Takeaway: The Gazelle Ultimate C380+ is possibly the ultimate commuter e-bike that will have you effortlessly zipping along at up to 28mph.
- Fenders, lights, and a rear rack all come preinstalled.
- Suspension, large 700 x 47 tires, and an upright riding position make for a very smooth ride.
- Pedal assistance up to 28mph allows you to fully exploit the powerful Bosch motor.
Price: $4,750
Weight: 63 lb. (L)
Style: Class 3 Commuter E-Bike
Material: C3 Aluminum Frame
Wheel Size: 700c
Fork: Suntour Mobie 45, 80mm travel
Drivetrain: Enviolo 380 Trekking CVT
Cranks: Miranda Delta
Chainring: 55 tooth Gates CDX Belt Drive
Rear Cog: 22 toot
Brakes: Shimano BR-MT420, hydraulic, 4-piston 180mm front / 160mm rear
Wheels: (F) Shimano Hub, 15x100mm thru-axle / (R) Enviolo 380 Trekking CVT Hub, Ride Dutch Rims
Tires: Schwalbe Energizer Plus 700 x 47
Saddle: Selle Royal Essenza Plus
Seatpost: Alloy Seatpost
Handlebar: Aluminum, 680mm width, 15 rise
Stem: 90mm with adjustable angle
The Gazelle Ultimate C380+ is a bit of a mouth full for a bike name, but the keyword to focus on is ‘Ultimate’. Most of the time, this word is an excessive and vain addition to a product title, but it fits well for the C380+. This Gazelle’s first Class 3 eBike (pedal-assisted up to 28mph), and it features a belt drive.
Pedal assistance up to 28mph might be the headline grabber, but there are many other neat features and tech that Gazelle has packed into the C380+. There are the usual urban eBike features— integrated lights, fenders, rear rack— but things get more interesting with the drivetrain. Gazelle uses an Enviolo 380 internally geared hub that has stepless shifting, in conjunction with a Gates carbon belt drive. These features would be pretty cool on their own, but then Gazelle tops it all off with a reliable Bosch Performance Line Speed motor; providing 85Nm of torque and a 500Wh battery. All of this adds up to quite the ultimate city bike; a bike that makes easy work of everyday errand-running and commuting.
The Gazelle Ultimate Family
The Ultimate C380+ I reviewed retails for $4,750. Gazelle also offers two slightly cheaper models for folks with smaller budgets.
The Ultimate C380 HMB sells for $4000; retaining most of the same features from the C380+, including the Enviolo internally geared hub, Gates belt drive, lights, fenders, and rack. It uses an internally suspended fork with 40mm of travel ( versus 80mm Suntour fork on the C380+). The main difference between the C380 HMB and the C380+ comes down to the motor, with the C380 HMB having 65Nm of torque (instead of 85Nm) and a pedal-assisted top speed limited to 20mph.
The C8 HMB is Gazelles’ most economical e-bike with a Gates belt drive system. It retails for $3,500 and has a very similar spec to the C380 HMB. The main difference being a slightly less powerful Bosch motor (with 50Nm of torque) and a Shimano Nexus 8 hub replacing the stepless Enviolo hub.
There’s plenty to consider between these various models besides the differences in torque output from the motors. But it’s important to keep that in mind because if you live in a hilly area or load your bike up with a lot of groceries, a more powerful motor can be a big help. It’s also nice if you just want to go fast.
Ride Impressions
While I have ridden several bikes in the commuter or city e-bike category, the Gazelle stood out as best in class. The first thing worth mentioning with the Gazelle Ultimate C380+ is that it’s a really fast bike. The Bosch Performance Line motor provides up to 85Nm of torque. All of this torque, when combined with the massive gear range from the Enviolo rear hub and pedal assistance up to 28mph, means you can get the C380+ really flying on a flat stretch of road. However, even when completely wound up on turbo mode, the C380+ still felt incredibly smooth and easy to control. The suspension fork and 47cm Schwalbe tires do quite a bit of work to smooth out the road. I would often glance at the Bosch display and be surprised at how fast I was going. The Gazelle made going 25mph feel effortless, even mundane.
