Gazelle Eclipse C380 HMB review: Is it really the best e-bike of 2024?

Several Gazelle e-bikes have already been reviewed. Take for example the Ultimate C380 HMB, a bike with so much power that you can even mount a trailer behind it. Or the Gazelle Avignon C8: an “entertainment workhorse” with an autonomy that does not disappoint. With the Eclipse C380 HMB, the bike brand moves to a higher segment: the power has increased slightly compared to the Ultimate, and the range, riding experience and price are at a different level. When you see a bike for the first time, you get a 'wow' feeling. Especially in metallic orange, which is the color Gazelle introduced the e-bike in here, it's a bike that stands out in the dull street scene. With a starting price of €5,999, this is not an unnecessary luxury.

Luxury horse…

Luxury is also what matters in the Eclipse setting. Hidden welding seams and unique lines not only give the bike an attractive appearance, but also make it incredibly solid. “Premium” is also the best description for the matte finish, which remained intact after weeks of use. Which color you prefer is of course a personal matter. In my opinion, the metallic orange color trumps everyone, especially with the black front and rear forks. One nice detail of the Eclipse C380 is the “invisible” charging port. When I first started charging my e-bike, it was really a mystery (read: I couldn't find it). The charging port on most e-bikes is located near the battery, but Gazelle has cleverly placed it behind the saddle, above the black tube next to the frame lock. Genius design choice.

Gazelle has also given careful thought to the placement of the Kiox 300's display. This is located between the mounting points on the handlebars and really looks like part of the bike, rather than being installed later. This method of installation also makes the e-bike a little more resistant to vandalism: other bikes will not collide with it. Additionally, the Kiox's screen is protected in case the e-bike is dropped. Care was also taken to protect the cable from falling at the handlebars. In this case, there is no visible cable soup: all cables go directly into the frame tube. In fact, the Eclipse C380 ticks all the boxes that come with designing an expensive e-bike, provided you're also a fan of the design.

…and the spine

In addition to being a luxury workhorse, the Eclipse C380 HMB is also primarily a workhorse, mile-eater, speed cannon, and so on. It may seem a bit overkill, but the Eclipse C380 is so powerful that you can cover huge distances with ease. This power is provided by the Bosch Performance Line CX motor, which we already know from the Trek Allant+ 6. With 85 Nm of torque, it is a motor that does not shy away from any hill. Even in very strong headwinds on the Dutch coast (Scheveningen), the mid-engine held up and the bike moved forward effortlessly.

High power does not disrupt your cycling experience. The amount of power a motor delivers always depends on how much force you apply yourself. The motor measures this using a force sensor located in the bottom bracket. This is an indispensable feature, especially when moving away from a traffic light: instead of taking off like a “rocket”, you can accelerate at your own pace. Cycling on Eclipse also still feels like cycling. Some e-bikes, especially those with rear-wheel motors, take almost all the work off your hands. As cute as that sounds, it doesn't look very natural. With the Eclipse C380, you get a nice boost in the back when you need it, and that's how it should be.

What helps is that the Gazelle has opted for an Enviolo Trekking transaxle, with stepless gears. These gears allow you to customize your cycling experience to your liking. If you want to exert a lot of force (or have a lot of force), choose a higher resistance with a lower cadence. If you want to ride a little lighter, turn the Enviolo lever the other way, and the mountain on the Enviolo gets a little higher and you'll also have to pedal a lot more. The non-stepping operation also makes it very easy to adjust the desired resistance. Where it would normally be between two gears, you can set just the right position here. The only drawback of this type of gearing is that sometimes it is a bit difficult to select the correct gear again after climbing a hill. However, this is not really a “disadvantage”.

Gazelle continues

At €5,999, the Eclipse C380 is probably as popular among thieves as it is among consumers. The double lock does not always prevent them from taking the e-bike with them. What could hold them back is the Gazelle Connect platform, which comes standard on the Eclipse C380 HMB. Connect provides GPS motion recording and anti-theft protection. The first means that you will receive a notification if your bike is suddenly moved. If a theft occurs, you can record it instantly via the Connect app. Gazelle then sends out a search team that uses the GPS signal to track your bike. If they find your e-bike, you will be back home in no time. If the search turns up nothing, Gazelle will forward the matter to your insurance company. They will then make a suitable offer, either a refund of (part of) the new price, or a brand new electric bike.

