Continuing to venture beyond their hardtail roots, Chromag Bikes has entered the long-travel market with the new Throwdown MTB. They’ve given this enduro/freeride bike an appropriate name as it’s meant to tackle rowdy trails. Chromag says, “We build bikes around how and where we ride,” and they ride B.C.’s steep and rough Sea-to-Sky Corridor, not to mention the Whistler Bike Park.
This aluminum-framed, 170mm travel, MX-wheeled bike prioritizes downhill performance but is said to maintain adequate pedalling efficiency and solid traction on climbs. The two very different builds show the bike is capable of long days on technical trails, or morphing into a DH/ bike park-shredding machine. A frame-only option is also available for custom builds.
Chromag Throwdown – Frame Features
The new Throwdown features the first adult full suspension frame Chromag has made from premium 6066 aluminum. Constructed with durability in mind, it is built with hydroformed tubesets, strong forged connections, and robust pivot junctions. Chromag says aluminum was the best option to make the Throwdown frame strong enough without getting excessively heavy.
This bike offers 170 mm of rear travel, controlled by a rocker-driven Horst-link suspension linkage. Up front, the enduro and park builds offer either a 170mm single-crown or a 190mm dual-crown fork, respectively. If you wish to run a 180mm single-crown fork on this frame, it can handle that, too.
The Throwdown is meant to be a rowdy bike, and Chromag opted for a mixed-wheel configuration to match. They chose the 27.5” rear to allow for more suspension travel within a compact frame design, and to help keep it maneuverable. They also like the MX setup’s added rear wheel clearance, especially for riders on smaller frame sizes. The Throwdown will not accommodate a 29” rear wheel.
While the Throwdown will definitely be a capable bike on descents, Chromag tells us they made sure it climbs well, too. Balanced geometry and a supportive linkage maintain uphill prowess, making the Throwdown (in Chromag’s words) “an unexpectedly capable all-day partner.”
Fitments and Finishing Touches
The Throwdown frame features mostly external cable routing, except where the derailleur cable runs internally through the chainstay.
The frame features a Boost 148mm rear axle, 73mm threaded BB with ISCG mounts, SRAM UDH-compatible dropouts, and a 180mm brake post mount. Most 2.5” wide tires should fit with ample mud clearance, and front chainrings can go up to 34t.
A chainstay protector prevents noise and paint damage, and the frame includes a water bottle mount on the down tube and an accessory mount on the underside of the top tube.
The Throwdown fits 31.6mm seatposts. On the enduro-ready build, dropper post travel increases by frame size: 150mm/Small, 180mm/Medium, 210mm/Medium-Large and Large, and 240mm/XL.
Suspension
The Throwdown’s suspension kinematics are tuned to offer predictable handling. Chromag says the suspension is soft in its initial stroke, supportive in the mid-stroke, and progressive towards the end to handle harsh impacts and big landings. The Throwdown has an overall progression rate of 30%, which ensures usable suspension travel and balances the linkage’s varying duties like small bump compliance and bottom-out resistance. Its suspension curve is quite linear, but Chromag says this linkage does work well with air or coil shocks.
Chromag has tuned the Throwdown’s anti-squat so it reduces as you move through the bike’s travel, minimizing pedal feedback. As for climbing, the bike’s tune allows the rear end to remain fairly active, so it holds reliable traction over rough terrain without giving up much efficiency. Anti-rise remains consistent through the travel, keeping the rear wheel planted through powerful pedalling efforts and under braking.
Geometry
Check out the chart above for all the numbers, but here are some key geometry figures. The Throwdown’s head tube angle is fixed at 63.5°, and the effective seat tube angle is 78°. Reach numbers range from 445mm (Small) to 525mm (XL), and I like how Chromag offers a Medium and a M/L size, catering to riders in a common height range. Realistically, the M/L is similar to most other brands’ size Large, and the XL is probably closer to a XXL.
There are two different chainstay lengths across the frame sizes: Small – M/L frames have 435mm stays, while Large and XL frames grow to 442mm. BB drop is 22mm across the board, but Stack and Standover heights vary a fair bit from size to size.
Model Lineup
The Throwdown will be offered in two complete builds and as a frame only. The builds are quite different, with the Park model featuring a DH fork, a 7-speed DH drivetrain, and a fixed seatpost. The Eagle 90 build is the enduro option, equipped with trail-friendly components like a single crown fork, a 1×12 drivetrain, and a dropper post. While they’ve provided several of their own top-notch parts, Chromag didn’t get too fancy otherwise with super high-end components, so both builds stay within an attainable price range.
Check out Chromag’s website for full build specs, but here’s a quick rundown of key components:
Eagle 90 Build: $5,250
The Throwdown Eagle 90 runs a RockShox Zeb Select+ 170mm fork and a Vivid Ultimate rear shock. Of course, it features SRAM’s Eagle 90 Transmission drivetrain and the powerful Maven Bronze brakes. This enduro-focused model gets a OneUp Components V3 dropper post. Drawing from their well-established component line, Chromag supplies their own BA30 V2 wheelset, plus the handlebars, stem, saddle, and grips. Maxxis rounds out the build, providing their trusty Minion DHF/DHR treads with DoubleDown casings.
Park Build: $4,650
The Throwdown Park build is quite a different beast, fully focused on downhill riding. The first big difference is the dual-crown RockShox Boxxer Select DH fork, offering 190mm of travel. Out back is a Vivid Ultimate rear shock. The Park model runs a SRAM GX DH 7-speed drivetrain, SRAM Descendant cranks, and powerful Maven Bronze brakes. This model also rides on Chromag’s BA30 V2 wheelset and is appointed with their handlebars, stem, seat, grips, and fixed seatpost. This build gets Maxxis’ aggressive Assegai/Minion DHR tire combo with DH casings.
Frame: $2,750
For those who want a custom build, the Throwdown frame comes with a RockShox Vivid Ultimate 205x65mm rear shock.
The Throwdown frame is available in four colors: Raw, Black Sand, Dexter, or Dust. Check out Chromag’s website for full details on the new Throwdown.
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