Originally Posted by
cooker
...That's what Brandt is saying about the bottom spokes. They are supporting the weight of the rider by not pulling down as hard as before. The upper spokes don't have to increase their tension (more than a trivial amount) to accomodate the load.
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If the part in red is from Brandt's book (I confess I have not read it or plan on getting it any time soon) then he has unfortunetly helped set the stage for this misconception. The upper spokes may only see a small change but with so many of them sharing the load this small change adds up.
A single thread is easily snapped on its own but when woven into a belt it can support massive loads.