Originally Posted by
SortaGrey
the GIVE when the person hits absorbs the shock.. good outcome. Imagine a tight surface to land on... the spoked wheel I think of that way. Firm and within stress limits.. not so close to the rim's max tension.. gives some with the shocks. Too tight.. the rim is near it's tension potential.. then the shock hits. Has to be harder on the whole unit...
This is why double butted spokes are used. That shock has to be absorbed. If you leave the tension a bit lower to help deal with the stresses, the elbow of the spoke will absorb the shocks and will fatigue over time. The idea is that there will be shocks and stresses in the assembly. when you provide direction for those stresses, they are more controlled. By using spokes that are thinner in the center section of the main shaft, you are allowing that stress to be absorbed by an region of the spoke not prone to breakage and thus protecting the elbow.