After weeks of overthinking geometry charts and debating between a M and M/L, I finally ordered a Chromag Lowdown frame kit in size M. At 177 cm tall with an 82 cm inseam and a 182 cm wingspan, I was particularly concerned about the relatively short top tube on the Medium. On paper, it looked like it might be too small. So why not M/L?

Coming from a Trek Slash Gen 5 Carbon in size M/L, a bike I loved for years and always felt completely at home on, I was aiming for similar geometry numbers when choosing the Lowdown. Looking at the charts, most of the key geometry figures of the Lowdown Medium were surprisingly close to my Trek. As mentioned, the only number that kept making me hesitate was the effective top tube length, which is in theory 37mm shorter due to the steeper seat angle.

However, once the bike was built (straight forward and hassle-free), all my sizing concerns disappeared within minutes. Seated, the fit felt natural immediately, and climbing comfort was excellent from the first ride. Even though I swapped all components 1:1 over from my Slash, except for dropper post.

The biggest number on paper is the weight. The steel Lowdown frame kit is roughly 1.2 kg heavier than my Trek frame. Honestly, that's something I stopped noticing almost as soon as I started riding. The steep seat angle puts you in a very centered climbing position, making the bike feel efficient and balanced on the way up. Ascending fire roads, I would compare the feeling a bit less vibrant but more consistent.

What impressed me most, however, was how playful the bike feels. Despite the additional weight, it takes very little effort to move around on the trail. Rear wheel placements happen with minimal input, and popping off trail features or pulling into jumps feels surprisingly easy and intuitive.

When the trail gets rough, the Lowdown really comes alive. Compared to my previous bike, I feel like I have more reserves when things get fast and technical. The bike remains calm (and silent) over roots, ruts and rocks, giving me noticeably more confidence. This might add up to the frame's compliance. Even paired with carbon wheels, the Lowdown still delivers that subtle but unmistakable steel-bike feel, smoothing out trail chatter and adding comfort and grip. However, so far only home turf experience with no bike park time.

Beyond the ride quality, I also appreciate the simplicity of the frame. No unnecessary complexity, just a clean, well-executed design. Ok, the cables are no more neatly hidden ;-).
The best compliment I can give the Lowdown is that it made me forget about geometry charts, weight figures, and specifications. It simply feels right!

The ordering process from Canada to Switzerland was surprisingly smooth. Shipping was fast, communication was excellent, and apart from Swiss VAT, there were no additional customs duties. The frame arrived exceptionally well packaged and protected. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the frame kit came with Rock Shox's latest generation shock. It shows that Chromag isn't cutting corners when it comes to spec choices and adds even more value to an already impressive package.

Had this frame for over a year now in a size M/L and I’m 5’11.

Just changed to Mullet and love it even more.

Coil shock would be nice for a little more support on the bigger stuff in Whis.

Bikes tough, takes shuttling and Whis park laps easily.

And overall Chromag are a dope team and will always do their best to help you out, James, J-M and Dave have been super rad over the years!

Got my new lowdown and did a simple build up after Dave helped me with the purchase. The reviews don’t lie, it tracks like crazy and descends way better than my previous more expensive carbon enduro bike. I got 3 PRs on a trail I ride often feeling like I was just cruising. It felt a bit heavier on the climbs but also super comfortable the whole time. The seat tube angle and good anti squat made it still very comfortable to climb. On the descents, yes it tracks well and eats rough stuff easily but it also pops and gets in the air easily and rips corners. Just a sick bike.

This bike is very well rounded for its numbers.
It accelerates well
It holds speed well
It climbs And descend over technical features very well.
I purchased the full 29 frame and rocker link. Would be very curious to try it in mullet!
It is intuitive to ride.
I’m 6ft 3in and I usually ride an extra large, but I sized down to the large for the slightly shorter wheelbase and reach Numbers.

It has a very smooth, comfortable ride, that steel front triangle works wonders.

Would highly recommend any Chromag bike, they are always very well-made and finished.
And their customer service is second to none.

