Fifty Plus (50+) - Bike transport on tour

I think I'd like to try one of the multi-day road tours in my region next year, for example the Michigan "Shoreline West" tour (3-day or 7-day). The issue with these tours is that they are one-way routes, so that if you're on your own you have to either park at the finish and get bused to the start, or park at the start and catch a return bus ride at the end. I don't have any problems with riding a bus for a few hours, but I am concerned about the way they want you to prep your bike for transport.

The instructions say that you have to remove your pedals and racks, and also turn the bars 90 degrees. This implies that they are going to really close-pack the bikes when they transport them on the truck. I don't own a $3K bike, but even so I do like keeping it in good shape, and this sounds like a good way to get it scratched or otherwise marred.

Anyone had any experience with bikes being transported this way? Any tips on what to do?

Velodiva and I did a one way tour many years ago. We rented a car and drove it to the start and dropped it off and rode to the start.

I think I'd like to try one of the multi-day road tours in my region next year, for example the Michigan "Shoreline West" tour (3-day or 7-day). The issue with these tours is that they are one-way routes, so that if you're on your own you have to either park at the finish and get bused to the start, or park at the start and catch a return bus ride at the end. I don't have any problems with riding a bus for a few hours, but I am concerned about the way they want you to prep your bike for transport.

The instructions say that you have to remove your pedals and racks, and also turn the bars 90 degrees. This implies that they are going to really close-pack the bikes when they transport them on the truck. I don't own a $3K bike, but even so I do like keeping it in good shape, and this sounds like a good way to get it scratched or otherwise marred.

Anyone had any experience with bikes being transported this way? Any tips on what to do?

I did the Shoreline West tour this summer but didn't use their bike transport. I don't remember hearing anyone complain about their bike being damaged or treated roughly. I used the bike transport on another tour and had no problems with my bike. I didn't have to remove pedals or turn the bars before loading the bike. They had a semi trailer and used heavy padded shipping blankets to pack the bikes.

The sponsor of the Shoreline West also has one they call the MUP (Michigan Upper Peninsula) that I think is a loop route. Maybe it would work for you. I really wasn't too thrilled with spending a day riding a bus:(

I have done rides that transport bikes that way. The removal of pedals and turning hadlebars is to keep the bikes as narrow and flat as practical, both for compactness and to avoid damage. They would roll one bike in, place a large flattened cardboard box beside it and roll the next bike in beside it and so on. Sometimes they stacked 2 bikes high by putting a layer of cardboard over a full row of bikes and standing the next row of bikes and boxes above the first.
Although it may sound a little iffy, it works very well and the bikes get through the process unscathed.

If the ride in question has a forum, ask veterans how well they protect the bikes, or ask the organizers what they do to protect the bikes.

You could consider loop rides in near by States
TRIRI (IN) and GOBA (OH) they are both June rides

I prefer TRIRI due to size (450) vs GOBA's (3000)