Identiti P66 Comp – First ride review

A great dirt jump package

Our rating

3.5

799.99

Steve Behr

Published: July 1, 2011 at 4:00 pm

Our review
A great entry into dirt jumping and general playing about, and at an affordable price for the quality spec

Bikes made by Identiti have a long history in mountain bike dirt jumping. They’ve continued to push the development of the sport, while being great value, and the P66 Comp is no exception to this rule of thumb.

Ride & handling: Stable and confidence-inspiring; ideal for new riders

Hopping onto the P66, one thing becomes amazingly clear – the 25/10 gearing is pretty high, and as much as it does the job down at the trails, once pump tracks and BMX tracks come into the equation, things become pretty hard relatively quickly. That’s easy – and cheap – to sort out though, if dabbling in mechanics is your thing.

The cockpit is comfortable and the high-rise, 680mm-wide bar doesn’t feel out of place. The 22in top tube feels great: short enough to be able to really throw the bike in the air and put it just where you want it. The Gusset Chute brakes have enough brake hose to be able to spin the bars, which is a nice touch, and they have a good on-off feel too with plenty of power if an emergency stop is needed.

The Halo Twin Rail tyres roll super-quickly and grip is good and predictable. Plus after a good few cased jumps the Halo wheels are still running straight and true. The Maz-ADS dropouts have done their job too: the chain has been kept well tensioned and there hasn’t been any wheel movement in the dropouts, even when there’s been a massive case!

On the trails, the P66 rides like a dream, the long rear end giving plenty of stability for newer riders. Despite the bike’s somewhat heavy weight (14.6kg/ 32lb, without pedals), it feels nice and balanced in the air too. It’s confidence-inspiring, but seasoned riders who want to be spinning or spend most of their time at the pump track might find the back end a tad too long. Having said that, at speed the extra stability really is noticeable. As a jump bike that’s willing to have a go at it all, it’s pretty good.

Frame & equipment: Fully featured chassis plus quality kit for the price

The P66 frame is the same as the Identiti team riders use, so there’s no cutting corners here. It’s made from TAF chromoly steel, and has nifty features such as an integrated headset and the Maz-ADS dropout system, which means that tensioning the chain is a doddle.

A 69.5-degree head angle and 22in top tube conform to the norm, and the 16in chainstay length is longer than some, but helps to keep things stable. An air sprung Society Xeno fork provides 100mm (3.9in) of front end forgiveness. It behaves well, considering the price, and does all it needs to do for its zero-sag, big-impact-only application.

Halo’s T2 rims and Combat hubs go into the wheelset, and the rest of the bike is sorted with Gusset components, including their EXP cranks, Colt stem and Open Prison bar, and even metal-pinned plastic pedals. Gusset’s Hydro-Chute hydraulic brakes – which we love – are on there too. There’s nothing there that needs to be changed, and considering the price, the whole bike looks to be pretty awesome indeed.

This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine.

 the p66 comp is a great dirt jump package:  the p66 comp is a great dirt jump package - Steve Behr
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