Hello from the UK.
I'm about the same height as yourself. I also can't live with a feet forward set-up, so I went for the R version.......However, my bike came with a GT seat and GT handle bars, courtesy of the previous owner, so i've been able to pick and mix the R & GT elements and i've settled with using the GT seat and the GT bars (and of course mid foot controls).
I think the GT seat is more comfortable and the GT bars are also more comfortable, as I don't have to stretch forward quite so much.
It's perhaps not the best set-up for fast highway use, but for twisty hill roads and city riding it works great.
I can ride all day with my current set-up in great comfort, as long as it not all motorways, which is fine by me, and I can really throw the bike around on narrow and challenging mountain roads almost as if i'm riding a trailie-tourer type bike, with great confidence.
Maybe the only adjustment I would ideally like to do, is have a set of handlebars that are halfway between the R and GT. That way I think I would have the most comfortable and dynamic of all. Unfortunately Triumph don't offer such a bar, so i'll stick with what i've got.
