Avignon C380 | Gazelle's Most Premium Comfort eBike

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Paul says a really nice E bike

Just the tires are from China. You can easily change those. All the rest of the bike is build in a super modern factory, some parts still by hand, in The Netherlands. The elctronics are from Germany. That is the case for the EU market. They probably have a factory in the US. So not a Chinese product by far.

There are two Avignon C380 HMB in the Netherlands now. Wonder if the more expensive one labeled NEW was available a year ago or not. If not it’s the one that’s a bit less expensive .

Enjoyed listening to this and have to say that this channel is a fantastic resource and I have learnt so much from it. I still have yet to take the plunge, but one of things I still have yet to resolve is the relationship between the motor and the gears. I live in a part of the world (Devon UK) where the hills are abundant and epic and historically on mountain/touring bikes I would have run something like a 28 chainring and a 34 on the cluster on the back, to get up some of my local hills. Now later in life I would like to tackle some of those hills on an e-bike but don't see anything like this kind of low ratio? I suspect incidentally that this bike is probably not for me (very few hits in Holland). If you could tackle this question sometime, it would help a lot – There must be other potential e-bike customers out there who are not city based and don't live on flat terrain…

Price 4600 euro. Is it a lot? Yes, you can buy two electric motorbikes (mopeds) for this price. You can buy a used car.

4600 euro here in the Netherlands. The best candidate to be stolen.

I would love to see you review a simplon with the e-pinion MGU. Also discussion on e-pinion availability as a part or in what bikes and when.

Hahaha! Distractions galore!

Jeez I’m running my 26” 2.0” wide Marathons’s around 20 psi. Just putting around the neighbourhood dropping my kids off to school and I’m getting close to my battery’s 120 km range. I don’t like how everything rattles when I have my tires pumped to the recommended 30-70 psi. I’d really like to order a hat. Do you ship to Canada?

This looks like a great competitor to the Riese & Muller Nevo. I'm a Nevo owner and the specs are similar.

Thanks!

Update:
5000km on. Alles gut 👍 The bike is performing like day 1. Absolutely a 5 star bike. Comfortable and reliable.
The winter was challenging. The mindset is the special ingredient, you just have to put your head down and do it, but gets a lot easier with winter equipment, specially rain protection (coat, pants and shoes) and always keep your hands and head warm ( I use a light motorcycle helmet (may look weird but it’s warm) and winter/ rain gloves.

Bought one of these this year. My round trip commute is 60 km. This bike checked all the boxes:
1 - confort. The upright position is great for your arms/hands.
2 - the enviolo transmission. When you decide to use your bike everyday, you want to spend the least amount of time fixing the bike.
3 - it’s a gazelle. Premium quality and you won’t have a problem in 3 years to find components and fix whatever needs to be fixed. Most of the new brands will just disappear in a couple of years.

This bike was life changing and allowed to go completely car free. Overall I spend 15 min more a day commuting, compared to a car, but the ride is so much better and relaxing.

and this difference would disappear if the speed limit with the assistance of the electric motor was not limited to 25kmh (probably the stupidest law in this world of ebikes).

You lost me at 35 seconds. A new tyre is not grounds for a "new" bike.

Great review Chris. I have the Avignon and its a genuinely excellent e-bike. The Bosch smart system on it and Gazelle's other 2023 models is awesome for so many reasons: a) when the rider turns off the bike, the system locks the motor making it useless the thieves, b) for about $100 you can get the ConnectModule that adds GPS to the bike, with real-time tracking, motion alarm, and a proximity sensor. I admit to being cynical about Auto mode, but oh man, it is the answer for hills! I used to have to shift and feel if I'm in the right gear, and listen for the sounds my derailleur made, and then check again if I need to shift gears and on and on. Auto mode ends that. It automatically and silently changes the assistance level to maintain your pace regardless of topography. I'm an older guy and I like to take in the scenery; now I can do so without worrying what gear or mode I'm in.

I was on the fence last year for getting a Gazelle comfort bike. Glad I waited…this looks like one!

Thank you for this new review. You cover so many important points like saddle height for those who bike less often which is covered so little. Plus, your style and editing is really fun.

really well thought out design. Nice video, thank you for the video

Most bikes with a belt drive have a cutout in the frame to allow the belt to be replaced. But it seems like this one sits entirely on top of the drivetrain and doesn’t need such a cutout. I wonder if it helps with the stiffness. It looks really slick and modern but still has that classic character from a distance.

Not a big fan of the front light being built into the mudguard (or fender, as you say), or the frame. It surely must make things more awkward if you ever want to add a front rack, and need to move the light onto the front of said rack, so it doesn't end up being obscured by any bulky items you store on top. I get that it looks sleeker, but I don't see any other upsides really.

There really is something special about having a bike with a front rack and a big crate on top. No need to get special bike-specific bags, any old backpack or shopping bags can just be dumped in there. It's just a big flexible space that you can use for whatever. Plus, it's very easy to reach in and grab things while you're stopped at some lights or something like that.

Regarding only being able to take the key out when the rear wheel is locked, the flip side of this is, you can only ride the bike if you have the key inserted. So you can't absent mindedly cycle off to your destination, then only realise once you arrive at your destination that you have no way to lock up (happened to me more than once). A frame lock is not exactly a high security option, but it's better than nothing!

"Avignon" Even the name sounds expensive. It's a lovely bicycle, I'd be terrified to lock it up though lol.
Gazelle's are just really wonderful looking bikes, maybe someday lol.

What is the general maintenance or things the owner of an ebike should know ? If I bought an elite there would be a limited if any places where I live for service

I have been riding a Gazelle Orange C7+ for more than five years. While it's a fantastic bike, the more powerful motor on the Avignon would be a nice upgrade as we have some very steep hills around here. My dealer told me Gazelle no longer exports to Australia which is a shame.

I have Avignon! But 2001 year crmoly frameset. It's a funny hybrid bike - Dutch bike with short wheel base. Still going hard.

Aesthetically, it looks good, but I still want the loop of the rear rack closed to the frame. In other words, have the rear cargo rack also welded to the seat stays. Two points of support at both ends would increase the weight the rack can support by making it sturdier. Instead of a hook, the rack would resemble a reclining numeral six.

For riding a 10-mile (16-kilometre) radius, this bicycle should do well on pedal-assist.

Just FYI: your timestamps are misaligned - it looks like you didn't account for the "sponsor" :)

How much would it cost just as outfitted here? Thx

A reflector strip on the tires is mandatory in the Netherlands. That's why the strip is on the tire. Btw this is not the most premium comfort e-bike from Gazelle, but perhaps the most premium on sale in the USA. The Gazelle Eclipse C380 HMB is the most premium (C380 series) for sale in the Netherlands. But they have even more expensive city bikes for sale :-)

PRC actually stands for People's Republic of China, not the Philippines.

It’s very elegant 👍