Best bike I've ever ridden and it's not close. Smooth smooth SMOOTH and SO planted. Built like an absolute tank, but a beautiful one. Right out of the box it's whisper quiet with no taping. Did I mention it's steel?? And as company they are amazing. Great people, real riders, dealt with my very embarrassing UPS tantrum that I'll always be embarrassed about. Just amazing. Buy at least 1. Buy more if you can. Tell your friends to buy them. Did I mention they're Canadian? Like, the office is in Whistler. If they call you it says 'Whistler BC' on your ID which rhymes but will also make you feel good.

I bought a Lowdown frame with a mullet link, and built the bike up, as well as replacing the air can with a coil, with the mindset of having a "midway" bike between my trail bike, and downhill bike. Something for the shuttle bus, but also wouldn't be too bad to pedal around if the fancy took me.
FIT:
As a 185cm tall, 189cm arm-span member of the orangutan family, a Chromag Large feels just right, if a little roomy. However with a 35mm stem and 50mm rise bars, this fit becomes perfect.
ASCENDING:
Why would I make myself suffer like this? There's a Saint derailleur on there for a reason. Ask someone else.
PEDALLING:
On the link trails, the Lowdown's length is obvious, with the usual 29er boaty feeling making tight switchbacks, but this is general commentary towards all 29er enduros, and not specific to the Lowdown. Pedalling efficiency is comfortable, and the bike is happy to get up and go when you put the power down. Even with a ZEB, the front is light to lift and manoeuvre when needed.
DESCENDING:
In the sense that my downhill bike is baying for my blood every time I ride it, demanding more aggression and speed, all the whilst dragging me into deep waters before I realise the danger I'm in, the Lowdown is encouraging me to go faster in a friendly manner, and feels genuinely caring in the sense of the confidence it provides when riding at speed on flow and tech.
It's also surprisingly poppy for a longer, lower, slacker bike, jibbing and flicking feels no more demanding than when on a hardtail.
As for the feel, what you read about steel is real! With a Michelin DH casing tyre, coil, and steel frame, I feel absolutely NO VIBRATION from the rear end, and very little from the front when riding chatter - all I feel is the suspension working as intended.

The Lowdown is everything that's labelled on the tin - fun, capable, confidence inspiring, and a fast descender. I am beyond happy with my purchase. If someone had asked me to describe my perfect bike before, it would have been the bike I've been riding around for the last few days - a mulleted Chromag Lowdown.
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Big ups to Dave at Chromag HQ as well - he was a legend to deal with when making the purchase!

I was lucky enough to snap up one of the custom painted ones, and ooooweeee is this thing nice! Tad heavy, but it climbs so well it really doesn't bother me.

I've been riding the Chromag Lowdown in size M/L (I am 183 cm) for a few days now, and it's quickly become my go-to bike for conquering tough trails. Here's why I love it:

I was surprised by how well this bike climbs. Technical climbs? No problem. The slack geometry keeps the front wheel planted, and the steeper seat tube puts me in a powerful position.

Let's talk descending! This bike is a blast. It's stable and fast at speed, even on rough terrain. Also I was happy to find the Lowdown is a breeze to maintain. No fancy linkages or complicated setups. Just basic adjustments and it's ready to shred. More time on the trails!

It is a bit on the heavier side, but for me, the climbing ability and downhill confidence outweigh that.

If you're looking for a bike that rips on descents, climbs like a champ, and offers a comfortable ride, the Chromag Lowdown is incredible. It's a fantastic option for riders who want a fun and dependable companion on the trails.

I am loving this bike! Climbs great. Feels super planted on the downs.

I’ve had the lowdown for 1 year now and am very happy with it as my only bike for mountain biking.

Sizing / setup - I was worried the front end may be too long. It’s 40mm longer in reach than any previous bikes. I picked a size Large over a M/L since the cockpit length when seated is close to what I’m used to. The M/L looked like it would be cramped and the seat post too short. Knowing that people are all shapes and sizes I felt the longer reach may work for me as I sometimes consider an XL from another manufacturer may fit me better than a Large. I don’t give the reach a second thought anymore. It’s been great.

