It was annoying but the alternative would have been to ship the bikes separately. Better, we thought, to purchase comfort for ourselves than space in a van. The only disadvantage to a knock-down cycle is its cost. The premium in the UK for a Bike Friday over a comparable equipped conventional cycle appears to be roughly similar. If you travel a lot, however, you are likely to recoup much of this cost, not in cash but in savings.
Holidays abroad are usually dear and holiday time is irreplaceable.
It does not take many days dealing with shipping forms or running around trying to replace broken bicycle bits to waste the cost of a set of couplings. The only damage we have ever incurred has been to cables, and this has been my own fault. When packing and unpacking, it is remarkably easy to kink a cable, so I have learned to carry several spares. I use ordinary cable housings which are less likely to kink than high-tech ones. A cycle that folds is even more useful.