You want to know what I got and want and advise?

BIKE
My bike is a 16 year old Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike. In it's day, it was the most sought after touring bike. I have an Xtracycle on the back of my bike. It replaces the rear wheel and the rear wheel is attached to it.

I want a recumbent bike or trike - ergonomic to reduce pain. The ideal trike would be a Greenspeed GTE. I do not know about touring recumbent bikes. The best upright touring bicycle (standard concept of bicycle) is a mountain bike with a steel frame, no shocks. The over-sized bike frame tubes now available add to the stiffness and weight-bearing capacity. Steel frames are easier for welders to fix. Carbon fiber does not get 'fixed'. Aluminum does not get fixed once it bends. I don't know about titanium.

My bike seat was a Spiderflex. I love it. But, the foam got ripped up. I am working on replacing the foam with something much, much tougher. My idea is nylon webbing twirled into a spiral cord then wrapped around the steel tubing frame of the bike seat for cushioning then covering that with leather. Any suggestions?

My tires are street tires - smooth. Narrower tires are easier to ride, less effort but they do not carry as much weight and have less shock absorbing ability than fatter tires. You can put narrower tires on a mountain bike frame.

CLOTHING
Wool and silk are one school of thought, synthetics are another. I use both. Polypropylene works best for me; my summer weight US military long underwear shirts (six words to describe one item is typical military ) are more durable and comfortable than anything else.

Underwear
I like the DriStar underwear I buy at WalMart, the colors black and blue are both transparent, this is bad. But the gray is not see-through and is more comfortable.

Socks
I wear long, stretchy dress socks under long,, stretchy wool socks. At least, I think they are wool socks. I buy both kinds of socks at thrift stores, so they lineage is questionable. Did I mention color challenged? Well, I bought them from second hand and thrift stores...

Shirts and pants
Long sleeve, knit nondescript colors with sleeves long enough for my long arms. They are an under layer too, I wear a wool sweater on all but the hottest of nights. I wear bike shorts almost all the time. Essential - the padding between my ischial tuberosities (bones in your butt that you sit on) and the rest of the world, yes, essential. I used to think; I would never wear those silly looking shorts and shirts. The bicycling shirts I have tried so far feel like I am wearing a scratchy plastic bag - they do not breathe.

Hats
I wear hats with brims as rain visors, to control the blinding headlight glare from oncoming cars and as sun visors. I have a baseball style cap, a safari style cap, a straw hat and a genuine bicycling cap. Oh, I also have a winter hat that comes down around my ears and a cowl that covers my face and fingered mittens.

time to go, more later.