Since 1953, the IF Design Awards have been given out on an annual basis in an effort to shine a spotlight on amazing breakthroughs in industrial design. Each year, a jury of experts comb through thousands of entries looking for innovation and beauty in new products, packaging, architecture, and a number of other categories. The winners often demonstrate a high level of ingenuity and craftsmanship that helps set them apart from the crowd. This year, one of those winners is a new ebike from Gazelle that took home an award for its outstanding performance.
The new Gazelle Arroyo C8 Elite is built to accommodate the urban commuter’s lifestyle. The bike is meant to be versatile enough to navigate the daily ride to the office, as well as trips to the market, around town to visit friends or just an enjoyable ride through the park. That said, its well-padded seat and lightweight front suspension give it a comfort level that makes the Arroyo a good option for longer distance rides, too. The Arroyo even comes equipped with wide tires that allow it to seamlessly transition from pavement to gravel to light trails and back again.
Gazelle equipped the Arroyo with an excellent electric motor and battery pack combo designed to give it plenty of power and range. The bike uses a Bosch Active Line Plus drive system and a PowerTube 500 battery, which integrates nicely into the frame. Working in tandem with one another, this allows the Arroyo to reach pedal-assisted speeds of up to 20 mph and have a range of 90 miles on its most energy-efficient settings. The battery pack also supplies power to the onboard LED lights, which help to keep the rider safer and more visible while sharing the road in low-light conditions.
In winning an IF Design Award, the Arroyo C8 was lauded for its balance and comfort, two areas that not all ebikes excel at. The bike faced stiff competition to take home the prize, as this year there were more than 6,400 entrants from 50 different countries. To sort through them all, a jury of 67 design experts from across the globe examined the various submissions, with Gazelle taking home honors in the product category.
You can find out more about the IF Design Awards on the organization’s official website.
