My exact thoughts as well. So an 18# bike laying on the pedal (with even less weight than that since the front of the bike will be supported by the handlebars) did enough damage to need a new crankset? Then how can these things handle my 195# self stomping on the pedals while climbing a hill or sprinting to the stop sign? I realize it is a different direction of force, but come on, that's less than 10lbs resting on that crank, I'd wager the way I put mine in it was less than 2lbs.

Thanks for writing what I was thinking too. I worked at a bike store for 4 years, and loaded 100's of bikes. I'd say 90% of them went into station wagons, trucks, vans or RV's on their side. I've been doing it to my own bikes for well over 40 years. Never, not even once, so much as a scratch. Of course there are tarps or blankets or some kind of protection for the vehicle and the bike. You don't just throw a bike in a bare pickup and go 4 wheeling. But man, if your bike gets broken like this... you've got way more than a bike to worry about. You either rolled your vehicle or got hit by a train or something.

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Athlinks / Strava

Like the others, I don't trust your mechanic ( and I assume salesperson). Get some cheap eggshell foam pieces ( or a foam mattress topper) and put it under the bike at it's contact points. Use a bungee cord or two to secure it in place.

Yes. In my case I just take the front wheel off and pop in the second row of my Tundra. Don't know what kind of hoods people are in but in my part of the world as long as the truck is locked I don't give it a second thought.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Got it, consensus has it that it is unlikely that laying the bike with weight on the pedal is a problem.
I still think it would be nice to have a rack to lay my bike on horizontally in the bed under my Tonneau cover. I carry my bike with me all the time.
Thanks for all your comments!

Volvo wagon FTW.

Quick follow up.
Thanks for all your comments!
I posted a similar question on Reddit, in a bike mechanics SubReddit. They very much agreed with you guys!
Again, thanks!

I put my road bike with aero bars in the back seat of my F150 yesterday, and it fit with both wheels on. I just had to turn the front wheel at an angle, as you said.

I'll try it with my TT bike next, but not sure if the front wheel will turn enough to make it work. It's a Speed Concept, and the front can't be turned very much due to all the cables from the cockpit passing through the frame.

Just admit the cool part of your life is over and buy a minivan. I used to rent a Dodge Caravan for trips to out of town races, and being able to put 2-4 bikes inside and upright was very nice.

Once you unload the moose there should be plenty of room for your bike.

Buy a minivan - then the bike (s) stand up and stay safe. No wheel to remove and fiddling with it. I do this all the time - swim at the pool, run to my van (T1), roll the bike out the back - shoes & helmet on - ride off.
I have been touting the benefits a a minivan for the triathlon lifestyle here for years. Nothing beat it!
John

JFC, are we still talking about a bicycle, or a Fabergé egg? I get that a little finish might get scuffed off the ends of the pedal & handlebar (which I fully understand is unwanted from a vanity standpoint), but how could I possibly expect such a delicate mechanical device to withstand the structural load of having my fat ~200lb ass trying to mash the cranks side to side in a sprint or steep climb, or rolling off a curb, yet not be able to survive its own weight (under 20lbs, perhaps 25 max w/ a couple of full water bottles) bouncing up & down maybe a couple inches? Are you driving it seriously off-road on the way to/from your riding destination so that your cargo is bouncing that badly back there?

I’ve actually done that plenty w/ various MTBs (driving over big rocks & caterpillar ruts, etc) ~ the warning about potentially ‘flinging it out of the bed itself’ is utterly fucking absurd unless you manage to flip the whole damn truck (which I’ve seen done, BTW, sliding slo-mo off the lip of an icy shoulder), but in that rare event I’m gonna say the bike is the least of your worries. If you’re fearful enough of that happening, you probably shouldn’t risk leaving the house in the first place.

I am dreading the day I need to replace my Mistubishi Pajero. I literally went around all the dealers last time and my sole requirement was the height of the rear boot. I'm tall with long legs and the height of the Pajero/Shogun is 1cm taller than my road bike saddle. The TT bike goes in with only the Torhans straw needing to be laid flat. Sadly nowadays most trucks seem to have the spare wheel under the boot and not on the back door, which means there's less height.

But pror to that I used to rely on putting the bikes in soft travel bags and putting them (often two) flat in the trunk. Never had any issue at all. Bonus of that was that it meant after MTB then you didn't need to worry about dirt getting everywhere either.