hood and crank protection

[Jody]

Because it scratches the hoods and saddle....

Also in this age of hydraulic brakes can cause air to get into the brake lines.

Seems a bit extreme but fair enough.

 

[smutchin]

Keep one of these in your boot and you won't have to turn the bike upside down when you want to get it ready to go in the car. Also useful for pre-ride fettling if you've driven to a sportive or somesuch:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-essential-mini-maintenance-stand

 

[Globalti]

How on earth would air get into a closed hydraulic brake system?

 

[smutchin]

How on earth would air get into a closed hydraulic brake system?

I've heard that about hydraulic disc brakes as well, but you're right - it doesn't seem to make an awful lot of sense.

Perhaps if you don't bleed them properly you could leave them with a small air bubble in the system. This would then travel through the lines when you turn the bike upside down.

Best solution to that is to bleed your brakes properly.

I prefer working on my bike the right way up anyway.

 

[Sharky]

Worse can happen; .

And of course you wouldn't load your bike upright on the roof rack and pull up at an event and park under the trees?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Get to back of car
Check/move chain in/to small and small
Loosen off front QR so wheel will drop out when lifted and flick off brake release (do not lift)
Loosen off rear QR a bit (no lawyer's lugs there) and flick off brake release
Grip seat tube / saddle under left arm
Reach over with right hand and pull RD and cage back
And lift, allowing wheel to drop out (and topple gently to lean against rear of car)
Grasp top tube and lift, allowing front wheel to drop out (and topple gently to lean against rear of car)
Place frame in car (protection below and above)
Place wheels on top
Close car boot.
I have a pseudo sprocket (plastic, cannot remember what it's called) I can fasten to the drop out to keep the chain taught.
Never turn your bike upside down, not even with a (gulp @mjr ) plastic bag on the saddle.
To deal with a flat in the rear, follow instructions 4567 above. The rear drop outs will be fine on the verge (if you have an extraordinarily low mudguard flap, it will bend without difficulty: it's designed to.

 

[I like Skol]

How on earth would air get into a closed hydraulic brake system?

It isn't a closed system. The fluid reservoir has a small amount of air in it and when the brake lever is in the resting position the brake lines are effectively open to the reservoir. This allows for fluid expansion on warm days and allows fluid into the pressure side of the system to fill the calipers as the brake pads wear.
If you have ever worked on car brakes you will know how much the fluid level increases when the caliper pistons are pushed back to replace worn pads. If you open a bleed nipple on a car braking system the fluid can flow out until the reservoir is drained without having to touch the pedal.
If the brake system of a car, motorbike or bicycle is inverted then the fluid can flow from the brake lines into the reservoir and the air will rise into the brake lines. Of course this doesn't always happen in a bicycle as the clearances are so tight that the viscosity of the fluid will often prevent it, but not always!

 

[mjr]

Get to back of car

How could I get to the back of the car before fixing the flat? It's parked near home.

 

[Ajax Bay]

How could I get to the back of the car before fixing the flat? It's parked near home.

Get to the car was instruction 1. I said (for flats) "follow instructions 4567 above" ie 4,5,6,7.

 

[Moodyman]

Some people might say that proper cyclists would ride to the start of their ride departure place so negating the wheel removal and scratching.

Me, I just catch the train.