By The Takeaway: The Gazelle Ultimate T10+ HMB is a mid-upright speed bike that craves variety—it’s for getting places quickly but also revels in mild off-road adventures.
- Internally routed cables and wires, dynamo-powered lighting, and a battery neatly integrated into the down tube all make for a sleek-looking ride.
- An SR Suntour fork with 80mm of suspension and a lockout provides a little extra bump absorption when you need it.
- The small rear rack has a built-in bungee that lets you secure cargo without having to search for something to tie it down with.
Price: $3,999
Weight: 59 lb. (53cm)
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What do you do when you get tipped off to a hidden path that cuts through a field past a vacant farmhouse in your very own neighborhood, climbs to the base of a power line that offers sweeping views of the city, then cruises along a ridgeline before descending a rutted washout that spits out onto another deserted property filled with 1800s farmhouses, barns, and other outbuildings, some of which aren’t locked and are filled with lots of cool stuff—like a racked pool table that hasn’t been touched in years and an indoor basketball court still intact? You check it out, of course.
To get there by car is not an option. The only road in is chained off at the entrance. You could walk there, through tick-infested tall grass, but you better be fast on foot if you need a quick escape. No, this mission calls for something speedier than two feet, stealthier than four wheels, and more fun than both. It calls for an e-bike, and the Gazelle Ultimate happily accepted the challenge.
The mid-upright position of this aluminum speed bike let me take climbs with steady grace and react quickly to last-minute turns. Busy ground never seemed to be an issue: The bike hustled through thistle, popped over dropped branches, and scurried up gravel. On hairy downhills, I did (probably out of habit) find myself scooching back a bit to put more weight over the rear wheel. But truth be told, I didn’t have to. The bike felt balanced and controlled on even the steepest descents.
Gazelle Ultimate T10+ HMB Component Details
Type Class 3 e-bike, 28mph
Frame Aluminum
Fork SR Suntour, 80mm travel, lockout
Stem Adjustable from -10 to 65 degrees
Grips Ergon
Wheels Ryde Dutch, 28-inch
Tires Schwalbe Energizer Plus, 1.75-inch
Drivetrain 10-speed Shimano Deore XT
Brakes Shimano Hydraulic Disc
Saddle Selle Royal Essenza
Motor Bosch Performance Line Speed, 75Nm torque
Battery Bosch PowerTube, 500Wh
Range About 25 miles in turbo, 55 in eco
Display Bosch Purion
Extras Fenders, AXA lights and lock, aluminum rear carrier, rear-mounted kickstand
There were other capable e-bikes on this adventure, like a beach cruiser with a rear-hub motor and a speed model with a throttle, but the Gazelle was always in the lead. Powered by a mid-drive Bosch Performance Line Speed motor with 75Nm of torque, this sleek-looking e-bike jumps off the line without hesitation and moves along at 28mph on 28-inch wheels (the European equivalent to 700c). Compared to most of the Class 3 e-bikes we test, which typically have 2- to 2.6-inch-wide tires, the 1.75-inch tires on the Gazelle seem a little narrow—even by city e-bike standards. But the Schwalbe Energizer Plus tires were never questionable. They gripped the road well enough that I always felt stable, even when taking corners at full speed. And for those times when you have an urge to veer onto uneven terrain, an SR Suntour fork—with lockout—offers 80mm of front suspension (you might notice it, you might not).
Internally Routed Cables
Every cable and wire on the Gazelle is cleanly routed through the frame.
Schwalbe Energizer Plus Tires
The 1.75-inch tires are smooth down the center and grippy on pavement.
SR Suntour Suspension With Lockout
A suspension fork with 80mm of travel offers a little bump absorption.
Gazelle Commuter Rear Carrier
The included aluminum rack has a bungee that attaches securely.
Bosch PowerTube Battery
The 500Wh battery is integrated into the down tube, not stuck on top of it.
Awesome Extras and Thoughtful Features
The Gazelle’s $4,000 price tag might seem a tad steep for a bike in this category—fast commuter with limited utility. But consider these small details that make a big difference. You get dynamo-powered AXA lighting, including a Blueline50 headlight, attached squarely and securely in the center of the handlebar, that can be angled up or down to your liking and shines about 230 feet ahead, and a taillight, about 4.5 inches in length, that spans the width of the rear rack. (Both come on when you power up the bike, but holding down the + button on the computer will turn them off.) An AXA Defender ring lock on the rear wheel prevents your bike from rolling when locked, which might slow down a thief but can’t stop one, so use it only as backup. The aluminum Gazelle rear carrier has a nifty bungee attached to it for securing small items and can manage up to about 60 pounds. Overall integration is first-rate on the Gazelle, from the aforementioned ring lock and bungee to the internally routed cables and wires and smoothly incorporated 500Wh Bosch PowerTube battery tucked neatly inside the down tube (rather than stuck to the top of it).
Final Word
My Gazelle test bike was delivered to my house sometime in early April (Covid had already forced us out of the office and into our work-at-home environment). An older gentleman, who wore a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer on a chain like a necklace and who couldn’t have been happier to be on the road keeping busy, delivered the bike along with a smile and a jig he called the Gazelle dance. “You know the dance,” he said. (I nodded in agreement, but to be honest, I don’t think any such dance exists).
Fun Fact: Royal Dutch Gazelle successfully manufactured and sold its first production electric bikes 82 years ago. The Gazelle bike weighed 110 pounds, had a range of 24 miles, did just over 11 mph top speed, and took a full day to charge. Today, every Gazelle is manufactured in the Netherlands on the very land where the company was founded 128 years ago.
For the next three months, the Ultimate T10+ joined my small fleet of test bikes and helped my family kill time together. It spent more hours exploring alleys, venturing into other neighborhoods, nosing around deserted college campuses, skidding on gravel roads, snooping secret trails, and trespassing vacant properties than it did commuting (because, well, there was nowhere to commute to). How I used this bike made me realize how versatile it can be. Turns out, it’s not a pricey bike in its category; it’s a priced-right bike that can do so much more. It’s as capable and comfortable in traffic, when you need to look over your shoulder, as it is on private property, when you need to keep eyes in every direction. It’s a sturdy, well-constructed, rattle-free, reliable bike that feels solid on the road, lets you ride no-handed with confidence, takes corners like a champ, and flies through tight spaces without slowing down. It’s the kind of bike you’ll have and enjoy forever. And who knows, it might even inspire you to do the Gazelle dance.
Jen is the associate test director for Bicycling and Runner’s World. Born and raised 10 minutes from the office, she spent her youth exploring the same roads and trails that she’d ultimately use to test bikes for Mountain Bike and Bicycling (for which—over the past 18 years, at different times, and with some overlap—she was a copy editor, senior editor, and managing editor). Today she prefers mellow rides with her 11-year-old boy, pushing the limits of where e-bikes can go, and wouldn’t be caught dead on a start line.
