7 Problems in 14 Days Ownership: 2021 Trek Domane HP Electrical Bike You Should Avoid At All Cost

[drodg]

This post conveys the wrong message to potential Domane+ HP owners since it isn't about this model of bike. As others have stated, this really points to the service you are getting - and it is real unfortunate that you are in this situation. The warning here: If you are going to spend this amount of money this is a good warning to interview the shop you purchase from and make sure you are comfortable with their capabilities working on e-bikes (and you still won't know for sure).

To the point of poor service, 3 of the issues above are not Domane+ HP specific. The rear derailleur and shifters are a high end Shimano part that people don't have issues with on this bike or other bikes. The bar tape is an easy fix and I really liked the default tape and even reused it when I switched handlebars. The wheels are also not Domane+ specific, and it is even possible that the shop did some improper tuning on the wheels and put too much tension on a few spokes. Especially if you took it in for a first broken spoke, something was wrong to have a second break if they checked the wheel and spoke tensions when they replaced the first spoke.

I have 2 Domane+ HP in the garage, and the one I ride I use as a gravel bike (I swap to stronger wheels when off road). I put a lot of miles on it, and some of them are on harsh gravel roads riding with people on mountain bikes. With all the vibrations I have never had a power glitch. After 2,000 miles it still shifts fine but it does need adjustment as it breaks in from new as all bikes do. The reason I have 2 is that I was so impressed with this machine that I bought one for my wife. My friend bought a Creo even though I lobbied him to buy a Domane+ HP. It is a fine bike too but it lacks the power and range, and the motor system is exclusive to Specialized where Bosch will have wider support and potentially longer support time frame for parts. The Creo is lighter, and that is nice, and it is a little more gravel oriented with the little "Future Shock" and a little better tire clearance.

For the issue with the lights, this bike does have a design flaw with the connection to the rear light. It is wired up through the seat post and the wire can easily be cut by sticking out when adjusting the seat height or getting smashed when the seat is adjusted to its lowest (especially on small frame). The rear light can't be set to flash, or to come on independent of the front (which is a nice light but also can't flash). So after spending $7k, you need to spend another $35 for a rear flasher. The good news is there are connectors to the light in the seat tube so you can disconnect and remove the factory light easily (may need some pliers to pull apart connectors) but MAKE SURE TO TAPE OFF THE CONNECTOR ENDS SO THEY DON"T SHORT before you push the wire back down the seat tube.

I totally agree. This is a very good outlook on e bikes. My shop didn't do everything to my liking but that really had nothing to do with the Domane. I made some adjustments myself and took it back and they made another adjustment on the bike. These I believe are good bikes. I have ridden 700 miles now and I am really happy with it.

 

[Nwtravler]

Granted the components are not made by Trek but they selected these components to create a "bicycle system". The Trek manufactured parts are only as good as the rest of the required parts. If they spec parts and can't support them or they don't work in this system they need to take a look at how they are building the system. Service and the training of techs is part of this as well.

 

[PedalUma]

All you and future buyers need is a better dealer, the bike would have been just fine if test ridden and evaluated by a good mechanic before you picked it up. Bicycle dealers are no different than any other retail business right now. Every business has employee shortages, and if they had a good employee, that employee will go anywhere else for better pay. You don't really think they pay a bike mechanic a strong living wage do you? Many are not paid at a level to be a highly trained and skilled.

I have seen bikes assembled dry with power tools as piece work. By dry I mean without grease! Not even on the seat post, stem or pedals. With piece work the assembly on higher end bikes, say pay level 5, with more details will pay more than an average bike so the incentive is to do a bunch of them as fast as a worker can. Assembly is often done at a hub with the built bikes sent out to local retail stores with the handlebars turned. Or by an outside contractor paid per bike who then hires the assemblers. The shops are to go over the bikes before they are placed in the showroom and again before they go out the door. Training can consist of someone who lied on their application watching a video and given the a,b,c,d answers to an online quiz they cannot read because they cannot read. I saw one guy crimp a housing end onto the end of a shift cable with the fork backwards. So yes, the more skilled workers will flee for better conditions, pay and craftsmanship. There are also traditionalists who are trained and skilled but unable to creatively problem solve new things, only what they have been told and have seen. They need the rote recipe to follow or they are stuck.

 

[Ebiker01]

When one buys an ebike, they have to study EBR forum for min. 6months (if a total noob) , 3 months (own a bicycle before), take a ebike quiz test of 50questions and invest a min. of 150-200$ in bike/ electrical tools and learn how to use them.

Most of the "problems" you listed could easily have been prevented with a rigurous check and maintenence. Maybe by the store mech. but ideally the owner has to do it. Otherwise you'r setting yourself for many serious issue by NOT fully knowing your ebike inside and out.

