The Wheel

The wheel is a recent addition to the cycle track's sculpture trail. The spokes are made out of railway sleepers. I'm not sure why some of the spokes and a section of wheel rim are missing, possibly the sculptor didn't have a spoke length calculator, perhaps its what is known as artistic licence. Either way I can't help him much because wagon wheels work differently to wire bicycle wheels: A wagon wheel supports the hub on the lower spokes which are in compression, but bicycle wheels support the hub from the upper spokes which are in tension. Wheel with some spokes missing at the start of the cycle track diversion around the new ring road

Wheel with some spokes missing at the start of the cycle track diversion around the new ring road

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Photography by Nigel Jones Aug 2003