Originally Posted by
cyccommute
As for comfort, touring bikes are made for it. No other bike is built and designed for that specifically. Race bikes aren't usually meant for comfort. They are built for speed. An LHT may be heavy but on day 21 of your ride, you'll appreciated the Cadillac comfort.
That is the conventional wisdom, but I seem to put less and less stock in it the more I ride. The fact that my current road bike while it has a very aggressive cockpit also is THE most comfortable bike I have ridden on long rides. I base that on how I feel after a century ride on it versus a century ride on a touring bike. That may not be the best criteria and I am not saying any of this is conclusive, but it has made me begin to think differently about comfort. As a result my touring bike preferences are becoming at least a bit more road bike like with regards to tire selection, saddle selection, cockpit setup, and frame geometry.
Just another crazy opinion... feel free to ignore or take with a grain of salt.