Originally Posted by
Dan333SP
We've had some lively debates here about whether the mechanics of what appears to have happened in that photo are even possible.
Yes, it's very possible. The key elements are the time interval between the passing of spokes, and the speed of the squirrel.
Lower spoke count wheels increase that time interval making this kind of event more likely.
You can do a small home experiment using a ping pong ball and your front wheel. It's not all that difficult to toss the ball through a stationary wheel, with some going clear through and some glancing off a spoke and being deflected as they pass. Obviously lower spoke count makes the "hole" bigger and tossing through easier.
Now spin the wheel and you'll see the hole close making tossing the ball through more difficult. Doing this you'll see that high spoke count wheels would tend to be impenetrable and ping a squirrel back the way he came, while lower spoke count wheel might let him get part way through.