Can you fix a flat/adjust the stem using a torque wrench/check battery voltage/true a wheel/safely solder a wire/change the brake pads ? If the answer is NO
to either of those, you will go to the bike store very often.

A bike store with knowledgeable people who will work on ebikes is a rare right now in US. When ebikes will be very popular they will have to do better !

Congrats. on acquiring the best e road bike and try yourself to take care of it.

 

[Dallant]

When one buys an ebike, they have to study EBR forum for min. 6months (if a total noob) , 3 months (own a bicycle before), take a ebike quiz test of 50questions and invest a min. of 150-200$ in bike/ electrical tools and learn how to use them.

Most of the "problems" you listed could easily have been prevented with a rigurous check and maintenence. Maybe by the store mech. but ideally the owner has to do it. Otherwise you'r setting yourself for many serious issue by NOT fully knowing your ebike inside and out.

Can you fix a flat/adjust the stem using a torque wrench/check battery voltage/true a wheel/safely solder a wire/change the brake pads ? If the answer is NO
to either of those, you will go to the bike store very often.

A bike store with knowledgeable people who will work on ebikes is a rare right now in US. When ebikes will be very popular they will have to do better !

Congrats. on acquiring the best e road bike and try yourself to take care of it.

I purchased three Trek ebikes in the last year, put over 1600 totally reliable miles on my +7 and NEVER went on EBR until AFTER I bought my Allant+7. I’ve maybe bought $50 in tools. I’ve owned several Trek analog bikes and my Trek shops have always been good to me which is a major reason why I went with Trek.
I totally agree that a good test ride/inspection (assuming you have any significant knowledge of bicycles) by the buyer and a decent shop tech should save from having any serious issues.
I DO know how to patch/change the tubes though I admit its a pain. I could change pads, tighten a few spokes, and do some routine maintenance. I‘ve never in my life trued a wheel, checked battery voltage, or cut/soldiered the wiring of my ebikes. I haven’t HAD to go to the Trek shops except to update the Bosch system. I’ve chosen to have them do some other work like install an adjustable stem on my wife’s Lowstep.

 

[MrNoFluFF.com]

UPDATE - July 7, 2021, I picked up my trike HP from the corporate owed Trek Retail store for 2nd broken spoke in less then 30 days of ownership. (VIDEO PROOF). On July 8, 2021, on the first ride after pickup my bike from spoke repair, my 3rd Spoke Broke leaving my family and I stranded to walk 30 miles home. I was recording live video when spoke break.

Please watch this short video

 

[MrNoFluFF.com]

UPDATE # 2 Email I wrote to Service Manger of Trek Of Flower Mound, Texas. (After bike repair, now I have 4 new major problems)


Connor -

Hope you’re having great day.

I am having 4 major problem after pickup my bike from the Trek Repair for my Spoke-repair on July 7, 2021 as follows:

1. (VIDEO PROOF). On July 8, 2021, on the first ride after pickup my bike from spoke repair, my 3rd Spoke Broke leaving my family and I stranded to walk 30 miles home. I was recording live video when spoke break.
   
   Please watch this short video
   

1. (VIDEO PROOF) I am having “Clicking” sound coming under my motor and/or crank when I pedal sometimes.
   
   Please watch short video
   

1. The Chain jump off in front causing small damage to my frame. I hear clicking noise and then the chain came off in the front section and fell under the crank arms. This has never happen before.

1. I hear Cracking in Iso-speed, when move my body left or right sometimes.

Lastly, do you know when Front and Back light are coming in for warranty?

Best Regards.

P.S. You never got back with my on my last email on July 5, 2021

 

[Ezliven]

I hear these problems some people are having with the Domane+. I'm not doubting their problems but I can't help believe most of the problems are from poor workmanship when the shop put it together. I've had my Domane+ HP7 for a little over a year now and have had only one problem that was the battery key locking mechanism was loose and didn't want to work very smoothly. Ended up the I tightened up the 4 screws holding it in place now works fine. Other than that I have over 3,500 miles on it and I've had zero problems with this bike. The Domane+ HP7 is the same bike as the Domane+ just with higher end components and wheels. This is a really amazing and fun bike. Over my many years of road and mountain biking on numerous Specialized and Trek bikes this is my best investment of all of them as for fit, reliability and just most fun to ride. If I had my choice of any ebike it would still the Domane+ HP7. My bike below.

 

[Dallant]

I hear these problems some people are having with the Domane+. I'm not doubting their problems but I can't help believe most of the problems are from poor workmanship when the shop put it together. I've had my Domane+ HP7 for a little over a year now and have had only one problem that was the battery key locking mechanism was loose and didn't want to work very smoothly. Ended up the I tightened up the 4 screws holding it in place now works fine. Other than that I have over 3,500 miles on it and I've had zero problems with this bike. The Domane+ HP7 is the same bike as the Domane+ just with higher end components and wheels. This is a really amazing and fun bike. Over my many years of road and mountain biking on numerous Specialized and Trek bikes this is my best investment of all of them as for fit, reliability and just most fun to ride. If I had my choice of any ebike it would still the Domane+ HP7. My bike below.
View attachment 93842

Amazing paint!

