ebikes

Gazelle announces new electric bicycles with first belt drives for US market

Micah Toll | Oct 21 2020 - 12:47 pm PT

Gazelle is one of the major players in the Dutch e-bike market, building comfortable city bikes with electric assist. Now the company is adding two new models to its Ultimate line for the North American market, the Gazelle Ultimate C8 and Ultimate C380.

Gazelle’s bikes aren’t just Dutch-style, they’re actually Dutch bikes, as in they’re built in the company’s factory in Dieren, the Netherlands.

And with a 10-year frame warranty and an excellent reputation for quality, Gazelle has earned its street cred for building bomber electric Dutch bikes, even if they come with prices fairly north of today’s leading budget brands.

Gazelle Ultimate C8 electric bike

The first new model introduced by Gazelle to the North American market is the Ultimate C8.

The bike features a step-through Dutch-style frame that offers a comfortable, upright seating position. The fork has built-in headset suspension. Gazelle calls the bike “full-suspension,” though I’m not sure if the inclusion of seat post suspension necessarily fulfills that designation. Either way, the hardtail frame won’t transfer the entirety of the road’s surface through the saddle and into the rider, thanks to that suspended seat post.

The Ultimate C8 also marks Gazelle’s first belt drive offering in this market. The Ultimate C8 features a Gates belt drive system that feeds a Shimano Nexus 8-speed internally geared rear hub.

As Gazelle North America General Manager Ewoud van Leeuwen explained in a statement provided to Electrek:

We are thrilled to introduce our first belt drive models to the North American market; from the ease of shifting to the low-maintenance benefits of this system, we know our customers will be delighted. Combined with outstanding feature sets on the award-winning Ultimate frame design, these bikes are exceptional additions to our lineup and set the stage to continue building on our 2020 brand and sales successes.

Powering that belt drive is a Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive motor with 50 Nm of torque and a Bosch Powertube 500 Wh battery pack. As a Class 1 e-bike in the US, the Ultimate C8 doesn’t feature a throttle but can reach top speeds of 20 mph (32 km/h) under pedal assist. Higher speeds are possible, but require the rider to provide 100% of the effort once the motor cuts out at its speed limit.

Gazelle offers a maximum range rating of 70 miles (112 km) for the Ultimate C8 in Eco mode, though says that Turbo mode is likely to offer closer to 30 miles (48 km) of range.

Other components include two-piston hydraulic disc brakes, Schwalbe Energizer Plus tires, included rack and fenders, handlebar mounted front and rear LED lights and an Amsterdam lock on the rear wheel.

The Gazelle Ultimate C8 is available in three frame sizes and two colors, and the largest two sizes have compatibility for a dual battery setup. The bike’s MSRP starts at S$3,499.

Gazelle Ultimate C380

The second model introduced to the North American market today is the Ultimate C380.

It is built on the same frame as the Ultimate C8 but swaps that Shimano 8-speed rear hub for an Enviolo continuously variable transmission with stepless gear range of 380%.

I currently run this hub with a similar Gates belt drive setup on my own Priority Current e-bike, and it is an absolute pleasure to use. I can always choose the exact gear ratio I need and can easily shift at stops, which is great since I’m always forgetting to downshift.

The Ultimate C380 also upgrades the motor to the Bosch Performance Line with 65 Nm of torque. That will give better hill climbing power, but drops the range slightly in Turbo mode from 30 miles to 25 miles (48 km to 40 km). Eco mode will still net you the same 70 miles (112 km) of range, according to Gazelle.

That nicer hub and more powerful motor will cost you though, increasing the starting MSRP to $3,999.