Have you tried a different geometry? Different fork rack and head tube angle geometry? My cyclecross bike gives me a lot more room than my "climber" road bike or my old track bike. Have you tried shorter cranks (and no there's no representative size based on height and in the long run it doesn't matter much). What's your height? Shorter people have very limited options with respect to toe overlap other than to learn the limits. Back to the question:
- But how does these stems feel on a road bike? Would it make the bike feel quite twitchy?
Based on my experience with 90mm stock stem and replacing it with prefer 110mm stem, yes the shorter stem was twitchier. It's subjective.
- Would I adapt quickly to the difference in handling?
Since you are asking the question, no, yes, maybe. You need to test it to answer the question.
Depends on your handling skill and your calculus on risk aversion. If you have their skills, the answer is like a yes.