With an azure blue Process 134 CR/DL 29 frameset as her blank canvas, Kona Ambassador and bike mechanic Diana Allen set out to build the ultimate trail slayer. “I was intent on dispelling the notion that if it’s made for everything, it’s good for nothing,” she explains. “My joy comes from riding big downhills but I’m also a mountain bike skills coach and go on a lot of group rides. I have to pedal uphill, do circles in grass fields while teaching fundamentals and ride for long periods without getting completely wasted on a monstrous long travel bike. Basically, I want to have my cake and eat it, too.” She seems to have achieved her goal with her latest creation.
Diana’s downcountry, mid-travel platform is built around Cane Creek coil suspension – an all-black 150mm Helm MKII coil sprung fork (which puts the headtube angle at a slacker than spec 65.2º) and the newly redesigned Coil IL Next Gen shock with a progressive VALT spring. Diana describes her first impressions, “I wasn’t expecting coil to feel livelier than air. With high and low speed compression and rebound damping, it’s unbelievable. The faster you go, the better it rides. The tires never leave the ground unless I want them to and when I do boost, it feels like I could send it to the moon.” Diana explains why she chose coil over air, “I’ve had a lot of different issues with air suspension over the years. I know how to service these problems but it isn’t always feasible to fix on the road. When I’m traveling for a job, I need my bike to work. Coil behaves predictably in different environments and is more reliable. I don’t mind pushing a little more weight for better performance and dependability.”
The flashy chrome cross spokes and hubs of her custom alloy Industry Nine Trail 270 32h wheels are reminiscent of a ninja star. Gold presta valves matching the gold knobs on the Cane Creek shock neatly tie the bike together. The 27mm internal rim width is a departure from running wider wheels on trail bikes. Diana points out, “I don’t need wider rims because I don’t run super wide tires. It becomes cumbersome to pedal and accelerate.” Her I9s are set up tubeless and mounted with 2.5 WTB Verdict up front and 2.4 WTB Trail Boss in the rear. “I am really liking these tires. The front sticks and the rear breaks loose when I want it to. They are sturdy and stand up well. The sidewalls don’t collapse when I press hard or corner fast. I haven’t found a need to install tire inserts even though I’m typically running low tire pressures.”
This bike may be stylish and high performance but it’s still pragmatic. A staunch believer in cable-actuated drivetrains, Diana opted for a non-AXS SRAM 12-speed GX shifter and derailleur paired with a weight saving 10-52t X01 cassette. She is quick to answer why electronic shifting isn’t her thing, “I don’t want to have to remember to charge batteries. Or remember to bring them. And I don’t want to have to link up to a phone or computer to update firmware for my bike. I’m old school, I guess.” The 155mm polished 5Dev alloy cranks and a black Endless Bike Company 32t chainring round out the drivetrain with beaucoup bling. Diana expands on why she runs shorter cranks, “I really like the quick wind-up and, of course, I deal with far fewer pedal strikes. They help my short legs spin at high RPMs. Acceleration from a standstill is so quick. I’ve gone as short as 145mm but 155-160mm seems to be my sweet spot.”
Long runs at the bike park necessitate good stopping power, which brings up the great brake debate. Diana says she prefers 4-piston Magura MT-5s. “People tend to favor the modulation of SRAM or the on/off feel of Shimano. I think Maguras are the best of both worlds. They have that quick, hard bite coupled with a good amount of modulation for precision braking.” Diana’s attention to details comes full circle with white Magura caliper rings that match the white Cane Creek VALT coil.
The rest of the cockpit includes a two-tone black and silver 50mm Industry Nine A318 stem, a polished 750mm/38mm rise ODI Flight Control alloy handlebar, and black Xtreme Lock-on grips personalized with her social media handle ‘Dianimal’. It took Diana a bit of trial and error to get the right stem length. She describes the initial problem, “I started out with a 40mm stem. It felt twitchy because I over-forked the front end. I was set-up a little too far behind my front axle and it compromised my steering and uphill handling. It’s perfect with the extra 10mm. It’s crazy what a difference a centimeter can make.”
Diana sits atop a 170mm OneUp V2 dropper post and WTB Koda saddle. While she raves about the OneUp post, she laments how droppers, in general, lack longevity. “I love droppers as a rider but hate them as a mechanic. They don’t last. The internals have to withstand a lot of forces. For the price, it often makes more sense to get a new post rather than fix the broken one. But OneUps are easily serviced and rebuilt. It’s not difficult to get the parts. I seem to be able to keep OneUp droppers running longer than any other post.” And her review of the saddle, “The Koda has been really good to me. I love it. When I read that Rebecca Rusch designed it for long gravel rides, I knew it must be comfortable.”
Follow @dianimal_mtb on Instagram for more of Diana’s bike adventures and mechanic life.
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