Love my LHT. I think that the weight issue is overrated. Off the rack, it weighs about the same as comparable bikes (I think mine was 25 lb?) it's all of the aftermarket gear we tend to load touring bikes up with that turns this into a 30 lb bike. People also tend to unnecessarily agonize over the bar-end shifters. Don't. If you already ride a lot and know how/when/why to shift already, the learning curve takes about 15 minutes and after that you'll wonder why you ever put up with anything else.

Touring days are long. Heavy loads can make a bike twitchy. Breakdowns WILL happen in the middle of nowhere. My big piece of advice is to get something that is comfy, stable, and well-built. The LHT has been all of those things for me. You, however, need to get a bike that is comfy for you, and not anyone else. Go try a bunch of bikes before making a decision.

Stuff to watch out for: You'll want to replace the stock tires and probably the saddle right away, so budget for that. Pedals too if you don't like black plastic platforms. Fenders for 26" wheels can be difficult to fit properly. The LHT has a low bottom bracket, so if you ride in the city and like to hop curbs you can easily bash your large chainring against the curb. Yep, all stuff I learned the hard way The paint/powdercoat/whatever job is non too tough, but I can be hard of equipment (I take care of my stuff, it's just that I put a lot of miles on it!) so maybe that's just me. Something nice about Surlys is that you can scrape the labels off and have an anonymous, not-so-theft-attractive bike.