Gazelle has spent much of its recent e-bike development pushing its premium Ultimate platform toward faster Class 3 commuters, but now the Dutch bicycle maker is filling out the other side of the family.
The company has launched three new Class 1 versions of its Ultimate e-bike: the Ultimate T10, Ultimate C5, and Ultimate C380. All three are limited to pedal assist and are aimed more at recreational riders and everyday commuters who don’t necessarily need the higher speeds of Gazelle’s Ultimate Speed models.
And perhaps most importantly, they bring the Ultimate platform down to a slightly more approachable starting price of $3,499.
That still isn’t exactly bargain e-bike territory, but Gazelle has never really played in the race-to-the-bottom end of the market. These are Dutch-built e-bikes using Bosch drive systems, backed by a large dealer network, and designed more as long-term transportation than something that arrives in a cardboard box with a baggie of mystery bolts. Their high-end models have traditionally been a fair bit pricier, so these new figures are actually on the much more affordable end for anything nice enough to be badged a Gazelle.
All three new bikes use the same redesigned Ultimate platform and geometry found on the Class 3 Ultimate Speed models introduced earlier this year. That includes an active-but-upright riding position, wider tires, a suspension seatpost, and an air-sprung suspension fork. There’s also an internally mounted 540Wh Bosch battery, with the option to upgrade to an 800Wh battery or add Bosch’s PowerMore 250 range extender.
The bikes also get Bosch Smart System integration, either Kiox or Purion displays depending on the model, and Gazelle’s Intellimount system for mounting a smartphone to the stem. Integrated brake lights brighten automatically under deceleration in another nod to safety.
The $3,499 Ultimate T10 serves as the new entry point. It uses a Shimano CUES 10-speed drivetrain paired with Bosch’s latest Active Line Plus mid-drive motor, now producing 60 Nm of torque – 10 Nm more than before.
Spend another $500 and you get the $3,999 Ultimate C5, which is a new model for the North American market. This one swaps the conventional derailleur drivetrain for a Gates carbon belt drive and Shimano Nexus 5-speed internally geared hub. That’s a combination I generally prefer on utility-focused e-bikes: fewer greasy components hanging off the rear wheel and less maintenance to worry about.
At the top of the new Class 1 range is the $4,499 Ultimate C380. It also uses a Gates belt drive but pairs it with an Enviolo continuously variable transmission, providing stepless shifting instead of traditional gears. The C380 also gets Bosch’s Kiox display with onboard navigation.
There’s an interesting broader trend here, too. While much of the North American e-bike industry seems obsessed with adding more motor power, bigger batteries, throttles, and increasingly motorcycle-ish designs, Gazelle is effectively moving in the opposite direction.
These are still fairly sophisticated machines, but the premise is refreshingly bicycle-like: you pedal, the motor helps, and the whole thing is designed to feel like a really nice bicycle rather than a lightweight electric motorcycle pretending to be one.
The new Ultimate T10, C5, and C380 are available now through Gazelle dealers in the US and Canada.
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