Keep in mind, however, that this is my first pair without a toe strap, so I may not be the best resource on that one. The ride is tremendous. If I crashed it today, I'd go buy another without hesitation. 4 starts overall rating only because of the seat. Everything else is great.
Frame is glorious, the ride is like butter.
The mutant stem is sharp. Elegant lines, graceful. Nobody buys a bike because of the stem, but it is a thing of beauty which adds to the visual appeal of the bike. The seat and peddles. Further adjustments didn't help.