THE STORY
DUO started with a question we kept asking ourselves.
Why do cyclists have to choose between the bike they love and a little bit of electric assistance?
Most e-bikes are great at being e-bikes, but they rarely ride, handle, or feel like a good road or gravel bike. On the other hand, most conversion kits are heavy, complicated, and look like an afterthought.
We thought there had to be a better way.
We’re James, Brad, and Dave from Christchurch, New Zealand. Between us we’ve spent decades riding bikes, racing bikes, building bikes, selling bikes, and helping people get more enjoyment out of cycling. Through our company Wattwheels we’ve also spent the last ten years designing and selling e-bikes throughout New Zealand.
The idea for DUO came from conversations with real riders. People who still loved cycling but wanted a little help from time to time. Maybe it was a long climb. Maybe it was a headwind. Maybe they wanted to keep up with faster friends or continue riding as life, age, injuries, or fitness got in the way.
What they didn’t want was to replace the bike they’d spent years choosing, setting up, and falling in love with.
So we set out to build a system that worked with the bike you already own.
After hundreds of hours of testing, countless early mornings, plenty of setbacks, and more kilometres than we can count, DUO has become exactly what we hoped it would be. A lightweight electric wheelset that feels natural to ride, is simple to install, and keeps the character of your bike intact.
We’ve worked with some of the best manufacturers in the cycling industry to bring the product to life, but the idea, development, testing, and fine tuning have happened right here in New Zealand.
At the end of the day, DUO isn’t about replacing cycling. It’s about helping more people enjoy it.
For me personally, that’s what makes this project special. As someone who spent years racing bikes, I know how much cycling can become part of your identity. Life changes. Fitness changes. Priorities change. But the enjoyment of riding never really goes away.
DUO lets you keep riding the bike you love, on your terms.
That’s what we’ve built, and we’re excited to finally share it with the world.
– James Zwaagman, Manager of Innovation & Technology, Wattwheels / Project Lead, Duo Wheels
PRESS RELEASE
DUO Wheels Introduces a New Approach to Electric Cycling.
Keep the Bike You Already Love.
From the team behind New Zealand cycling brand Duo Wheels comes a product designed for riders who never wanted a traditional e-bike in the first place.
DUO is a lightweight carbon wheelset that transforms almost any modern road or gravel bike into an e-bike in a matter of minutes. No bulky conversion kits. No permanent modifications. No messy wiring. Just a clean, minimal system designed to preserve the feel of the bike underneath you.
At first glance, most people don’t even realise it’s electric.
The system pairs a high-performance rear hub motor built into a carbon wheel with a matching front wheel and a compact bottle-cage mounted battery. Installation takes only a few minutes.
The idea behind DUO was simple.
Many riders still love cycling but struggle to ride the way they once did. Hills get harder. Group rides get faster. Injuries happen. Fitness changes. Sometimes one rider in a relationship simply wants a little help keeping pace with the other. Other riders may simply want a bit of a boost to ride further, climb easier, or take the edge off a long day in the saddle.
For many cyclists, traditional e-bikes were never the answer.
Most ready-made e-bikes are expensive, heavy, and often force riders into component choices they wouldn’t normally make themselves. Riders spend years refining their bikes to fit perfectly, only to be told they need to replace the entire thing to gain a little assistance.
DUO takes a different approach.
Instead of replacing the bike you know and love, DUO works with it.
You keep the geometry you are comfortable on. The groupset you chose. The cockpit, fit, and handling characteristics you already know. The bike still feels familiar because underneath it all, it’s still your bike.
“We didn’t want to build another heavy, overcomplicated e-bike conversion,” says James Zwaagman. “We wanted something that still felt like a proper bike. Something you could remove when you didn’t need it and install when you did.”
The focus throughout development has been ride feel and usability first, technology second.
The rear hub uses an integrated torque sensor to deliver smooth, natural assistance rather than the abrupt surge often associated with traditional conversion kits. When switched off, the system rides much like a normal wheelset with minimal drag.
A dedicated Duo app also allows riders to fine tune the assistance levels to suit their own riding style and preferences. Whether the goal is subtle support on long rides or stronger assistance on steep climbs, riders are able to personalise the feel of the system to match the experience they want from their bike.
The battery mounts cleanly in a standard bottle cage position using a single removable cable between the wheel and battery, keeping the overall system minimal and discreet.
DUO was first shown publicly at Eurobike where the project generated strong interest from media, distributors, and riders looking for a lighter and more discreet alternative to full-size e-bikes.
Since then, development has focused heavily on refinement, real-world testing, and ride quality.
The wheelsets currently being sent to media partners are pre-production systems built for long-term testing and honest feedback ahead of launch.
DUO is compatible with most modern disc brake road and gravel bikes using 12x142mm rear spacing and 12x100mm front spacing.
System highlights include:
• Lightweight carbon wheelset design
• Rear hub motor with integrated torque sensor
• Matching carbon front wheel
• Compact bottle-cage mounted battery
• Duo app with adjustable assist tuning
• Quick installation and removal
• Minimal visual impact on the bike
• Designed to retain natural ride feel
The goal for DUO has never been to replace cycling.
It’s about helping more people continue riding the bikes they already love.
For media enquiries, testing opportunities, or partnership discussions:
hello@duowheels.com