A
spoke is one of some number of rods radiating from the center of a
wheel (the
hub where the
axle connects), connecting the hub with the round traction surface.
The term originally referred to portions of a log which had been split lengthwise into four or six sections. The radial members of a wagon wheel were made by carving a spoke (from a log) into a rounded shape. Eventually, the term spoke was more commonly applied to the finished product of the
wheelwright's work, than to the materials he used.
Spokes can be made of wood or metal. Some types of wheel have removable spokes which can be replaced individually if they break or bend. These include bicycle and wheelchair wheels.
The original type of spoked wheel with wooden, fixed spokes was used for horse drawn carriages. For use in bicycles, such wheels proved too heavy, so wheels with spokes made of adjustable metal wires were introduced.
With the development of the automobile, these wire wheels , with their excellent weight to strength ratio, soon became popular for light vehicles. The wire wheels were generally soon replaced by the less expensive metal disc wheel, but wire wheels remained popular for sports cars up to the 1960s.
See also: