Ninety One is an Indian Bicycle brand. Their range includes MTB and City Bicycles for Men, Women and Children. This fairly new entrant to the Indian Bicycle market has come out with an extensive range of Bicycles. From their MTB range we got the opportunity to test ride the Ninety One Panther 29T and here is what we thought.
Weight: 17.8 kgs
Usage: Leisure/Trails
The Ninety One Panther 29T is built around a Steel frame. This Steel frame has a conventional frame geometry which was comfortable to ride. This frame was capable of taking in vibrations of the surface on rough trails and urban roads.
This hardtail MTB comes with a Zoom front suspension fork with a working travel of 80mm. This travel was smooth in working during the test ride and helped tackle bad roads and flat trails.
The Panther 29T from Ninety One which I test rode came with Black as the primary colour with Blue as the secondary colour for the graphics and text. The matte finish paint job was top notch in quality. The Blue suspension fork was a nice touch and the colour coded Saddle with a bold ‘91’ text is definitely eye catching.
The Ninety One Panther 29T comes equipped with Shimano Tourney TY500 at the front and rear as derailleurs. These are entry-level gearing components in Shimano’s MTB hierarchy and they performed to their limits during the test ride. On rough urban roads and flat trails, these derailleurs were ideal for quick and short gear changes. The EZFire 21-Speed Shimano trigger shifters were easy to use and in easy reach from the handlebar grips.
This MTB’s stopping power is handled by a pair of JAK Mechanical Disc brakes at the front and rear. These brakes were powerful, safe and balanced on rough and smooth roads. Both interval and jamming of brakes felt in control when used during the test ride.
The Alloy handlebar on this Bicycle was both comfortable and wide enough with a raise from the middle to give the rider an open chested riding posture.
The DSI 29” x 2.2” MTB tires on the Ninety One Panther were heavily treaded which helps to generate a lot of traction on rough surfaces. The 29” circumference made it easy to ride over rough trails and urban roads. The stock saddle was wide and had enough cushioning to keep the rider comfortable on bumpy rides.
Overall Rating
This Hardtail MTB is built on a strong Steel frame with a comfortable riding posture. The 21-Speed Shimano Tourney derailleurs were smooth in shifting. The JAK Mechanical Disc brakes were powerful and quick. Priced at Rs.20,999 (as on 11th February 2021) the Ninety One Panther 29T is an ideal choice for anyone looking to buy a Bicycle for leisure trail rides and urban fitness rides.
Prices and Specifications/Components are subject to change by the brand, without due notice.