Originally Posted by
Clawed
If you must load two or more bikes on their sides stacked up put a quilt type packing cloth on top of each one. It prevents tangling and reduces the chances for damage. Concentrate on not damaging the rear derailers.
Yeah. A doubled up moving pad works well. Two is OK, and I do that fairly routinely. Three can get a bit tricky and precarious.
If three in the back were my requirement, I'd try to find a vehicle where I could stand the bikes upright with front wheel off and held in fork clamps attached to a board. The height requirement would be dictated by the resultant height of the saddle. Removing the saddle and seatpost is kind of a hassle but would significantly reduce the height required. Having to remove the seastposts routinely would be a showstopper as far as I'm concerned, but doing it only occasionally for special trips would be OK, IMO.