Apparently, there are, but I myself cannot access the article itself:
"Bicycle Wheel as Prestressed Structure
J. Engrg. Mech. Volume 119, Issue 3, pp. 439-455 (March 1993)
C. J. Burgoyne 1 and R. Dilmaghanian2
1Univ. Lect., Engrg. Dept., Univ. of Cambridge, Trumpington St., Cambridge CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
2Formerly, Steel Construction Inst.
Issue Date: March 1993
Bicycle wheels achieve their structural efficiency by making use of prestressing in three ways. Tests show that the bottom spokes carry virtually all the load by compressive forces, which reduce the tensile prestress set up in the spokes when the wheel was made. The test results are compared with an analysis that considers the spokes as a disk that can carry force in one direction only. This is shown to give good agreement, as does an analysis that considers the rim as a straight beam on an elastic foundation. The behavior of the wheel with an inflated tire is also considered, and it is shown that good comparisons with theory are obtained if the reaction from the road is assumed to be distributed over a specific length of the rim. Prestressing is shown to be important also in the mechanism by which the various forces are transmitted through the tire from the road to the rim.
©1993 American Society of Civil Engineers"