With how fast you can get the C380+ you’ll occasionally need to stop in a hurry. Shimano hydraulic four-piston brakes provided an added level of control and safety. These brakes never let me down, and I was pleased that Gazelle opted to include four-piston calipers on the C380+. Four-piston calipers provide increased braking power over more common two-piston calipers often found on bikes in this category. They are particularly improved to cable-actuated disc brakes that you will sometimes see on cheaper bikes.
The drivetrain on the C380+ is unique, but exceptionally well suited to use on a city bike. A Gates carbon belt drive is used instead of a chain. This makes perfect sense for a bike meant to be ridden daily with as little maintenance as possible. Unlike conventional chains, a belt requires no regular maintenance, such as degreasing or lubricating. A Gates belt will last up to about 19,000 miles before needing to be replaced, and best of all, they run almost entirely silently. The main downside of a belt drive system, and why you don’t see them on more city bikes, is simply one thing—added cost.
Gearing on the C380+ is handled by an Enviolo 380 internally geared hub. The 380 in the name refers to the 380% gear range the hub is capable of providing. But the main feature of the hub is its total lack of indexing in the shift range; referred to as stepless shifting. Essentially, it means that riders can make very small, or very large, changes in their gear selection with a smooth twist of the shifter.
In practice, however, The Enviolo 380 is a little finicky if you’re used to indexed shifting. I would often shift past the gear I wanted, and then adjust back to the ratio I was looking for (a bit like using old friction shifters). The biggest benefit of the system is being able to shift gears without pedaling. Have you ever slowed at an intersection and forgotten to downshift before stopping, only finding you're stuck in a heavy gear when the light turns green? That is simply not an issue with the C380+. You can simply select the gear you want and roll away without an issue. For a city e-bike like the C380+, it’s quite a good system just for the hub’s unique ability to effortlessly change gears from a full stop.
While there are a ton of things I like about the C380+, it’s not perfect. The main issue that bugged me was the design of the “cafe-lock”, which is integrated into the frame’s seat stays. The key for the lock must be left in the lock when it is unlocked and, thus, also when you’re riding the bike. This means that you need to lock the bike each time you stop so nobody locks it or steals your key. The key also unlocks the battery, which is another reason not to leave it in the bike. So, if you put this key on your keychain, all of your keys dangle from the lock while you ride or you have just a single key that is easy to lose whenever you lock your bike. Other frame locks do not require the key to be left in the lock while riding; I wish Gazelle had used one of these instead.
The other big issue with the C380+ is that of weight. While the C380+ is in the realm of other city e-bikes, the Enviolo rear hub does add quite a bit of heft to an already heavy bike. This version of the Ultimate is around 5-6lbs heavier than some of the other Gazelle models. Practically speaking, the weight limits who can realistically use this bike. The best case for storing an e-bike like this is having a garage, elevator access to your apartment, or a safe place outside to lock up a $4750 bike. Bringing this bike up and down even a single flight of stairs, while technically possible, is difficult and tedious to do potentially several times a day.
Gazelle offers the Ultimate C380+ in a high and mid-step (reviewed here) frame option. The high-step frame is available in medium and large frame sizes., while the mid-step version also has a small frame size offered. With a reasonably upright fit, most folks should be able to find a comfortable position with the C380+. But if you’re on either far end of the height spectrum, I would recommend seeking out a test ride before buying.
The $4,750 price tag of the Ultimate C380+ is also worth mentioning. While the feature set and build quality of the bike is quite premium, it is certainly reflected in the price. The C380+ is not some cheap lock-up city bike; it is a costly one, and with the exception of the “cafe-lock”, is exceptionally well-designed and functional. Whether or not the price is worth it is an individual decision. It’s an absolutely stellar city bike for anyone looking to cut down on their driving habits or simply looking for the ultimate commuter bike.
