Jul 23, 2026
Staff Bikes; Sam's Kona Hei Hei CR.
Words: Braden Govoni Photographs: James Wainscott
You can't be what you were
So you better start being just what you are
You can't be what you were
The time is now, it's running out, it's running out, it's running, running, running out
You can't be what you were
So you better start living the life that you're talking about
-Ian MacKaye
Sam’s relationship with mountain biking has been much like his relationship with working in bike shops. Something he loves dearly but often brings him discomfort and injury. But like most of the true loves in our lives, it is best to submit and let them consume you, even if that means your destruction.
At some point along the journey, Sam acquired a used Kona Process 111 from a customer. I’d ridden that bike myself when it had been in for service, and I was always really impressed with how it behaved. At the time, Kona was still pretty ahead of the curve when it came to geometry, progressive if you will.
When Sam passed this bike on, there was a string of several other bikes that followed that left him on the trail wanting more.
Now in 2026, Kona may not be the leader when it comes to bike design, but that’s really more a product of many other brands “catching up” to what Kona was on to years ago. So many current cross country race bikes from the biggest brands have far more in common with Sam’s venerable Process 111 than the XC bikes of that era produced by these same companies.
But that’s still talking about the past.
These days, Sam is back on a Kona. This time it’s the all-new Hei Hei. The irony is not lost that the Hei Hei is more a continuation of what the Process111 was pushing, just by another name.
In Sam’s own words:
I needed a bike to replace my Process 111, some big shoes to fill. I looked at the bigger brands first, but their options relied on flex-stays and came with price tags thousands higher. This bike has the perfect balance of confidence-inspiring suspension for aggressive descents and efficient anti-squat pedaling for long days in the saddle. This is the bike for Richmond and its neighboring mountains.
Those are some high accolades indeed.
Specs.
Frame: Kona Hei Hei CR
Fork: RockShox Pike Ultimate
Stem: Renthal Duo 40mm
Bars: Whisky No. 9 Carbon 760mm
Seatpost: TransX Dropper
Saddle: WTB Volt
Shifters: Sram Eagle 90
Derailleurs: Sram Eagle 90
Crankset: Sram XO T-type 165mm
Cassette: Sram Eagle 10-52
Chain: Sram Transmission
Brakes: Sram Motive
Wheels: WTB KOM Team / DT Swiss 370
Tires: Maxxis Dissector 2.4 / Reckon 2.4 (Cush core)
Grips: ODI Elite Pro
Pedals: Time Atac XC7
