[BikeNY]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

In a word, no. As long as the spokes stay in net tension (do not completely detension), they are just as stiff to compressive forces as they are to extensive forces. The main influence of rim stiffness is in determining how the load is distributed amongst the spokes at bottom - the stiffer the rim, the more spokes there will be taking the load, and the lower the stress in individual spokes. Theoretically, the more spokes taking the load, the stiffer the wheel will be, but even a single spoke has a stiffness of 5,000 - 10,000 lb/in, so the net stiffness of a wheel is typically 15,000 - 30,000 lb/in. Or in other words, for purposes of vertical compliance, the wheel is essentially perfectly rigid.

So why are some wheels more vertically compliant than others? This is an honest question, as I have no idea how a spoked wheel actually works. I do know that some wheels feel much stiffener than others, which according to your description isn't possible. Some manufacturers even claim their wheels are more forgiving vertically.