good news! i rode ~25 miles today (with bike shorts on) and it wasn't bad. my soft tissues started getting sore about 2/3 of the way thru the ride, and my sit bones didn't feel great, but they also didn't feel terrible (so maybe it was just pre- broken-in brooks feeling). I also lowered the seat a smidge and slightly changed the angle so that the nose was flat. hopefully this bodes well for the future. fingers crossed!