I have to agree with Veronica...the picture does not due that bike the justice...HOWEVER...you do have several options if you decide on TREK. First off, I have a Trek that I just love, and like yours the gearing was pretty high, so I added a triple upfront and now have the gamut of gears. I have also ridden the bike you are interested and did find it to be a sweet ride, the bike I test rode did have a different groupo then listed, it had Ultegra and that
can make a significant difference. As far as the stem goes, have your LBS fit you, or consider an agreement where you can change the stem out if need be later on. Stem length has been bothersome for me also, I just changed mine from a 100 to a much smaller 80 and my lower back appreciates the difference. Good luck with your search, let me know what you settle on.

karen