Originally Posted by
davidad
It doesn't matter what the spokes are made of. A spoked wheel is a complete structure with parts that work to carry a load from the axle to the ground. The load pushes on the spokes and in the case of wire or carbon fiber or Kevlar lower the tension by compression.
In no tension wheel does a load "push on the spokes." As Brandt clearly outlines in his book, the load PULLS on all of the spokes above the four to six spokes instantaneously at the bottom position on the wheel. The hub is "hanging" on these spokes, and these spokes rotate through a cycle of very small tension increases (among 26-28 spokes in a 32 spoke wheel) while the 4-6 spokes on the bottom see a larger tension decrease. But if the wheel is properly tensioned, this loss is nowhere near bringing them to zero tension. And they cannot be "pushed" on as they would simply push through the rim (as pointed out by an earlier poster).
Stop using "compression," "push" or any other synonym in a tension wheel when referring to spokes! It is inaccurate and incorrect!