Tell me about Gazelle

There was a range of models, but A LOT was possible on request. It was also the case that you could choose from many paintschemes.

I do not know the UK situation, but it sounds a bit like the UK distributor had a limited selection in stock.

Uncle Buk":3bvbzspt said:

Thought this might interest to the many Gazelle aficionados amongst you. Its a link to a collection of brochure scans from 1976-2002 that recently turned up on lfgss:

http://jvs.webklik.nl/page/gazelle

Buk

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It is like gold for the Gazelle afficionado

They are scanned by fellow forummmember JVS

pigman":1on5ptdu said:

Ivo":1on5ptdu said:

Since most frames were built to order details like mudguard eyes and various other attachments were decided by the future owner of the frame. Colour schemes could be chosen over the entire model range.

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mmm .... not how I remember it in the uk, when gazelle made a big appearance. They were very much stock frames in stock colours imported by sid and sold through his rotherham shop. The publicity machine was the paragon RT, arguably the best uk amateur outfit of the 80's and for a short while gazelle were a big competitor to Raleigh.

So the question is were they custom built or stock, and was the uk different to mainland europe?

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It's very well possible that the UK importer had a different line regarding pricing and custom vs stock frames. I talk about the situation in the Netherlands during the hey-days of Gazelle. (Although there were regional differences in the Netehrlands.)

I have a 1984 Gazelle brochure stamped by Reality Cycle Sport, Swallownest, Sheffield who were the co-sponsors of the Paragon RT. It seems to contain a selection of the Gazelle 'standard' bikes and frames. The brochure is also printed saying that Gazelle were a TI company. There is an accompanying Reality price list which has a 753 frame at £400.20 inc VAT whereas an A Frame was £171.35. A complete bike in 753 with Campag SR groupset was £1062.60 inc VAT which - to me at any rate - was a lorra lorra dough! In comparison, the basic 'Cross Trophy' and 'Trim Trophy' frames with 531 main tubes were only £86.25.

There is illustrated an 'Aerodynamic Racing Cycle' in Reynolds Speedstream tubing but this doesn't appear in the price list. A Stayer bike, Lo-Pro TT bike, tandem, Randonneur bike and MTB are also illustrated but not all are priced. The tandem was only £670.45 complete with a Galli groupset.