Gazelle Ultimate C380+ or Ride1Up Prodigy V2 CVT (belt)?

[Tyler S]

Help! Was all set to buy a Ride1Up Prodigy V2 CVT (https://ride1up.com/product/prodigy-v2/) for $2700 and then just saw that Gazelle has the 380+ on sale for $3500. So - is it worth the extra cash for the Gazelle?

My bike is my primary commute vehicle for a 14 mile round trip in Washington DC year round. From what I can tell benefit of Gazelle would be possibility to add a second battery, LBS would work on it (not a dealbreaker for me), and what else? Which should I get?

 

[Tyler S]

Help! Was all set to buy a Ride1Up Prodigy V2 CVT (https://ride1up.com/product/prodigy-v2/) for $2700 and then just saw that Gazelle has the 380+ on sale for $3500. So - is it worth the extra cash for the Gazelle?

My bike is my primary commute vehicle for a 14 mile round trip in Washington DC year round. From what I can tell benefit of Gazelle would be possibility to add a second battery, LBS would work on it (not a dealbreaker for me), and what else? Which should I get?

Sorry, Gazelle is here: https://www.gazellebikes.com/en-us/gazelle-ultimate-c380plus-hmb

 

[Slaphappygamer]

Wow. Tough call. Since price is a huge factor, for me, I would go with the prodigy. I’m not a fan of being handcuffed by proprietary systems, so any Bosch bike would be a “no”, for me. Though, I’m not sure how locked down a brose system would be. There are users that like the Bosch system. I’m sure it’s great. It’s just not for me.

Both bikes come in similar frame sizes, the Gazelle more so. Similar battery as well. Seems like your commute isn’t so long that you would need a second battery. I’m not sure where gazelle gets their “up to 100mi” range, so thats a red flag for me. The prodigy is listed as having 90nm of torque and the gazelle is 85nm. Not sure if that is a difference you will notice.

 

[Tyler S]

Yeah I am definitely leaning toward the Prodigy. Like the light blue/green color as well. I think the Gazelle is cheekily referring to if you get a second battery added, which is another grand I think. Anyway, very much appreciate your thoughts, thanks!

 

[CincyKid]

I looked at both of those bikes because of the mid-drive motor and carbon drive belt. Went with the Zen Photon Pro. Some great write-ups in the Zen forum on this site about the motor, battery (UL certified) with 1040 watt hours.

 

[AvalancheRun]

The Brose system is one of the quietest, Bosch Speed is one of the loudest systems. You should probably try a Specialized Vado 4.0 as well. It uses a very similar Brose motor to the Ride1Up. You'll get local support with it like the Gazelle. That C380+ is a 2021 model, fwiw, using the prior gen e-bike motor system. I like that the Prodigy and Vado use a wider tire. It really helps with comfort.

 

[Tyler S]

The Brose system is one of the quietest, Bosch Speed is one of the loudest systems. You should probably try a Specialized Vado 4.0 as well. It uses a very similar Brose motor to the Ride1Up. You'll get local support with it like the Gazelle. That C380+ is a 2021 model, fwiw, using the prior gen e-bike motor system. I like that the Prodigy and Vado use a wider tire. It really helps with comfort.

Good stuff, thanks! Had that suspicion about the motor but hadn’t seen it in black and white on the noise, appreciate it! Am also vaguely looking at a used specialized turbo 5.0 igh for $3700 but it’s got over 2k miles on it…and we all like new things, eh?

 

[Tyler S]

I looked at both of those bikes because of the mid-drive motor and carbon drive belt. Went with the Zen Photon Pro. Some great write-ups in the Zen forum on this site about the motor, battery (UL certified) with 1040 watt hours.

Thanks appreciate it. I know the Zen owner is on here a lot and a lot of people on here buy them, I’m just a bit skeptical as it seems on the high end of kickstarter-y…just a spidey sense feeling I guess…

 

[BINY]

I recently went through a similar decision process for a similar distance commute and ended up going with the Gazelle.
I tried the Prodigy V2, Specialized Vado 4 and the Gazelle C380+
All three are great bikes, but I felt for commuting on pavement, the Gazelle was the best option.
The Vado was nice, but I really wanted an IGH.
The Prodigy V2 also nice, but it felt a little sluggish to me without the electric assist. This probably isn't an issue for most people, but I like to mix in and out of assist, and the Gazelle just rides better without it. I'm guessing it has to do with the tires. The Prodigy has wider knobby tires where as the Gazelle's are smoother and more narrow. So while the Prodigy is more versatile for light trail riding, etc, it isn't quite as efficient on the road.
As noted, the Brose motor is definitely quieter than the Bosch.
I found the Gazelle on clearance on Upway which made the price of all 3 choices about the same. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the options.

 

[Tyler S]

Fantastic input! Thanks much I really appreciate it and it’s super helpful! And have you been happy with the gazelle? How many miles have you put on it?

 

[AvalancheRun]

Good stuff, thanks! Had that suspicion about the motor but hadn’t seen it in black and white on the noise, appreciate it! Am also vaguely looking at a used specialized turbo 5.0 igh for $3700 but it’s got over 2k miles on it…and we all like new things, eh?

I think $2500-3000 is a more fair price for that bike. I doubt they're getting near $3700. The secondary e-bike market is very weak.

It's a magical combination of components though. 90 nm Brose motor and the Automatiq is so seamless. Can be set to automatically shift by cadence, or there is a bluetooth control that can change 9 virtual gears. There are some reliability issues with the Automatiq.

In DC you should be able to test these bikes pretty easily. I've had better luck going through Specialized dealers versus direct to the company. Also own a Gazelle C380. Different flavors of the same concept.

 

[Rexlion]

A couple months ago I test rode a Tenways Ago T with the Enviolo, and maybe it was just me but I didn't like the Enviolo. Surprised me because I thought it would be the bee's knees. I have a R1Up LMTD which has been a nice bike, and I'm confident the Prodigy is nice, too.

 

[AvalancheRun]

and maybe it was just me but I didn't like the Enviolo

+1 to this. It's really nice to be able to select the "perfect" gear, but the gearing on these is not great for hills, and I've found the twist motion to be an ergonomic problem.

 

[Tyler S]

I hear ya - will try to test ride some as the belt drive and ugh is really appealing for about a million different reasons…

 

[Blue80]

I hear ya - will try to test ride some as the belt drive and ugh is really appealing for about a million different reasons…

You might also consider the Priority Current which is another bike in that class. It is an especially good deal if purchased through Costco. King Electric Bikes in Foggy Bottom have a few demos that you can test ride or even purchase at a discount:

Priority Current - DISCOUNTED FLOOR MODELS

These incredible e-bikes normally retail for $3,299 brand new but we have some barely used floor models we need to get out the door! Our available stock has some miles from demo rides and minor blemishes, but they are all in perfect working order. Plus, everything is backed with our 1 year of...

www.kingmicromobility.com

 

[Doggyman1202]

I did a group ride on my Current over Labor Day weekend, and was impressed with the Serial 1 Harley-Davidson one guy was riding. Nice looking bike with belt drive and the Enviolo "Automatiq" I believe. I did not ride it myself, but he was very happy with it, so worth tossing into the suggestion box.