Well, he may also be talking about handling and stiffness. A longer bike with slacker down and head tube angles will (all else being equal) be more stable and have a softer ride. So maybe that's what he's talking about when he said it could never be considered for long trips. That's really poppycock, however. Yeah, it makes a difference but people routinely ride full race bikes hundreds of miles. You're right - all that counts is how comfortable it is for YOU.

As an analogy I used to have a car, a Subaru WRX, where the reviews all said the stiff "sporty" ride would never be considered for a long trip. What BS. I've driven a lowered Honda CRX across the country perfectly comfortably. That Subaru was WAY more comfortable and plush than that little Honda. There's absolutely no reason you NEED a Cadillac to drive cross country. There's absolutely no reason you NEED a particular bike for a certain length of ride.