Misleading advice, poor guidance, and faulty bike
I’m honestly not sure where to begin.
I spent two months researching which bike would meet my needs. As a bigger rider, I needed something sturdy and reliable. A local store recommended that I look into Gazelle, so I contacted them directly for guidance. Gazelle suggested the C7 Bloom, which I then ordered through Loke’s Cykler.
Loke’s Cykler provided good service throughout the process, but unfortunately Gazelle delayed the order by an additional month. I was told production was behind due to the holidays, but according to the bike shop, the real reason was that Gazelle had discovered faulty parts.
When I finally received the bike, I quickly noticed the motor was not behaving properly. The motor should stop assisting at 25 km/h, but instead it actively slows the bike down. When going downhill, the bike feels like it is braking automatically. Every time I reach 25 km/h, I experience a strong resistance, which is both unpleasant and frustrating. Essentially, the only way to ride comfortably is to stay below 24 km/h.
The bike also arrived with several quality issues:
Loose screws
A front light cable that fell out
A bent key for the bike/battery
Another major frustration was the battery information. As a new e-bike rider, I specifically asked if there was anything important I should know before purchasing. No one explained that the advertised “up to 120 km per battery” only applies when riding on the lowest assistance setting. This might be obvious to experienced riders, but it was not to me. Had this been properly communicated, I would have chosen the larger battery instead of the smaller one.
After three weeks of diagnostics and being sent back and forth between the bike shop and Gazelle, I was told that Gazelle had never suggested the C7 Bloom to me. The bike shop also mentioned they didn’t understand why this particular motor was paired with the bike, as it is not very powerful.
I had clearly stated that budget was not a concern - I simply wanted the best and most suitable bike for my situation. Instead, I feel I was given poor guidance, and that the delays conveniently pushed my return window to expire before the problems were fully understood.
To make matters worse, Gazelle has refused to take the bike back and has not offered any form of compensation despite the ongoing issues.
I spent 22,000 DKK on this bike, yet it feels lower in quality than competing brands that cost significantly less. Overall, I feel misled and extremely disappointed. Based on my experience, I would strongly advise others to think carefully before doing business with Gazelle.