I have never read the Bicycle Wheel, nor do I intend to, but I did find this claim in a much earlier post:
I have been reading Jobst Brandt's "The Bicycle Wheel." Amazingly, the effect of twisting the rear hub under acceleration -- even in a sprint -- makes a pretty small impact on the spokes. Brandt indicates that a fully-inflated tire produces a greater affect on the spokes than the cyclist's pedaling forces!
I have always been suspect of claims that the torque a rider puts out presents a problem with spokes. I think a hard application of a disc brake probably results in more stress on the hub/spokes than pedaling could.