If you want to understand the strength of wheels and how their construction deals with cyclic forces spend some time watching Bill Mould on youtube.
Bill's explanations are excellent, and he likes to prove what he is saying.
Here's proof that a sapim spoke can hold 300 pounds on it's own:
https:// youtu.be/ZaLZzJLzr6Qh
there's also a vid of a bicycle wheel supporting the weight of a car being driven.