Don't know what to say, having to come to Mtl, one would think that they would be able to get one in T.O.
I know the folks at La Cordee Boutique on St Laurent blvd fairly well, have gone their for years and have given a talk last year on my Latin America trips. Its a good store , with a great range of panniers etc, let me know if you would like me to call them and ask about a 46cm LHT.
This is techno blah blah, but its a shame the LHT changed the crankset, the front gears, from what the trek has 48/36/26, to a 50/39/30.
The 48/36/26 to me is a great touring crank, and having toured on a 50/39/30 where I changed the 30 to a 26 on my own, I feel pretty strongly backed up by experience that the 39 mid ring is a bit too large, and the 30 also.
The 48/36/26 is a great all rounder crankset, the LHT has always had this crankset, don't understand why they went to a larger one (has to be cost, even the last few years, they had the ten speed 48/36/26 and 10 gears in back, so it has to be a cost thing)
about the leg length thing, we've never gone to any changes, but that person doesnt ride that much, but one day I would like to look into either a diff sized crank arm on either side, or like what you did, to even things up more, because it really is better to even things up.
re stems, the thing that holds the handlebars, even going to a short one is not a problem. On my Surly Troll that I set up for drop bars, I have a very short one, about 50mm ("normal" tends to be about 90 or 100) and it does not steer too quickly at all, which some people have concerns about. Dont forget, throw front panniers on, and a handlebar bag and your bike's steering is going to slow down a lot anyway)
Stems also have diff angles to them, so one can get one that is angled up more, essentially putting your handlebars up more also, which along with seat to bars distance, is another factor for comfort.
Getting a bike, especially a drop bar bike , to fit you well, is the most important thing. When you have a bike that works for you riding for many hours, day after day, it really is a beautiful thing and much appreciated. Sometimes though it takes a while to recognize the signs of , oh I need the bars a bit nearer, or a bit higher, this would make all the difference in my comfort....etc etc.