Climbing - This surprised me more than I thought. It’s not the the fastest but it is much more balanced and comfortable than I have experienced before. I have quite long legs for my height and on most size large bikes I end up sitting much further over the back wheel. This is due to other bikes being slacker in the seat tube angle department but also their actual seat tube angles being extra slack and offset forwards. This makes the effective seat tube angle at my saddle height much slacker on other bikes than the geo chart suggests. On the lowdown I am much more forward and this helps a ton. On steep climbs I don’t feel like I have to put any effort into weighting the front wheel since I’m sitting in a more balanced position. This position also makes it feel like the chain stays are longer and rear wheel traction is great without having to actively manage it. Climbing is comfortable and doesn’t drain your energy so you can put that effort into rolling those heavy casings tires up the climb instead.

Descending - This bike loves to run over everything! I am the most playful rider, I don’t pop off everything on the trail and I would say this bike matches that. It corners well but it is a long bike so you give up some of that zippy feel for more stability. It’s stability is confidence inspiring though and I find my self hopping into things I used to cautiously brake and roll into before. I do not worry about what’s on the back side of things as much because the bike will eat it up leaving me to worry about things further down the trail. It’s fun to see what the bike will eat up and I actively choose to blast over rocks and roots if it is the more direct line down the trail. There is a small amount of chain slap when things get rough but otherwise the bike is quiet. A little extra rubber tape stratiegically placed for chain slap has made my bike virtually silent.

Quality - I bought this bike because I have owned a Chromag hardtail in the past have been very impressed with the build quality. A carbon bike from an other manufacturer had me discouraged because the build quality just didn’t seem to add up to the price tag. The carbon pieces were slightly warped making assembling the rear end a chore and me questioning the alignment of the rear end. I am happy to report the full suspension Chromag feels just as well put together as their hardtails despite the added complexity. I haven’t had all of the linkage apart yet but removing and replacing the shock was very easy and everything lined up. This is a task I used to dread on the other bike. I expect the lowdown will last me many years of riding.

Overall I am very pleased with the bike and haven’t been lured by any new bike releases to try anything else. It’s a trusty companion that I know has my back wherever I end up riding.

Bought the bike because I was looking for a stable long travel fun bike for my hometrails and nearby trailparks. The Lowdown offers all this. It give me so much confidence in riding so that I could shred my hometrails faster than ever before. The frame is very well made and the color (lizard green) is very beautiful. I am 179cm with 84cm inseam lenght and bought the M/L frame and it fits perfect. The bike seems to be quite long but it goes easy around corners because theres so much space to move on the bike. I really love it. I am happy I bought it. Thanks to Chromag Bikes.

The Lowdown rips!! And don't be afraid of the longer lengths/reaches. I don't know what kind of wizardry they're cookin' up over there but this bike has totally made me re-think how reach numbers work and affect the ride. I'm 6'0" on the button, and so I really could have gone with either the M/L or the L. I opted for the L cause there was something about the cockpit on the M/L that just felt a bit too tight. It's taken some getting used to on the L, as it is a long bike, but I'm finding it's still quite poppy and playful but noticeably more stable than previous bikes I've come off of (which have been too small for me). I do wish I had more proper trail time though, on the M/L, as part of me wonders if I would have liked the playfulness of it a bit more. Who knows! Either way, the bike is super fast and fun. Highly recommend. If you're between sizes, just try to get out and try them to see what works for you best.

Thanks Chromag for making a sick bike, keep it up!

Riding the Lowdown since 4 weeks and I‘m a bit suprised of the all-round abilities. It is a do-it-all bike with a bunch of fun. Very playful, but also very capable in the gnar. I‘m 5‘6 and choosed size small, and it fits perfect. Thank you again, Dave!

Ive had this bike for almost a year now, and absolutely blown away by it. I was on another 170/160 super bike however this one is just as poppy and playful on jumps and berms but blows it out of the water on steep fast and technical terrain!
Things that surprised me.
-Tons of traction on steep and tech climbs
-Feels light underfoot
-Corners very well
-Poppy and Playful

One thing I do wish is that it was either external or internal cable routed (it's a mixture of external on the main triangle and internal on the rear triangle).

If you're on the fence just buy it, wont disappoint
Great job Chromag!

Have a M/L lowdown in Gremlin and I love it!! So much more playful than other reviews suggest. Extremely stable in the rough stuff but I have mine setup mullet and it will still hook around corners when needed.
Couldn’t be more stoked with the steel frame too