked,” says Kona. “Featuring very similar geometry as our proven Operator platform, dive into gravity with confidence on the new Precept 200.”

Process 134 SE

At the opposite end of the Process range is the new Process 134 SE, a 140mm travel bike using 650b wheel and offered in an XS frame size. Kona says this will cater for 5ft 4in riders quite happily.

“By adding an XS size and tuning the parts kit towards smaller, lighter riders, the all-new Process 134 SE offers fast-riding tweens (Ed: apparently this means “pre-adolescents between the ages of ten and twelve”), women and men under 5’4″ a bike specifically tailored to them,” says Kona.

The SE part of the name denotes the lighter weight kit it has been built up with, to keep the overall weight lower for the shorter rider. So there’s a RockShox Revelation RL Solo Air 140mm fork, KS Lev DX dropper post, WTB Kom wheels and a SRAM X1 groupset.

More details of the 2015 range to be available 21 July 2014 on www.konaworld.com