[ZenGum]

I had a minor epiphany about bicycle spokes recently.

The weight of the bike goes down the forks, to the hub of the wheel, and then [epiphany] is not supported from beneath by compression, but is suspended from the top of the wheel rim, by tension on the spokes. The rim then carries the weight down to the contact point with the ground, and all the other spokes are under tension to keep the rim from bulging and losing its circular shape.