The world’s lightest E-road bike? Meet the 8.5 kg HPS Domestique 1-21 Launch Edition!
Not everyone will come to terms with the idea of an E-road bike and competitive riders’ demands of a road bike are so high that they seem unattainable for an E-assisted version. However, if you know us, you know that we always try to remain unbiased, open to giving the concept of an E-road bike a chance. As one of the first publications to pay the topic any serious attention, we carried out a comprehensive group test in 2019. Recently, we also had the opportunity to put the Scott Addict eRide Premium through its paces, and it flew the E-road bike flag with more than just theoretical figures. Now, HPS are out to set a new standard among E-road bikes with the strictly limited Domestique 1-21 Launch Edition, claiming a total bike weight of only 8.5 kg.
A road bike among E-road bikes? The HPS Domestique 1-21 Launch Edition in detail
As they set out, HPS were single-minded in their goal: to create an E-road bike that rides, feels and looks like a high-performance analogue road bike. Thus, integrated batteries and bulky mid-mounted or hub motors were precluded from the outset. Instead, they needed a centrally integrated motor that is only noticeable when it assists the rider. To meet these demands, HPS developed a drive unit that weighs just 1.5 kg, including the battery! Hidden from view, the motor is integrated into the seat tube, just above the bottom bracket. It puts out a maximum torque of 20 Nm and an up to 200 watts. While those figures aren’t on par with the other motors from our E-road bike group test, HPS claim the power-to-weight ratio of 133 watts per kilogram to be class-leading.
The electronic controls for the motor and battery are housed in the down tube. Doing so helps keep the bike’s centre of gravity low and the handling dynamics unaffected. From the outside, there’s nothing about the Domestique that hints at the “E” in this road bike. All electronic components are seamlessly integrated into the carbon frame. There are two battery options to choose from: a 1.2 kg battery with a capacity of 193 Wh, delivering up to 3 hours of assistance, or a lightweight 720 g battery with 85 Wh and a claimed runtime of 1.5 hours. In true Bond fashion, both batteries are designed to look like water bottles. While disguised as an ordinary water bottle, the smaller battery intends to keep the added weight to a minimum, thereby offering riders the same, unadulterated handling of a modern, analogue road bike. In addition, the smaller battery complies with current flight safety regulations, allowing you to take it on board an aeroplane. The battery gets attached to the bike via a special “bottle cage” on the seat tube, through which it transmits electricity to the motor.
Features and geometry of the HPS Domestique 1-21 Launch Edition
To complete the build, HPS rely on Italian expertise. The 13-speed Ekar groupset including Ergopower gear levers, disc brakes and the Shamal carbon wheelset are all supplied by Campagnolo. Deda supply the Elementi handlebar and seat post. The Scicon saddle comes from Asg Bike Science. For the tires, you get a set of Pirelli P ZEROs with a width of 28 mm. The frame is available in four sizes from S to XL and HPS will cater to special, size-related requests when it comes to speccing the build as the E-road bike is limited to 21 bikes.
| Size | S | M | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 520 mm | 540 mm | 560 mm |
| Top tube | 533 mm | 545 mm | 557 mm |
| Head tube | 144 mm | 153 mm | 162 mm |
| Head angle | 71° | 72° | 72.5° |
| Seat angle | 74° | 73.5° | 73.5° |
| BB Drop | 70 mm | 70 mm | 70 mm |
| Chainstays | 420 mm | 420 mm | 420 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,005 mm | 1,004 mm | 1,006 mm |
| Reach | 375 mm | 380 mm | 388 mm |
| Stack | 543 mm | 554 mm | 567 mm |
Who is the HPS Domestique 1-21 Launch Edition suitable for?
According to HPS, they’re not targeting a single type of road cyclist with the Domestique. It’s designed to support riders who want to keep up with a faster group or those who want to try riding extremely demanding routes but don’t yet have the confidence to do so on their own. Simultaneously, the bike is aimed at physically and technically experienced riders that are on a particular training program and want to ride a route on their recovery day that they couldn’t without support. Either way, whoever decides that the HPS Domestique 1-21 Launch Edition is something they need will have to fork out € 12,000 and do so very quickly, because, as the name suggests, the Launch Edition is limited to 21 bikes. The first 21 riders to place their order will be lucky enough to swing their legs over the Domestique after an estimated delivery time of 3 months.
The HPS Domestique 1-21 Launch Edition is an exotic specimen, even among the rare genus of E-road bikes. With its minimal weight and standalone drive concept, we can imagine using the Domestique as both a training tool and a bike that’s fun to ride. With just 21 available, you definitely won’t see this E-road bike collecting dust on a shop floor and it remains to be seen whether we’ll see another, less limited edition become available. We can’t wait to test the Domestique for ourselves to give you an in-depth review.
For more information, visit hsp-bike.com
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Words: Rudolf Fischer Photos: HPS
About the Author
Rudolf Fischer
In his previous life Rudolf was a dab hand at promoting innovation, putting his brain behind big-ticket patent assessments that easily ran into six-or-seven-plus figures. These days, the self-confessed data nerd’s role as editor at DOWNTOWN and E-MOUNTAINBIKE is no less exciting. Given his specialism in connectivity, Rudolf’s often placed on the front line of future mobility conversations, but he’s also big into testing new bikes–both on the daily as a committed commuter and intensively for our group tests. The business economist graduate is as versatile as a Swiss penknife, and that’s no hyperbole. Away from two wheels, his background in parkour means he’s a master of front, side and backflips, plus he speaks German, English, French, Russian and a touch of Esperanto. Japanese remains woefully unmastered, despite his best home-learning attempts. Good to know: Rudolf’s sharp tongue has made him a figure of fear in the office, where he’s got a reputation for flexing a dry wittiness à la Ricky Gervais... interestingly, he's usually the one laughing hardest.
