Gazelle is one of the leading players in the Dutch e-bike market , creating convenient city bikes with electric assistance. The company is now introducing two new versions to its Ultimate line for the North American market, the Gazelle Ultimate C8 and the Ultimate C380.
Gazelle’s bikes are not only Dutch-style, they are truly Dutch bikes, as they were designed at the company’s Dieren factory in the Netherlands. And with a 10-year warranty and an outstanding reputation for efficiency, Gazelle has gained its street cred for building bomber electric Dutch bikes, even though they are priced fairly north of today’s leading budget brands.
Gazelle Ultimate C8
One of the first new model launched by Gazelle on the North American market is the Ultimate C8.
The bike features a Dutch-style step-through frame that provides a convenient, upright seating position. The fork has a built-in headphone suspension. Gazelle calls the bike “full suspension,” but I’m not sure if the inclusion of the seat post suspension actually fulfills the classification. Either way, due to the suspended seat post, the hardtail frame can not move the entire surface of the road through the saddle and into the rider.
The Ultimate C8 also marks Gazelle’s first belt drive product on the market. The Ultimate C8 features a Gates belt drive system that feeds a Shimano Nexus 8-speed internal rear hub.
This belt drive is powered by a Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive engine with a torque of 50 Nm and a Bosch Powertube 500 Wh battery pack. As an e-bike level 1 in the US, the Ultimate C8 does not have a throttle but can achieve a maximum speed of 20 mph (32 km / h) under a pedal assist. Higher speeds are feasible, but enable the rider to make 100% of the effort until the engine has run out at its speed limit.
Gazelle provides a maximum range rating of 70 miles (112 km) for the Ultimate C8 in Eco mode, but it claims the Turbo mode is likely to offer a range of more than 30 miles (48 km).
Gazelle Ultimate C380
The second variant launched to the North American market today is the Ultimate C380.
It is mounted on the same chassis as the Ultimate C8 but substitutes the Shimano 8-speed rear hub for an Enviolo continuously variable transmission with a 380 percent stepless set of gears.
The Ultimate C380 also updates the engine to the Bosch Output Line with a torque of 65 Nm. This will provide better climbing power, but will reduce the range marginally in Turbo mode from 30 miles to 25 miles (48 km to 40 km). Eco mode also nets you the same 70 miles (112 km) of coverage, according to Gazelle.
Gazelle expects the new models to begin shipment to North American dealers next month.
Video by: Tony Smit
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