I had those rubber vibration absorbers made for lawnmower handles instead of bar tape on my last bike, mostly to bring the grip a little closer, but maybe they made a difference in comfort too. I'm going to try them on the Trek tomorrow.
Yen's experience gives me hope & I'll keep trying.
Did you ever ride a Jamis Coda? I think that was my favorite of the bikes that I test rode before I bought this, & it was a hybrid, I believe. I had wondered about the flat bars for long rides, though.