The brake levers are the right ones - they're long pull for v-brakes, and the ergonomics are excellent (they're a copy of Campagnolo Ergo lever/shifters shapewise.)
Re. the stem and bars: getting the right length and width for your body dimensions is the most important thing. Do some googling on "bicycle fit". Slightly too wide and too short are better than erring the other way unless you really *like* your chiropractor. Go cheap at first on the stem and be prepared to change.
Black tape is boring! For a blue grey bike I'd go with flouro yellow, orange or green.
Last edited by meanwhile; 07-09-10 at 06:25 AM.