I must admit I had reservations about this bike, mainly just assuming it would be heavy.
I thought the weight would have 2 negative effects, 1 on climbing and 2 on the playfulness/popiness on the descent.
Turns out neither of these are an issue, the Lowdown's climbing position makes the thing just tear up ascents, and despite it being a "plow" on the way down, it still feels snappy and responds to pops and pull ups instantly.
Previously I owned a Transition Spire and honestly I can't believe how much better this thing is in basically all categories (apart from simply weight on paper).

To be upfront - I do work at Chromag, but I'm a pencil pusher and have very little to do with what products we make.

Had my sample Lowdown for about 6 months now, and I love the thing. It's the most planted bike I've ever ridden, plow factor is 10/10, but it'll pop and jump so easily if you ask it to. It's really predictable in the best sense of the word.

Yes, it's heavy, but heavy bikes make you fitter, so who cares?

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.

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!

As soon as I started pedaling, Lowdown felt both comfortable and efficient. I assumed a long-travel steel bike would be heavy and tough to pedal, however, the bike executed surprisingly well, even on steep and loose gravel roads and techy singletrack. I did notice some pedal bob when pushing down on the pedals, which generally translated into traction so it wasn’t all bad. Overall I was impressed with how the Chromag Lowdown performed on the way up the climbs.
Descending, the bike was supple, quiet, and lively. It felt light to maneuver and could easily be unweighted when necessary. And on faster tracks, the Lowdown accelerates quickly and its direction can be changed with ease. Riding the Lowdown reminded me of riding a hardtail but without the harshness.

The rear end is short and fits around corners nicely. When the trail gets steeper and chunkier, the Chromag Lowdown feels tall and inspires confidence. It delivers this captivating combination of stability and playfulness that more skilled riders will appreciate when linking technical sections of trail.

Overall, the Chromag Lowdown is a pleasant, quiet, and fun ride. My time on the bike was enjoyable both on the way up and down. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a playful long-travel bike or advanced riders looking to transition from an aggressive hardtail to a full suspension platform.

sofa king rad….how about a Ti version? I’m 6’5”, 230 lbs, 53 year old with a rekt af body…I don’t need more weight to lug around and the suppleness of Ti would be welcome for my chitty brittle clang banged up carcass. I had a Ti VooDoo Canzo way back in the day…it was sexy flexy…like a controlled spring…so insanely responsive. Broke a weld lofting monster hucks at the Tomahawk ORV trail south of Petosky, MI…and those durt balls didn’t warranty it…have always wanted another full squish Ti bike regardless…

Greetings, my fellow adventurers! I've recently acquired a wondrous steel machine known as the Chromag Lowdown, and let me tell you it's a sight to behold. Despite my dwarfish 5 foot 5 stature, the size small fits me like an age in hand, battling goblins.

The Lowdowns seat tube is steep, which puts me in a prime position for scaling even the most treacherous peaks, or the kitchen table to smash a roasted wild boar and some ale.

When it comes to going downhill, the slack front end comes alive, plowing through rock gardens in my path. What's more, the weight of the bike is hardly noticeable and only adds to the feeling of stability and control while slaying orcs, oh sorry I mean trails.

But the real greatest of the steel beast lies in its playful nature. It lives nothing more than to be "sent" taking on tight corners and daring maneuvers with all the grace of a filthy elf.