Compliant rim and wheel assembly

A compliant rim (2) has an annular radially outer rim portion for attaching a tire (17), a tread, or a track (16) thereto, a radially inner hub (4) for attaching to an axle, and a plurality of load supporting spokes (3) tangentially mounted to the radially outer rim portion and the hub (4). Each spoke (3) has a curvilinear shape, preferably a spirally formed shape.