If you can't get things situated to your satisfaction AND you are comfortable readjusting the ders if necessary, just pull them off and reinstall them when you get there. It only takes a few minutes and a 5 mm allen wrench and may be the ultimate protection. Take a couple of extra cables and your cable cutters. in case one gets buggered with frayed ends. Spare cable's not a bad idea anyway.
Gulp! This is getting a bit complex. I'll try the padding angle. Upside down sounds more feasible, but does that pose a problem for the forks though?