Pain? What pain? As a frame builder you should know that fit is everything. And a well broken-in Brooks B17 saddle helps a lot, along with quality shorts. But it has taken a l-o-n-g time to set up the off-the-shelf Fuji Touring frame. After the 1200, hardly any arse soreness -- just a bit of bruising from the lousy road surfaces Vicko has. Had more trouble from my ITB than anything else, and that was to do with a pedal cleat that was done up too tight (long story and too complicated to explain here).

Anyway, LD riding is an acquired taste for the older members of the cycling generation. You probably don't really "get it" until you are over the age of 40, or maybe 45. And I get to see things I would not have seen before -- Paris to Brest, the Mallee country, a reminder of the Perth hills, and of course, the Great Ocean Rd and Grampians in a far more intimate way!