Gazelle Bicycles in Boston!
Until recently, it was nearly impossible to buy a Gazelle bicycle in the US, but I have learned that the Dutch Bicycle Company in Somerville, Mass. has begun to import them this year (further evidence substantiating the rumor that Somerville is the center of the universe).
Immediately I paid them a visit, and for the first time in 12 years got on a bicycle -- a black Gazelle "Basic" model, which I gingerly rode around their warehouse in a state of ecstatic awe. Ideally, my lovely bicycle would not be all-black, and I was glad that the catalog also showed white and lilac models for the Basic, as well as black-and-white for the Toer Populair model.
At some point, Jolly Bikes in Arlington, Mass. also sold Gazelle, but they have now closed. When I checked, they still had several bikes available (two violet and one red), and I paid them a visit as well. The (gorgeous) remaining bikes are single speed, with coaster brakes only. I was not sure whether these configurations would be right for me, but the real problem was that all the remaining bicycles were the largest-sized frames, which are too large for my preference (I need to be able to touch the ground with both feet).
My introduction to Gazelle left me extremely pleased that the sort of bicycle I was looking for was not a fiction, but readily available in my local area.
Immediately I paid them a visit, and for the first time in 12 years got on a bicycle -- a black Gazelle "Basic" model, which I gingerly rode around their warehouse in a state of ecstatic awe. Ideally, my lovely bicycle would not be all-black, and I was glad that the catalog also showed white and lilac models for the Basic, as well as black-and-white for the Toer Populair model.
At some point, Jolly Bikes in Arlington, Mass. also sold Gazelle, but they have now closed. When I checked, they still had several bikes available (two violet and one red), and I paid them a visit as well. The (gorgeous) remaining bikes are single speed, with coaster brakes only. I was not sure whether these configurations would be right for me, but the real problem was that all the remaining bicycles were the largest-sized frames, which are too large for my preference (I need to be able to touch the ground with both feet).My introduction to Gazelle left me extremely pleased that the sort of bicycle I was looking for was not a fiction, but readily available in my local area.
dutchbikes in somerville will no longer carry gazelle, as dan, the owner, has experienced too much frustration over dealing with gazelle's allegedly poor dealer support to justify continuing to sell them. he is looking into partnering with a local framebuilder to come up with a design based closely on the classic dutch bike, but made in the US and sold exclusively through dutchbikes.
ReplyDeletefor what it's worth, the new gazelles are no longer even "dutch"-- the frames are now made in china and/or taiwan, with final assembly in holland.
True, Dutchbikes no longer imports Gazelle.
ReplyDeleteWhere the frames are made is a debatable question for most modern bicycle manufacturers. Gazelle's official statement is that their frames are made in the EU.