LONG TERMERS

Countless hours on the trails make this the ultimate test of performance as well as reliability

BEN’S KONA PROCESS 134 SUPREME

£9,999 / 29in / kon a world.com

MONTH 11: A wonky hanger forces Ben to adjust SRAM's wireless AXS gears, but the process proves a cinch

THE RIDER

BEN SMITH

Position Art editor

Mostly rides Forest of Dean

Height 5ft Sin

Weight 76kg

THE BIKE

• Limited-edition dream-build full-carbon trail bike with 134mm rear travel and 29in wheels
• 140mm-travel RockShox Pike Ultimate fork paired with Super Deluxe Ultimate shock
• SRAM XX1AXS electronic shifting and Reverb AXS electronic dropper post eliminate cables for clean looks 1
• Zipp 3Moto carbon wheels boost traction and comfort, and come with wireless pressure sensors

I always think it's a sign of a good component if you don't need to mention it during these monthly long-termer updates. Eleven months in, however, and I finally have cause to talk about the wireless SRAM AXS gears.

The XX1 AXS drivetrain fitted to the Kona is SRAM's top-end electronic groupset and until now it has performed faultlessly. The only interaction I've had with it being occasional battery charges. Over the last few rides, however, it's had me cursing electronics - the shifting has gone out of whack and caused the chain to dance around on the cassette in several of the gears.

This was odd as I hadn't crashed or even hit the mech on anything that I was aware of that could cause the mech hanger to bend. The mech even looked straight to the naked eye but just to be sure I took the Kona to my local bike shop (Ace Bicycles in Monmouth) where the alignment of the hanger was checked and found to be slightly wonky, so that explained the mis-shifting.