**Steel Cables** aka **Tensegrity** or **Tensional Integrity**

This is not a unique frame build material because wires or cables only work under tension.  So this bike requires at least two beams of some other non-compressible material, in the form of a main beam and a seat post.

Earlier:
[![enter image description here][1]][1]

More modern construction with only one wire:
[![enter image description here][2]][2]

**Advantages**

 * Less frontal area, lower wind resistance and therefore more aero.

 * Theoretically lighter than tubes.

**Disadvantages**

 * Not actually lighter than tubes, because the main beam has to be beefier, and steel cable is not light in the first place.

 * Cheesecutter - In the event of an accident, the topwire/toptube would do significantly more focused damage based on its smaller size.  Like those taut wires used to cut fancy cheese.   *cringe*

 * Flex - these bikes were excessively compliant in the horizontal direction.

**Future**

Some development has been done with kevlar cables and carbon fibre main beams.



  [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/HI6SD.jpg
  [2]: https://i.sstatic.net/qSpV7.jpg