Identiti have emerged from the sea of hardcore hardtails with a bike that defines the breed of core steel frames - the 666. It's available in a variety of guises, each designed to suit specific riding styles, and there are models available for a variety of budgets. We've put the singlespeed 666R SS through its paces...
The frame
The frame material is first rate; the 666R frame is made from Reynolds 853 steel tubing - super strong but without too much of a weight penalty. The rear end is burly and it features ADS (Adjustable Dropout System) dropouts so you can swap between 26 and 24in wheels.
The detail
The Gusset components are perfect for this sort of bike. King of the crop are the 4130 chromoly steel Pigmy cranks together with a 32-tooth R Series chainwheel and grippy Slim Jim Pedals. Add the Gusset Lil' Saddle, SOD stem, Open Prison-R bar and Bastard grips and you've got the perfect blend of style and performance.
A White Bros DT1.2 Dirt Trail fork with a 20mm through-axle does a great job of handling the landings, and tough Halo SAS wheels spin on fast-rolling Halo Twin Rail dual-compound tyres - perfect for dry summer trails.
The ride
There's no questioning the pedigree of the 666R SS. This is a bike that has undergone hours of design and testing by some of the UK's hardest riding dirt jumpers. Consequently, when ridden for dirt jumping, it's pretty much peerless. The cockpit layout is clean with plenty of scope for tricks involving barspins and, thanks to its sorted weight distribution, it's stable enough in the air to encourage you to try harder when learning new tricks. The same is true on terra firma, although if it's wet you might want to change the Twin Rail tyres - they have an inverted tread design, which means they're smooth rolling and rocketfast in the dry but unpredictable in damp conditions.
The 666R SS is a hardcore dirt bike that hits the 'zone' with a mix of good geometry, spec and a certain something you can't quite put your finger on... Props to Identiti for listening to riders at the same time as delivering their own creativity.
