I'm really looking forward to my first ride with my new set up. I'm still playing around with which shoe will work best. The Five Ten Guide Tennies made my toes go numb, but I otherwise like how they fit. I also ordered some Five Ten Freeriders to see if they might work better. They have a slightly gripper sole and fit and feel a bit different. If they also make my toes go numb, then I'll try some stiffer insoles in both pairs of shoes and see which one I prefer--assuming that provides a good fix. It's a work in progress.

The pedals themselve are purty and the pins are pretty darn sharp. Gotta be careful.....

I'm really thrilled that I went this route; I think it'll be better for me for the time being (and maybe permanently).