At the Olympics, Great Britain's Tom Pidcock and France's Pauline Ferrand-Prévot each won Gold in the men's and women's Cross Country Mountain Bike event. In addition to having the medal in common, both riders had an unusual feature on their bikes: Plastic spokes. Specifically, Minnesota-based Berd's PolyLight Spokes, which are made from UHMWPE, a/k/a Dyneema:

"Berd spokes are made from an advanced polymer called ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) that has 15 times the strength-to-weight ratio of steel and floats on water. Berd spokes have an improved fatigue life compared to steel and are impervious to the elements."

The PolyLights weigh 156g per 64 spokes, providing a weight savings of 200g vs. traditional lightweight metals.

Interestingly, the spokes are loose and string-like until they're tensioned during the wheel build:

The spokes run $8 a pop. (Remember that you need 128 for two wheels.)

Here's video of both races:

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