A short circuit, a quiet frame and a surprisingly lively first impression.
Pardus has kept me curious. Not because the internet has told me too much, but because it has told me surprisingly little.
In an age when you can find a 14-minute unboxing video for a bottle cage, discovering a bicycle with gaps in its online history feels almost rebellious. It is the cycling equivalent of telling a child to go outside and play instead of watching someone else play on YouTube.
The wait to get my hands on the bikes steadily built that curiosity to a crescendo.
This week, a large shipment of Pardus bicycles finally arrived at The Bike Affair. Never has our usual one-kilometre test circuit carried so much responsibility.
First up: the Pardus Super AL.
First-ride note. These are first impressions, not a verdict after 1,000 kilometres. I also rode a size L, although an M would fit me better. Please take the fit observations with a small pinch of salt, and perhaps a shorter stem.
Contents
- The looks: where did the logo go?
- Weight: the scale is not its best friend
- Specifications: no carbon was harmed
- The ride
- Wheels, tyres and the sound check
- Braking: mechanical, but properly mechanical
- What about the Prowheel crank?
- Final verdict: the quiet achiever
- One important sizing note
The looks: where did the logo go?
The bike I rode came in a beautifully clean white finish. Pardus has resisted the temptation to cover every available tube with oversized lettering. In fact, the downtube has no branding at all.
Initially, your eyes keep searching for something that is not there. Has someone forgotten to apply the decals? Is the branding still inside the box?
Give it a few minutes, though, and the emptiness begins to make sense. The bike looks minimal, modern and refreshingly uncluttered. The broad, thin blades of the aluminium fork also add some visual purpose to the front end.
This is not a bicycle shouting for attention from across the cafe. It is more likely to sit quietly in the corner and wait for someone to ask, "What bike is that?"
Weight: the scale is not its best friend
Our size L bike weighed approximately 10.2kg without pedals.
That is a little heavier than you might expect from a modern road bike. Weight-conscious riders may stare at the scale, look disappointed and immediately start mentally replacing components.
My suggestion: ride it before opening the carbon-wheel catalogue.
The scale tells one story. The first acceleration tells another.
Specifications: no carbon was harmed in the making of this bicycle
There is no carbon on this bike. None. Zero. Not even a small decorative piece hiding under the saddle.
| Frame and fork | AL6061-T6 aluminium |
| Groupset | Shimano 105 R7000, 11-speed shifters and derailleurs |
| Crankset | Prowheel 50/34T compact |
| Cassette and chain | Sugek 11-30T, KMC 11-speed chain |
| Brakes | Tektro MD-C310 mechanical disc, 160mm rotors |
| Wheels | Pardus PW-5 Aero aluminium, 33mm depth, 25mm width |
| Tyres | Chaoyang H-496, 700 x 28C |
| Saddle | Selle Royal |
It is a sensible build rather than a glamorous one. Nothing here is likely to start an argument in the cafe, except perhaps the freehub sound, which we will come to shortly.
The ride: endurance should describe the distance, not the reaction time
The riding position is comfortable without being unnecessarily upright. This still feels like a road bike, not a city bicycle wearing drop handlebars as part of a disguise.
The size L I rode came with a fairly long stem. That gives riders who need a shorter reach the option of fitting a shorter stem and bringing the handlebars closer. Proper frame sizing should always come first, of course; a stem is an adjustment tool, not a rescue operation.
Pardus describes the Super AL as having an endurance geometry that provides a relaxed position for beginners and long-distance riders.
You may reasonably ask why a review is quoting the manufacturer's description. I went back and read it again because the bike felt more responsive than the words "relaxed endurance bike" had led me to expect.
Comfortable road bikes are sometimes designed as if responsiveness would frighten their intended riders. You press the pedals, submit a request and wait for the acceleration committee to approve it.
The Super AL is different.
It responds willingly to rider input, accelerates smoothly and climbs better than its 10.2kg weight would suggest. It feels stable and approachable, but not dull. That combination is probably the most important thing about this bicycle.
An endurance bike should help you cover long distances comfortably. It does not have to remove all the fun on the way there.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Wheels, tyres and the all-important sound check
The lively ride is not coming from the frame alone. The PW-5 Aero wheels and 28mm Chaoyang tyres deserve some credit.
I had not ridden these Chaoyang tyres before and did not know what to expect. They turned out to have a surprisingly pleasant ride feel. They did not feel wooden, excessively stiff or like something fitted only to complete a specification sheet.
And then there is the freehub.
For riders who judge bicycles by closing their eyes and listening while the rear wheel spins, the Super AL passes the test. The freehub has a clear, noticeable sound, enough to keep the Freewheel Sound Check Police satisfied without alarming the neighbours.
Braking: mechanical, but properly mechanical
Once you have accelerated, stopping becomes a useful feature.
The bike uses Tektro MD-C310 mechanical disc brakes. These use dual-piston actuation, which means both pads move towards the rotor when the lever is pulled rather than one pad pushing the rotor against a stationary pad.
The result is quite good by mechanical-disc standards. The braking felt controlled and offered enough power for the speeds I reached during this short ride. The dual-piston design appears to make a meaningful difference.
Mechanical brakes are still not hydraulic brakes. Riders regularly tackling fast descents or riding through the monsoon should also consider the hydraulic 12-speed version of the Super AL. For predominantly flat riding in dry conditions, however, these brakes perform their job perfectly well.
What about the Prowheel crank?
The Prowheel crankset looked suitably stiff and caused no problems during the ride.
That may sound like faint praise, but a crankset doing its job without making you think about it is often a compliment. I pressed the pedals, the bicycle moved forward and nobody had to call the workshop. Success.
Final verdict: the quiet achiever
I am glad there was so little information about this bike on the internet.
Had I judged it only by its aluminium fork, mixed-brand drivetrain and 10.2kg weight, I might have formed an opinion before riding it. That would have been a mistake.
The Pardus Super AL is a proper chhupa rustam, a quiet dark horse. It is muted on the internet and almost silent on the downtube, but surprisingly expressive once the wheels start turning.
It is comfortable without being lazy, stable without feeling slow and responsive enough to keep a smile on your face. At the current launch price of ₹89,990, it makes a compelling first road bike for someone moving up from a hybrid, as well as a dependable endurance bike for fitness rides, weekend group rides and longer distances.
Highly recommended for riders willing to look beyond the weight column and judge a bicycle by how it actually rides.
View the Pardus Super AL 105 11-speed, available in five colours and sizes XXS to L.
One important sizing note
The geometry of the Pardus Super AL is different from that of the carbon Pardus Super Sport Gen2. Do not assume that the same size will fit you equally well on both bicycles.
Ride them individually, compare the positions and choose the size that suits your body and riding style. We will, of course, help you get that right. Come to our Kondapur store, or message us on WhatsApp. The full range is in Pardus.
