Our Gazelle Medeo XTs are here!

[n0ct0]

Yes, they are here! I've put 120+ miles on mine in a couple of weeks just messing about, which exceeds my total mileage for the last 10 years probably. Speed wise (at the age of 43 after a year behind a desk) it's somewhere between a cycling mad 20 odd year old me on a mountain bike and a cycling mad 20 odd year old me on a road bike. The main difference being I'm not wearing lycra and getting all sweaty.

The Mrs, who hasn't cycled for years, has already been out on a couple of 15 mile rides and been up some pretty big climbs with no problems (400 ft over 4 miles). I've been getting about 40 miles on the Gazelle silver battery on hilly routes using boost setting, which is fine for how (un)fit I am!

The 65cm frame is huge, but fortunately so am I, and also very comfy. I get back from rides without having aches and pains from all that crouching, and the slack frame angles make for a relaxed ride.

So far, so good!

 

[n0ct0]

.........

 

[tillson]

Pleased to hear that you are happy with the new bike. I like that style, not exactly the height of fashion, but very comfortable and very practical, which is 90% of what is required from a bike.

 

[indalo]

n0ct0, like Tillson, I like the style of bike you opted for and I'd be interested to hear more about how it performs once you have ridden a few more miles on it.

As a Gazelle owner, (older crank-drive model), I'm particularly interested in how the power delivery is managed since the company moved away from the Panasonic system, developing their own hub-drive. By that, I mean is it simply on or off, or is the degree of power graduated smoothly according to the dual sensor system they employ?

Another factor I'm curious about is the motor noise from the geared XT model you have bought. My low-powered Panasonic motor is virtually silent and I have found that many hub-driven bikes emit that "milk-float" whine to one degree or another, some sounding rather agricultural. I'd appreciate your comments also about its steep hill climbing ability and the kind of mileage you average between charges.

To actually test-ride one of these new Gazelle models would entail a long drive for me as the company remains poorly represented in the UK but I love the one I have and could possibly be persuaded to replace it with another Gazelle in time if their hub-drive is sufficiently sophisticated to drag me away from crank-driven bikes. Koga and Sparta hub-driven bikes seem to sell pretty well on mainland europe and I imagine that the Gazelle hub-drive ought to be as good as those brands with which it has to compete.

Regards,
Indalo

 

[eddieo]

Sorry guys but looks a bit of an old dinosaur to my eyes

 

[indalo]

Sorry guys but looks a bit of an old dinosaur to my eyes

No need to apologise Eddie; each to his own but bikes like n0ct0 has purchased are hugely popular in Holland, Denmark Germany and many other places on mainland europe. Not without good reason either; those people who buy such bikes aren't looking for fast, lightweight modern, stylised, multi-geared machines. They actually appreciate that weighty solidity in their choice of two-wheeled transport which looks as though it might last a lifetime....and frequently does!

It's not by accident that the Dutch produce so many cargo bikes. There's a big market for that kind of machine in a country where they are less dazzled by style and fancy gadgetry, preferring ownership of a machine that actually serves a purpose or indeed many purposes. That's also why they like enclosed chains, enclosed brakes and gears, all of which contribute to minimal maintenance but create much of the extra weight. What these bikes provide in spades, however, is great comfort and while they're not the obvious choice for the TDF, it's easy to ride for hours on end without suffering aches and pains. Usually, they have loads of adjustment allied to well tried and tested frame geometry so just about anybody can get comfortable.

As you know, I enjoy mine and apart from a few German bikes I like the look of, most of the other machines I fancy just happen to be Dutch.

There's a place not too far from you where they seem to have upped their game somewhat recently, particularly with their range of Gazelle bikes,though not exclusively.

Here's the link:POPIEL - Stylish Dutch bicycles - Gazelle Batavus Hub service Sparta Koga Miyata

Have a look Eddie. You'll enjoy the quality even if the style is not to your taste.


Indalo

 

[flecc]

The flat territory in the Netherlands is an important factor too, it not needing the cycling effort to be optimised so much by lower handlebars and performance biased frame dimensions.

 

[n0ct0]

I'm quite surprised how well it climbs, it's faster on the road than a mountain bike. Yes, it isn't `cool`, but considering I'm riding around in Birkenstocks, that's not a real concern for me.

 

[neptune]

You do not need to go the Netherlands for flat countryside . Why not visit Holland, which is the southern part of Lincolnshire. On second thoughts, forget I said that. We don`t want the place to get too crowded.