Thanks
djb and
Doug64 , really helpful to see the photos and hear the explanations. I'm sorry I couldn't include photos in this post, but glad you could see them on the other one. (I guess I have to have 10 posts in the forums in order to do so!)
You guys seem pretty spot on and also on the same page. I think I'm there as well. In summary, I need to be more spread out on the bike so I definitely need a longer stem BUT I also need to A) live with/get used to the more aggressive drop or B) raise the bars using an angled stem, more spacers, replace the fork, use a BBB extender etc. Many options for this part. Really appreciate you helping me understand and get to this point.
I'm wondering if it's just more worth it to start with a bike that fits me better. (Thinking about the Fuji Disc Touring at 49cm. Though now stressed the 52cm might be better! Ha!) As I said, I snagged this Surly LHT used for a steal, and thought I could likely make it work. But it starting to feel I may get more bang for my buck and a lot less hassle selling it and starting fresh. djb, you're right about the used touring bike market. I've been scouring it! But it's very tough for touring in general, for my size, and with the cycling world going a bit crazy right now. My LBS is inundated.