Originally Posted by
pdlamb
IME packing an S&S coupled bike (60 cm C-T) is tricky, but not all that difficult. Unpacking takes 45 minutes to an hour, while packing takes me 50 minutes to an hour and a half. If I haven't taken it anywhere for a while, it takes a while to remember how the fork and (drop) bars go in just so. There's a trick that makes it trivially simple, but I haven't figured out how to document that in a picture yet. I normally dismount the front tire, so that TSA doesn't dislodge the struts when they open things up to inspect it.
I have packed up a 62cm bike before. Sure I did it, it took an hour, but I believe that if you took a pole, most cyclists would prefer an easier way. I was a bike store owner for over 12 tears, have done bike mechanicing for over 45 yrs (started to build wheels at age 15). I I am extremely mechanical. I had a guy in Texas who I had built a disassemble frame for him and he wanted to disassemble and pack the 54 cm bike in a suitcase to make his noon flight. Despite me talking with him at length over the phone, sending him pictures, he still was unable to pack it up in time to make his flight. (He had to reschedule). So yea, I still think that a lot of people who have packed up an S&S bike, would have to agree it is a PITA.