E-bike gears

Whether it's facing headwinds, tackling hilly terrain, accelerating at traffic lights, or transporting heavy items or groceries, the gearshift on your e-bike is your savior in times of need! In this article, you will learn about the different types of gear available and which one is right for you and your daily use.

A derailleur gear is often seen on sporty e-bikes, as this system is ideal for hilly terrain. It is known for its large number of shifting options. This means that you have the right gear for every situation and every speed. You have to keep pedaling while shifting, but without putting a lot of force on the pedals. The number of gears on a bicycle or e-bike is the result of multiplying the number of chainrings by the number of sprockets. At Gazelle we have e-bikes with a rear derailleur, up to 11 gears. Do you want to adjust your e-bike gears correctly? Then let one of our Gazelle experts advise you.

We have summarized the advantages and disadvantages of a derailleur gear for you:

Advantages of a derailleur gear:

• Lightweight

• High efficiency when properly adjusted

• Good adaptation to various driving conditions

• Capable of handling powerful mid-motors

Disadvantages of a derailleur gear:

• Shift process only works when pedaling

• Higher wear and tear, as it is located on the outside and therefore less protected

• Higher maintenance effort in case of dirt and wet weather conditions

On an e-bike with a continuous gear shift, you have virtually an infinite number of gears, as this gear system does not have a fixed number of gears. One highlight of the hub gear is that you can smoothly change the transitions with a twist grip. Depending on your feeling, you can decide with which support you want to ride. With a continuous gear shift, you can change gears while standing or riding, so you are always in the perfect gear at any time. You can also choose whether you prefer a manual or an automatic e-bike gear shift.

Advantages of a continuous gear shift:

• Almost no maintenance required

• Intuitive riding by shifting according to feeling

• Unlimited number of gears within the range

• Gear changes possible while standing and riding

Disadvantages of a continuous gear shift:

• A continuous gear shift consumes more energy from the battery, reducing its range

• With manual shifting, a lot of effort is required to go from a very low to a very high gear

In city bikes, a hub gear system is the most popular system. You will find it on all city bikes and city e-bikes. This gearbox is integrated into the rear hub and requires little maintenance. With this system, you no longer have to pedal to shift gears since you can shift between gears while standing still.

Advantages of a hub gear system:

• Requires little maintenance, resulting in low running costs

• The gear shift can be operated with just one twistgrip

• Shifting is possible even while standing still

Disadvantages of a hub gear system:

• Sometimes more expensive to purchase

• A hub gear system has a higher overall weight

• Removing the rear wheel is more difficult due to the rear hub

It all depends on your situation and preferences how many gears are useful for you. If you mainly use your e-bike for leisurely rides on flat terrain without setting new speed records, you don't need many gears.

However, if you like to ride sportively or want to cover some hilly roads, having many gears is definitely useful. This way, you can quickly gain speed to avoid having to dismount on steep stretches.

Good to know: At Gazelle, the number in the product description indicates how many gears the e-bike model has. For example, the Grenoble C5 HMB has five gears and the Avignon C8 HMB has eight gears.

If you want to buy a new Gazelle e-bike or bicycle and you're not sure which gear system is right for you, please visit us at one of the Gazelle dealers. They will also be happy to assist you.