Typically you have to pay for this Connect platform from day one. However, with the Eclipse C380 you get one year free: both the data subscription and theft insurance are paid for you. After this starting year, you will have to pay for these services yourself. You can get a data subscription (€39.95 per year) and insurance (variable costs) via the Connect app. The drawback is that you cannot use the service without having both subscriptions. After all, you can't enable motion recording without also having theft insurance. As far as I'm concerned, a missed opportunity. Perhaps in the future they could also consider making the service available for free for a little longer. That would have been nice in this price range.

“From here to Tokyo”

The Eclipse makes up for this range deficiency with its 750 Wh battery. Reports on its website state that this offers a (theoretical) range of 135 kilometers in Eco mode. In Auto (70km) or Tour (90km) mode, the range is much less. The Turbo is in the middle with 80 kilometers of autonomy. Practice shows that on average you can get more from it. In Turbo mode, the bike achieved an average consumption of just over 1 percent per kilometre, or a range of about 95 kilometres. How much you consume depends largely on environmental factors such as road surface, tail or tailwind, temperature, and the amount of energy used when accelerating. If you only ride a bike in the city and often have to stop at traffic lights, you will consume much more energy than using long, traffic-free bike paths outside built-up areas. The stated range applies to a fifty-fifty distribution between city traffic and the distance outside the built-up area. Of course, you get much more range in Auto, Tour or Eco mode. Personally, I like to ride the bike best in Tour or Turbo mode.

Compared to e-bikes like the Trek District+ 5 (50-60km from 545Wh battery) and Gazelle Ultimate C380 HMB (75km from 500Wh battery), the range is much higher. This makes the Eclipse an ideal bike for those who often spend time on the bike path, especially over long distances.

Wooden bench

Trek manages to surprise with an incredibly comfortable seating experience on the District+ 5. I often have some complaints about the saddle on e-bikes, even on more expensive bikes. However, the intricate spring construction ensures I'm sitting on a velvet throne. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Gazelle's most expensive electric bike, which does not have a suspension saddle. Even the hanging seat post is missing. This is a real no-no, especially over long distances, which is what this e-bike aims for. I preferred skipping gravel roads with the Eclipse C380 to save my ass. Of course you can always install the suspension saddle yourself, but it should be included for around 6,000 euros. By the way, your wrists are saved: the suspension fork does exactly what it's supposed to do: eliminate vibrations. Provides a great driving experience, even on roads full of bumps and irregularities.

The rubber on the Gazelle, Schwalbes Marathon Performance, certainly contributes to this. However, the tires are less suitable for wet and winter conditions. Then they lose their grip very quickly if they take turns too smoothly. However, the weight of the e-bike forces you to abandon this sporty riding behavior.

Bush Flow and Kiox

Our reviews of the Trek Allant+ 6 and Gazelles Ultimate C380 HMB have already featured the Bosch smart system, including the Kiox 300. Fortunately, Gazelle has also put the smart display on the Eclipse C380 HMB. In my opinion, the Kiox 300 monitor is the best monitor from the German manufacturer. The color screen displays plenty of riding information, including your cadence, average speed, remaining range, and current pedaling force.

The display also works with the Bosch eBike Flow app. Here you can adjust support mode settings, view trip information, edit maintenance data and start route navigation. This navigation path is then passed to the Kiox 300, so you will see the navigation path instructions appear on the screen. While this is not unique to Bosch, it is limited to Bosch's Kiox series. If you are looking for a “smart” e-bike, the Eclipse should definitely be on your wish list.

Final verdict

Gazelle's Eclipse C380 HMB is the most expensive electric bike I've had the opportunity to test so far. This price gets you an e-bike with a unique design, Bosch's most powerful performance motor, the largest range you've ever recorded, and theft protection via Connect. Provided that you take out some subscriptions after the first year, of course.

What was striking was that the Eclipse is definitely not the most comfortable bike; Especially on gravel roads, your butt takes a lot of hits. It's a relatively small detail, but it carries a lot of weight in my opinion. What makes the Eclipse difficult to recommend is that Trek's Allant+ 6 has the same motor and screen. The battery may be a little smaller, the design is less luxurious, and the Allant+ 6 lacks anti-theft protection, but the price is also more than €2,000 lower.