My first bike was a Trek 7.6 FX. Beautiful bike but just a little too long for me...and I sold it after getting a Surly Long Haul Trucker. My experience is not the norm however, because of certain problems with my hands, part of my fitting for the LHT was to convert the bike from road bars to 2-inch flat riser bars with Ergon grips and trigger shifters.

I do have to mention that I've had no problem riding quite long distances with my flat bars and have had no problems with my hands at all. My longest ride to date on this bike is 72 miles, and I lost count of the number of 55-65 mile rides this summer before getting sidelined by a couple of over-use injuries in September. I just wanted to mention this as I keep reading that flat bars aren't suitable for longer distances. That is not the case. Certainly road bars provide more hand positions, and are more aerodynamic, but not the only option.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I am sure that you will love whatever you choose, the important thing is just to get out and ride, ride, and ride some more