TC I think that is the difference. The wind catches the wheels down low and move the bike on the road, low. It feels like the bike is going to move out from under you, not just move around in the wind.

 

I think that the notion that a spoked wheel is basically solid once it is spinning fairly fast is wrong.

Think of it like this:
When you're riding down the road next time - look at your shadow on the ground next to you
and you'll see that you can see right through the wheel if it has any kind of spokes - no shadow - it's not solid at all.

A solid wheel casts a solid shadow of course.

I don't believe that wind will pass straight through a spoked wheel at speed - but I do think that it will cut though at various degrees
and angles. That in its self will allow enough wind to pass through the spokes, where solid wheels can't let any amount of wind
through at all...

So... I stand by the notion that spokes help the handling a lot - it just makes sense - and I can feel the difference.

So put that in your pipes and smoke it : )