GAZELLE ULTIMATE T10 HMB COMMUTER BIKE

In 1992 the Royal Dutch Gazelle brand celebrated their 100th anniversary of making bikes, and it was in the same year that the title “Royal” was awarded to them by Princess Margriet. After 127 years of bicycle production, today they now employ 350 people in their factory in Dieren, Netherlands. They make over 250,000 bikes a year. The Netherlands has a strong bicycle culture, and Gazelle is passionate about making high-quality bikes to ensure long life and many great rides. 

While Gazelle has made a non-assist version of the Gazelle for years, this is the first year they’re offering an electric-assist version. 

THE BIKE

The low step-through frame has the battery integrated into the downtube, which only improves the bike’s aesthetics. The low-step design also provides great function, as it doesn’t get in the way of stepping through the frame to mount the bike. The overall design has elegant lines, and looks and feels solidly made.

Where other Gazelle models come with an air fork, they decided to equip this bike with a spring headset, which makes the bike look cleaner, and still provides 30mm travel to make the ride feel smoother. Gazelle offers a 10-year warranty on the frame and 5 years on the fork. 

THE PARTS

Though the bars are fairly flat, they come with ergonomic grips that are actually quite comfortable. The saddle looks really flat, but even on long rides it was comfortable. The pedals are flat, with plastic outer cages that grip any kind of footwear nicely, so you can wear your nice work shoes on your commute or throw on your sneakers for a casual ride. A full chain guard keeps your pants safe from the chain.

There’s a sturdy rear rack with plenty of attachment points for straps or bungees. Full-coverage fenders keep you clean and dry, even when the street is wet. The tires have a tread that retains great grip on even slippery surfaces and have enough volume to tame some of the bumps in the road.

A 1×10 gearing setup from Shimano gives you plenty of range for even steep hills. A cafe lock is attached to the rear triangle, making it easy to quickly lock your bike when you have to run in to a store or while you’re sipping coffee at a coffee shop. It’s enough to keep someone from running away with the nearly 60-pound bike.

THE MOTOR 

The Ultimate T10 comes with a third-generation Bosch Performance Line Cruise mid-drive motor that’s set up for a Class 1 (20 mph for U.S., 15.5 mph for Europe) top speed. It offers five modes: off, Eco, Tour, Sport and Turbo. Claimed range is 20 miles for Turbo up to 65 miles for Eco. We found this…

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