Considering a Gazelle, Pros and Cons?

[AliciaM]

Hi! I'm considering a Gazelle T10 or an Ultimate to replace my stolen Specialized Como. I'm attracted to the multiple gears and sportier style of these bikes. I figured I would ask some Gazelle owners the following:

How do they do on hills?
Do you feel you can ride them unassisted if you want to?
How about maneuvering/lifting in and out of an apartment/elevator?

I'm looking forward to a test ride tomorrow.

 

[troehrkasse]

Gazelle makes some phenomenal bikes, they will do great on hills as well as unassisted riding. We've reviewed quite a few of them, and Court just covered the latest Ultimate C380

I got to spend some time with the Ultimate T10 in the fall of 2019, really enjoyed it and got to test it out on some super steep hills in Santa Cruz - did awesome!

Their bikes are a bit pricier but I think they're worth it if you want something high quality that will last a long time. Especially if you live near a Gazelle dealer to take advantage of their excellent warranty and service.

 

[AliciaM]

Gazelle makes some phenomenal bikes, they will do great on hills as well as unassisted riding. We've reviewed quite a few of them, and Court just covered the latest Ultimate C380

Thanks so much! I took a look at Court's fantastic review and that's what gave me a second glance at these bikes. Took a pal's Easyflow out for a spin and it wasn't quite enough bike for me in terms of gearing and torque, was a bit too upright, and the medium frame was a touch too big for me. It's a gorgeous bike, though, and well-built. I figured that the T10 is probably a bit closer to what I'm shooting for. Excited to try one out today!

 

[Steve-H]

The hills are fine but above 45Degrees the upright riding position means the bike will flip backwards. Unassisted riding is possible but I use Tour “gear/assist” as a base mode making the bike feel weightless and keep a 25-30km/hr pace. The apt question is tough; the bike is heavy and you can boost it up a few steps by lifting from low on the downtube. You will need to test in your elevator but stairs are too hard. The metal fenders make it pretty tough. I added a shockstop seat suspension so I don’t worry about riding off curbs. City and gravel use is great. I am now winter riding with studded tires and this is because of the Gazelle consideration of salt in the environment of their users.

 

[AliciaM]

That’s awesome!!! I test rode the latest Madeo mid-step today and LOVED it. I prefer the hybrid wheel thickness handling versus the fat tire. The class 3 motor in this latest version took the hills just fine, despite my being horribly out of shape. That said, I was still able to get a bit of a workout on it.

Too bad they won’t be able to get one into the shop for another two months. (Sad Trombone). I may end up with another Como for now just due to availability.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I may end up with another Como for now just due to availability.

I can't understand Alicia why you believe Gazelle is better than a Como If you need a "sportier look", consider a Vado.
P.S. You have owned a Como with the silent Specialized/Brose motor and (probably) the TCD-W display. Are you ready for a noisy Bosch motor and sub-par display of the Gazelle with no way to configure assistance levels, for instance?

 

[AliciaM]

I can't understand Alicia why you believe Gazelle is better than a Como If you need a "sportier look", consider a Vado.
P.S. You have owned a Como with the silent Specialized/Brose motor and (probably) the TCD-W display. Are you ready for a noisy Bosch motor and sub-par display of the Gazelle with no way to configure assistance levels, for instance?

It’s not a matter of better, it’s a matter of that bike being a hybrid, not a fat tire cruiser.

The Vado is my first choice. Sadly they are completely sold out and on a year long wait list everywhere in SF.

 

[Cowlitz]

I have been pleased with the quality of my Gazelle. It is not the Madeo. I have an Arroyo. I probably ride it where I shouldn't but it has held up great and I have 2000 miles on it. I ride on paved and unpaved roads and live in mountain foothills. The one thing that I seriously hate about the bike is the access to the chain. The Arroyo has a plastic chain guard on it and to clean and oil the chain without taking that off must be done through a small, access panel.

I've had the bike get rained on, been on some muddy roads, been on dusty roads, been on rocky roads, and it feels like new--except I suspect the brakes may need work as they are squealing now. The Schwalbe tires have not gone flat although the rear one now shows wear. My bike is an upright nerdy looking bike but very comfy to ride.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

It’s not a matter of better, it’s a matter of that bike being a hybrid, not a fat tire cruiser.

The Vado is my first choice. Sadly they are completely sold out and on a year long wait list everywhere in SF.

Hey Alicia,

Are you looking at the Medeo T10+? What size did you try, the 45cm?

If you're open to the class one, the C380 that just came out is a phenomenal bike too. We just got in two huge shipments of Gazelle bikes!

 

[AliciaM]

Hey Alicia,

Are you looking at the Medeo T10+? What size did you try, the 45cm?

If you're open to the class one, the C380 that just came out is a phenomenal bike too. We just got in two huge shipments of Gazelle bikes!

I tried the Medeo T10+. It’s a great bike, but I ended up going back to the Como. It’s a better motor, in my opinion, and the Gazelle would have taken 2-3 months to obtain.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

You were able to get your hands on a Como?? Sweet! Glad you're back on two wheels, rubber side down!

 

[AliciaM]

You were able to get your hands on a Como?? Sweet! Glad you're back on two wheels, rubber side down!

It’s being built, but yeah, my shop that sold me the first took pity on me and sold me their last one in stock. Lucky! The Gazelle wouldn’t have been here until March, at the earliest.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

How lucky! Make sure to post some pics of the new ride in the Vado/Como owners thread! Hopefully your insurance covered the theft?

 

[AliciaM]

How lucky! Make sure to post some pics of the new ride in the Vado/Como owners thread! Hopefully your insurance covered the theft?

I have to wait for the police report to be available before I know how much insurance will cover. My new ride will look exactly the same as my old one! Same color and everything.

 

[justjess59]

Please keep in mind the Gazelle Ultimate C380+ with Enviolo and Speed motor and 28mph top speed is being released in April in US

 

[SwiftySanders]

Hey Alicia,

Are you looking at the Medeo T10+? What size did you try, the 45cm?

If you're open to the class one, the C380 that just came out is a phenomenal bike too. We just got in two huge shipments of Gazelle bikes!

Yeah the C380 has the gates belt drive. If it was a class 3 bike I would've opted for that over the Medeo T10+. I love my Medeo T10+. It rides smoothly feels like it was built well.

 

[AliciaM]

Yeah the C380 has the gates belt drive. If it was a class 3 bike I would've opted for that over the Medeo T10+. I love my Medeo T10+. It rides smoothly feels like it was built well.

I preferred the more sportier styling of the T10, but yeah, they both rode great!

 

[SwiftySanders]

I preferred the more sportier styling of the T10, but yeah, they both rode great!

TBQH, I would love a T10+ even more with a gates belt drive. A commuter bike should be low on the maintenance IMO.

 

[Tina Butler]

Please keep in mind the Gazelle Ultimate C380+ with Enviolo and Speed motor and 28mph top speed is being released in April in US

Hi Just Jess,
The C380+ will not be available in April, but rather later in the year, as production on the bike won't begin until April. We'll make an announcement when we have a more specific timeline for in-store availability.

 

[Jens5]

The only complaint I have, is that a Medium frame T10+ is too tall. I'm 5:11, 194 lb's. Why Gazelle insisted of putting 29r's on a mid sized bike is beyond my understanding. At the very least, 650b's (27.5) would have been a better choice.