Originally Posted by
hillzofvalp
That's nifty... will keep in mind for future builds.
finished product with new fork rides very nice. 18 pound bike. $55 stem new, fork was $80.. headset $65.

You`ve obviously gone out of your way to pick up some quality components so please don`t take any criticisms personally. I`m sure you want as good a build as possible and thats the intent.
The spacer stack height in this photo is unacceptably high. Typically spacer stack height between the headset and steering stem is 1 1/2 in on a steel tube and 25mm on a carbon tube. A steel tube on a threadless fork for example, is 45% thinner walled than the equivalent steel tube fork. It isn`t designed to take the same stress hence the angled steering stems to adjust handlebar height.
I`m noting that the Thompson stem you have installed looks like a 5 degree model and you can invert it and move some of the spacers above it and maintain the same handlebar height, but you might be better off with a 10 degree rise.
Is the bike frame sized to your build?
The handlebar tape also appears to have been installed from the bars downwards to the bar ends rather than the other way around. Bars are conventionally taped from the bar ends upwards because that orients the ridges in the same direction as your palm force when in the drop position.
Suggest you pick up a couple good reference books. The Zinn book advertised on this site is OK as is the Park Tool Big Blue Book. The Park Tool website also posts an extensive amount of tutorials and reference material. Its all free.