Consider starting Ringworld on the Ringworld. Louis recounting the story so far to some fascinated locals, as a framing device. Presumably in that village where he fucks a catgirl. A lot of the first book is kinda Lord Of The Rings for a different kind of ultranerd: they have to go from point A to point Z Z Plural Z Alpha, unfathomably far away, whilst dealing with obstacles that are occasionally hostile and universally just weird.

You still get the long scenes of Louis Wu's 200th birthday party walking its way around the globe, and Nessus being so racist that eight-foot-tall murdercats feel the need to apologize. You still get the landing, such as it is, with Teela casually weaving through a minefield of molten glass. That's just not tension, per se, because we already know they get to the Ringworld. It's in the title. The question is, how will they ever leave? I think you can even keep the phwoar factor present when describing the ship, so long as that comes before showing the arrival. Otherwise the long list of cool shit that doesn't matter is more of a joke.