 

[Ezliven]

Absolutely gorgeous!

Trek Project One Prismatic Pearl color

 

[Asher]

Buyer beware!
This is a very big issue and corporations are spending less and less on training and development while consumers are drawn to more and more complex devices. It’s very hard for a shop who sells few of these ebikes (compared to analog bikes) to keep up. You are buying into the shop as much as you are the ebike.
I had the exact same issue with my Corvette a few years back. Very few of them were sold in my rural area and getting them maintained by mechanics who saw one maybe once or twice a year was a crap shoot. Can’t imagine how the new mid-engine C8 or the new Ford Lightning etruck are going to be dealt with by dealership service departments.

Yeah they design features for obsolescence and snazzy press releases, without an eye for longevity and mechanic familiarity. On analog bikes, it's pretty rare to have uncommon proprietary features that require specific training to fix - even if it's Shimano proprietary, you can be sure it's common so getting the requisite training pays off easily. When every e-bike model and brand has its own quirks, things go sideways quickly and everything becomes costly to troubleshoot. You know these companies are just counting down the days until the parts warranty ends so it becomes your problem and not theirs.

 

[john peck]

7 Problems in 14 Days Ownership: 2021 Trek Domane HP Electrical Bike You Should Avoid At All Costs.

The worst part is the Trek certified mechanics do NOT know how to work on the electrical bikes. I had to take my bike to three different Trek Corp own Bike shops to I found someone that can work on it.


Problems are as follows:

1. Engine Code Errors 550 and 503

2. Battery problems. Batter would not comes out and was stuck in body of the frame.

3. Front and Back lights shorting and cutting out problems (took to shop 3 times and problems still not fixed)

4. Rear derailer would not shift right, and to the bike to trek dealer 9 times and problem was not fixed.

5. Two Broken Spokes from same rear rim in 14 days of ownership. Had to walk long ways home with the kids because spoke broke 2nd time on July the 4th far from home. .

6. Hand-bar tape came off after first day ride.

I have had to go to the Trek Bike shop over 12 times now!

Its seam like I paid $7K and bought a headache! Thanks Trek!

Only reason I bought a HP is because I bought 2021 checkpoint sl5 and the buy was flawless and I was super happy with it. So I figure HP would be bug free like checkpoint but boy was I wrong! The HP has more bugs then cake has calories

Lastly, I have caught Trek Mechanic lying multiple times when they can not fix a problem, at two different stores. I even have proof in writing where Trek Mechanic lies about the "Fenders" not fitting because wrong size when the last Trek Mech install it wrong! I google it and know it was wrong what mech was saying after I got home.

Here is YouTube video of all the Problems

That´s nuts, Why would anyone pay $7k for a headache like that? Certified just means they sell trek.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Oh for crying out loud, no one walked thirty miles with their family because of a broken freaking spoke. Time to move on.

 

[Asher]

Oh for crying out loud, no one walked thirty miles with their family because of a broken freaking spoke. Time to move on.

Why did you post a thread about something breaking when you should have just moved on?

So I just got in from a typical 20 mile ride and suddenly the controller doesn't work at all. System shows Off, cant go up through the boost levels, info button doesn't work, nothing. This is on the button pad at the left end of the handlebars. The Intuvia head works fine as far as info button, lights, but you can't control the assist from there. Anyone seen this one before I loaf I think up and head for the bike shop?

At least it happened at home... I was on some pretty good hills today, and it is humid as hell out!

 

[john peck]

One reason the bike I ride is so much less expensive is that it´s basically a 90s mtn bike with a motor.
The parts are cheap, readily available, & easy to replaced. The more new technology that goes into
a bike, the more knowledge required to repair & the more things that can go wrong. I´m a firm believer
in the kiss principle,(keep it simple, stupid). So much of bike tech today is more about planned
obsolescence than improvement.

 

[Asher]

One reason the bike I ride is so much less expensive is that it´s basically a 90s mtn bike with a motor.
The parts are cheap, readily available, & easy to replaced. The more new technology that goes into
a bike, the more knowledge required to repair & the more things that can go wrong. I´m a firm believer
in the kiss principle,(keep it simple, stupid). So much of bike tech today is more about planned
obsolescence than improvement.

On the customer side, there are a ton of people who have this undying belief that technology is always rapidly getting better, and therefore an e-bike has to be packed with cutting edge tech features to be worth their dough - nevermind that those features are mostly trivial, if not outright destructive to the bike's maintainability.

