I don't believe that comfort and performance are tradeoffs anymore. I was a skeptic. I always figured a road bike would be less comfortable, but allow me to achieve greater speed. I was wrong.

I bought my first road bike back in february. Giant OCR Comp 3. It isn't as agressive as a racer, but still my handlebars are a little below my seat.

It took a little while to get everything dialed in, but I did a 62 mile ride last saturday. By far the most comfortable I have ever been on a bike. No hand numbness, no back soreness. My rear was a little sore. But I don't think it is possible to have a saddle that is 100% as comfortable as a lounge chair.

So it is definitely possible to be in a more efficient aero position and still be comfortable.

As to the seat. I was also skeptical that those little hard seats could be comfortable. They definitely can be. The key however is that they have to fit you just right. They key to these saddles is they have to hit your sit bones just right. If they do, they can be nice and comfy. too narrow or too wide and they hit you in the fleshy parts and, well, it feels like sitting on a board.

-D