May 30, 2024 - (Dieren, NL) Royal Dutch Gazelle has created a unique place for itself in Dieren, a small town with a population close to 14,000, in the mid-west part of the Netherlands, just a short train ride east of Amsterdam.
For over 130 years, Gazelle has delivered quality bikes from this same location and played a major role as a bike company, a key employer, and a tourist attraction, shaping the world-class cycling culture in the Netherlands.
In the late 1800s, Willem Kölling’s vision of a great future for the bicycle saw him find a partner in Rudolf Arentsen. The two resold bicycles imported from England, and the pair operated repairs and service.
They quickly outgrew their original business model and location which led them to purchase a piece of land in Dieren, where they built their factory. Named after the deer that roamed the local forest, Gazelle still calls this place home, and it’s the oldest bicycle factory in the Netherlands.
Today, Gazelle’s operations in Dieren are a blend of the past and the present. The massive 35,550-square-metre facility is home to their assembly plant, global headquarters and Experience Centre. It retains a portion of the original red brick factory and houses their entire operations, which supports over 2,700 dealers worldwide. (see our video interview below with Ewoud van Leeuwen, Chief Commercial Officer (COO) at Royal Dutch Gazelle)
Recent renovations to the assembly plant and the new Experience Centre have seen the original red brick structure evolve into a modern, bright, glass and steel facility. Over 500 employees make this their daily place of work.
Opened in 2022, the Dieren Experience Centre is one of six that Gazelle spearheaded globally. This multi-dimensional place is part showroom, part museum, part test facility. The Experience Centre has become more than just a place for those looking to buy bikes. It has also become a tourist destination with groups and individuals coming from far and wide to enjoy the facility and its offerings.
The main floor showroom displays Gazelle’s full line of close to 70 models of bikes and e-bikes, with staff available to help navigate visitors through the many offerings on display. Those interested in purchasing a bike will then be directed to one of Gazelle’s 700 dealers in the Netherlands.
Off to the side of the showroom is a test track with a slight hill to help simulate the benefits of their e-bikes. It’s also partly covered by a glass roof so one can stay dry under rainy skies.
Gazelle opened its first Experience Center in 2011 in Amersfoort, Holland. Today it has six centers in the Netherlands, six in Germany, one in Belgium, one in Denmark, and one in the USA. Opened in 2014, the US center is located in Santa Cruz, California, and a big motivator was to help the company’s North American ambitions of“getting more people on bikes and making riding easier, safer and more fun”.
At the Dieren Experience Centre, a large open staircase leads upstairs to the Gazelle Museum that offers self-guided tours complete with headphones and a recording in the language of your choice. The tour takes you through 22 different stations highlighting the history of Gazelle. There are many unique and interesting memorabilia on display along with fascinating tidbits of information.
For example, Gazelle launched its first e-bike in 1932 but it didn’t take off, and when the company revisited the concept again in 1990 the timing was better. Now 70% of the bicycles they produce are e-bikes.
The tour continues down a hallway to a walkway overlooking the factory and assembly plant. The factory was part of the renovations which started in 2014 when Pon Holdings, a global Dutch-owned conglomerate, acquired Gazelle Holding B.V. and began investing in the company.
As you move through the factory, your senses become engaged from the smell of rubber to the sound of an exploding tube. The assembly plant starts with the raw frames receiving their five coats of paint and being hand-decaled. Most parts, such as fenders and racks, get pre-assembled before they hit the assembly line.
Wheels are even made in-house, which few bike manufacturers can claim. Once at the assembly line, the bikes are placed on an automated belt to go through 27 stations until completed. There are three assembly lines; when all are in full operation, Gazelle can produce a bicycle every 30 seconds. The factory has the capacity to produce 100 e-bikes per day.
The company has embraced e-mobility and produces 32 e-bike models in the Netherlands, which makes up the majority of its current line of bicycles. In North America, Gazelle offers five e-bikes, including their new Eclipse that was recently unveiled.
Available through their 348 retail outlets in the USA and Canada, Gazelle’s line of e-bikes are geared towards commuter, sport and leisure cyclists. All e-bikes come complete with front suspension, rear racks and lights, and are equipped with Bosch motors.
The North American line-up includes the Medeo, Ultimate, Arroyo, Avignon and now the Eclipse. The Medeo is a price point, family-oriented bike with geometry on the sporty side. Moving up to the Ultimate, there are seven models including the top-tier C380 HNB which is equipped with Enviolo shifting and a Gates carbon belt drive.
The Arroyo and Avignon deliver a more comfort-oriented dimension with low step-through frames and a relaxed geometry. The Avignon is Gazelle’s most comfortable bike boasting wider tires, a comfort curved handlebar, and an internal suspension headset, that takes the edge off road chatter, a feature we enjoyed during our test ride.
The release of the new Eclipse brings a new level of e-bike enjoyment to North American riders. Already a fixture in European markets, it’s designed to provide comfort, power and range to take the path less travelled.
“We can see this bike being a good all- round, commuter-style bike in North America where here in Holland, it is used much more as an adventure e-bike,” commented our tour guide Liset Dissel-Dijkerman, Brand Marketer.
The new Eclipse comes in two models, the T11 HMB and C380 HMB, both powered by Bosch’s top-tier Performance Line CX motor with 85Nm of torque. These front suspension bikes offer high- or low-step frame options and come in two colour waves.
Gazelle engineered the downtube on the Eclipse to accommodate a 750-watt battery, with a maximum range of 135 km for extended adventure days in the saddle.
What sets the two models apart is the drivetrain. The T11 uses a Shimano XT 11-speed shifter, derailleur set-up, while the C380 comes equipped with an Enviolo stepless shifting gear hub with Gates Carbon belt drive.
In Europe, both bikes come complete with Gazelle’s Connect theft protection, which makes it traceable by GPS if the bike goes missing. In North America it’s available as an add-on for $100 with the first year of the subscription being free.
Royal Dutch Gazelle’s storied past is an important part of brand loyalty, which it hopes to pass along to the next generation. The company has positioned itself well in the North American market to help grow the brand, and is poised to continue doing great things for cycling well into the next 130 years.
For more information on Gazelle click here.
This article first appeared in our eBikes Spring 2024 edition here.