On the company side, they may be taking venture capital, and venture capitalists won't give you money if you're just selling ordinary goods off the shelf - it becomes a game of spinning a story that makes your investors ooh and ahh, not what pays the bills. The venture capitalists want to see some distinctive features, instead of the low margin low innovation competition that direct sales of ebikes actually is.

 

[john peck]

On the customer side, there are a ton of people who have this undying belief that technology is always rapidly getting better, and therefore an e-bike has to be packed with cutting edge tech features to be worth their dough - nevermind that those features are mostly trivial, if not outright destructive to the bike's maintainability.

On the company side, they may be taking venture capital, and venture capitalists won't give you money if you're just selling ordinary goods off the shelf - it becomes a game of spinning a story that makes your investors ooh and ahh, not what pays the bills. The venture capitalists want to see some distinctive features, instead of the low margin low innovation competition that direct sales of ebikes actually is.

So true.

 

[archerlc]

This post conveys the wrong message to potential Domane+ HP owners since it isn't about this model of bike. As others have stated, this really points to the service you are getting - and it is real unfortunate that you are in this situation. The warning here: If you are going to spend this amount of money this is a good warning to interview the shop you purchase from and make sure you are comfortable with their capabilities working on e-bikes (and you still won't know for sure).

To the point of poor service, 3 of the issues above are not Domane+ HP specific. The rear derailleur and shifters are a high end Shimano part that people don't have issues with on this bike or other bikes. The bar tape is an easy fix and I really liked the default tape and even reused it when I switched handlebars. The wheels are also not Domane+ specific, and it is even possible that the shop did some improper tuning on the wheels and put too much tension on a few spokes. Especially if you took it in for a first broken spoke, something was wrong to have a second break if they checked the wheel and spoke tensions when they replaced the first spoke.

I have 2 Domane+ HP in the garage, and the one I ride I use as a gravel bike (I swap to stronger wheels when off road). I put a lot of miles on it, and some of them are on harsh gravel roads riding with people on mountain bikes. With all the vibrations I have never had a power glitch. After 2,000 miles it still shifts fine but it does need adjustment as it breaks in from new as all bikes do. The reason I have 2 is that I was so impressed with this machine that I bought one for my wife. My friend bought a Creo even though I lobbied him to buy a Domane+ HP. It is a fine bike too but it lacks the power and range, and the motor system is exclusive to Specialized where Bosch will have wider support and potentially longer support time frame for parts. The Creo is lighter, and that is nice, and it is a little more gravel oriented with the little "Future Shock" and a little better tire clearance.

For the issue with the lights, this bike does have a design flaw with the connection to the rear light. It is wired up through the seat post and the wire can easily be cut by sticking out when adjusting the seat height or getting smashed when the seat is adjusted to its lowest (especially on small frame). The rear light can't be set to flash, or to come on independent of the front (which is a nice light but also can't flash). So after spending $7k, you need to spend another $35 for a rear flasher. The good news is there are connectors to the light in the seat tube so you can disconnect and remove the factory light easily (may need some pliers to pull apart connectors) but MAKE SURE TO TAPE OFF THE CONNECTOR ENDS SO THEY DON"T SHORT before you push the wire back down the seat tube.

Thank you for the light info. I have a Allant+8S and the lights have never blinked from day one. I am away for the summer and will return home in 2 weeks. My LBS is very good and they will fix my lights. The kicker is that you say only the back light flashes. My buddy up here has the same bike and both the front and the back flash. He has never had his software updated since August 2020.
I’m going to ask for my light to be fixed and that I be given the ability to turn them off. When I bought the bike I asked about the ability to turn them off and he said something to the effect that Trek would not allow that. I thought about cutting the wires if not given the ability to turn them off and no see your post with a solution. I’ll update this reply after I visit my LBS in 2 weeks.

 

[Dallant]

Thank you for the light info. I have a Allant+8S and the lights have never blinked from day one. I am away for the summer and will return home in 2 weeks. My LBS is very good and they will fix my lights. The kicker is that you say only the back light flashes. My buddy up here has the same bike and both the front and the back flash. He has never had his software updated since August 2020.
I’m going to ask for my light to be fixed and that I be given the ability to turn them off. When I bought the bike I asked about the ability to turn them off and he said something to the effect that Trek would not allow that. I thought about cutting the wires if not given the ability to turn them off and no see your post with a solution. I’ll update this reply after I visit my LBS in 2 weeks.

It certainly worked for me to have the light on/off option enabled on my Allant+7, however, my lights do not flash nor was that option available.

 

[Hefeman]

Bought a Domane +HP at the beginning of June. 644 miles. Zero problems. If my spokes kept breaking on a new bike, I'd want a new rim. Maybe there's a crack somewhere undermining integrity. That specific issue seems unrelated to whether a bike has a motor or not.