I LOVED my Syntace bars because they TAPER IN, which is MUCH more natural for your wrists. I noticed WAY more flex in my stem than in my bars (I could move the whole bar up and down about half an inch). I had a crappy tt lever, which was fine for me. I tended to ride all up on the stem, so it didn't really matter either way to me. I didn't use the brake very much, despite not skidding at all, but Chicago is about as hilly as a tortilla.