Good day,

I read in a cycling book when I was young (around 1980) that a ten speed wheel could support just over 1000lb before starting to collapse. I have spent time in the Philippines and there are some people who load their bicycle/trucks with somewhere around 700lbs or more over the two back wheels. It took a couple of people to push them up an incline. The wheels were old chrome style touring wheels with whatever tire they could find. They worked. The weight/hub is essentially hung from the top of the rim. The tensile strength of a single spoke must be at least 300lb (I am just guessing). They can take amazing loads and shock loads without collapsing. I am around 200lb and have been riding an old school 12 speed with old aluminum rims since about 1988 and it has seen a few good shocks over the years. Other than a couple of broken spokes and an occasional truing, it has done well. They are amazing little marvels of engineering.