Editing Spoke (section)

===Tension spokes===
{{main|Wire wheel}}
For use in [[bicycle]]s, heavy wooden-spoked wheels were replaced by lighter wheels with spokes made of tensioned, adjustable metal wires, called [[wire wheels]]. These are also used in [[wheelchair]]s, [[motorcycle]]s, [[automobile]]s, and early [[aircraft]].

====Types====
Some types of wheels have removable spokes that can be replaced individually if they break or bend. These include bicycle and wheelchair wheels. High quality bicycles with conventional wheels use spokes of [[stainless steel]], while cheaper bicycles may use [[galvanized]] (also called "rustless") or [[chrome plated]] spokes. While a good quality spoke is capable of supporting about 225 [[kgf]] (c. 500 [[pounds-force]] or 2,200 [[newton (unit)|newton]]s) of tension, they are used at a fraction of this load to avoid suffering fatigue failures. Since bicycle and wheelchair wheel spokes are only in tension, flexible and strong materials such as synthetic fibers, are also occasionally used.<ref name="spinergy">{{cite web
 |title       = PBO Spoke Technology
 |year        = 2006
 |url         = http://www.spinergy.com/catalog/tech_special_feature_v2.php
 |access-date  = 2011-10-21
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20111030122350/http://www.spinergy.com/catalog/tech_special_feature_v2.php
 |archive-date = 2011-10-30
}}</ref> Metal spokes can also be ovalized or bladed to reduce aerodynamic drag, and butted (double or even triple) to reduce weight while maintaining strength.

A variation on the wire-spoked wheel was Tioga's "Tension Disk", which appeared superficially to be a solid disk but was in fact constructed using the same principles as a normal tension-spoked wheel. Instead of individual wire spokes, a continuous thread of Kevlar ([[aramid]]) was used to lace the hub to the rim under high tension. The threads were encased in a translucent disk for protection and some aerodynamic benefit, but this was not a structural component.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ usual spoke diameters<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.sapim.be/spokes/basic/leader |title= Basic spokes |publisher= Sapim N.V. }}</ref>
|-
! [[wire gauge]] !! diameter !! section area
|-
| 15G || 1.8&nbsp;mm || {{#expr:1.8^2}} mm<sup>2</sup>
|-
| 14G || 2.0&nbsp;mm || {{#expr:2^2}} mm<sup>2</sup>
|-
| 13G || 2.3&nbsp;mm || {{#expr:2.3^2}} mm<sup>2</sup>
|-
| 12G || 2.6&nbsp;mm || {{#expr:2.6^2}} mm<sup>2</sup>
|-
| 11G || 2.9&nbsp;mm || {{#expr:2.9^2}} mm<sup>2</sup>
|-
| 10G || 3.2&nbsp;mm || {{#expr:3.2^2}} mm<sup>2</sup>
|}

====Tangential lacing====
Wire spokes can be radial to the hub but are more often mounted [[tangent]]ially to the hub. Tangential spoking allows for the transfer of torque between the rim and the hub. Tangential spokes are thus necessary for the drive wheel, which has torque at the hub from pedalling, and any wheels using hub-mounted brakes such as disk or band brakes, which transfer torque from the rim to the brake in the opposite direction—(via the hub) when braking.

====Wheelbuilding====
Constructing a tension-spoked wheel from its constituent parts is called [[wheelbuilding]] and requires the correct building procedure for a strong and long-lasting end product. Tensioned spokes are usually attached to the rim or sometimes the hub with a [[spoke nipple]]. The other end is commonly peened into a disk or uncommonly bent into a "Z" to keep it from pulling through its hole in the hub. The bent version has the advantage of replacing a broken spoke in a rear bicycle wheel without having to remove the [[Cogset|rear gears]].

Wire wheels, with their excellent weight-to-strength ratio, soon became popular for light vehicles. For everyday cars, wire wheels were soon replaced by the less expensive metal disc wheel, but wire wheels remained popular for [[sports car]]s up to the 1960s. Spoked wheels are still popular on [[motorcycle]]s and [[bicycle]]s.