Buckling and collapse of the bicycle wheel

Abstract eng:
A bicycle wheel is a prestressed structure; the tensioned spokes hold the rim under compression. It can buckle due to the elastic energy stored during construction or from external loads. This buckling mode, known as a “taco” or “potato chip” due to its saddle-like shape, can result from either of two related failure mechanisms: (1) elastic buckling under uniform spoke tension, and (2) dynamic collapse when loaded through the hub. Dynamic failure initiates from local buckling of the rim near the road contact. We derive an analytical expression for the buckling tension for an unloaded wheel and simulate wheel collapse using non-linear finite-element calculations. We present a lower bound for the load at which spokes will buckle. We find that increasing spoke tension increases the failure load, unless the spoke tension is close to the buckling tension, in which case the wheel will collapse under even a small disturbance.

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