Chromag Lowdown G2 Build

This is a special order product, unless noted that it is in-stock please allow additional 2-3 weeks for fulfillment time.

Contact info@smithcreekcycle.ca for confirmation on availability and colours.

The Lowdown takes everything Chromag has learned developing their full suspension line, and directs it into a long travel bruiser. They still have a penchant for 4130 steel, 29" wheels, slack head tube angles (63.5°) and steeper seat tube angles (79°), but now they've paired all of that with 170mm up front and 158mm out back.

The way they see it, they're still drawing strongly on their hardtail roots and design philosophy, they just removed one more constraint. 

Materials

As you might expect from any Chromag, The Lowdown relies firmly on a 4130 chromoly steel foundation. We believe that the ride characteristics and aesthetics for which their hardtails are known, absolutely translates to a full suspension platform.

However, a dual suspension rig provides different challenges, which is why they opted for 6066 aluminum chainstays and seatstays. Primarily for weight saving and stiffness, but the chainstay also houses bearings which is more difficult to do in steel. Using a mix of aluminum and steel helps strike the right balance of compliance and rigidity.

The rocker is made from forged aluminum due to its strength/weight ratio and ability to be machined.

Suspension Philosophy

We chose to use a 4-bar suspension layout for the Lowdown, with a main pivot located just above the bottom bracket, a seattube-mounted rocker link, and a vertically oriented, trunnion-mounted shock. We found this layout to strike a good balance of tuneability, ride quality, and elegant simplicity. A 4-bar layout offered enough tuning parameters for us to design the suspension characteristics the way we wanted them, simultaneously achieving our targets for leverage ratio, progression, anti-squat, and anti-rise.

At the same time, it keeps things simple and intuitive. With no hidden hardware, sliders, or concentric multi-link pivots, every pivot can be accessed, bolt-checked, and worked on without taking the whole bike apart.

Specs

Geometry