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Cut my steerer down recently and, whilst I normally put a 5mm spacer on top of the stem, I can now only get the height I want with no spacers over the stem. Having nipped up the headset and taken the cap off to look the steerer is now about 1mm from the top of the stem (stem is a Ragley Stubbing Stem).
Will I die?
as long as
a) the top cap isn't doing up against the top of the steerer rather than preloading the headset. I'd add a 5mm spacer under the top cap so you know it's preloading correctly.
and
b) the stem bolts are clamping on the steerer
then it'll be fine
No that's the neat and tidy way to do it but you may have effected the resale value
Yup, in a blazing fireball of destruction*
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*not factually correct. Actually you'll be fine.
The steerer should always be slightly rebated into the stem as the steerer cap will locate into this rebate to center in the stem. e.g.
[img] 
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Somewhere around 3mm is about normal (but basically, as little as you can get away with and still get the cap on the top with out fouling the steerer.
So, in short, probably not 🙂
Have had a few (new) bikes with the top cap on the stem although they did have a spacer or two under the stem. Obv once the headset is preloaded you don't need a top cap so providing the top of the steerer is above the clamping area of the top stem bolt it'll be fine
*cough*
You only need the top spacer for carbon steerers. You'll be fine. And it looks neater. I normally add an extra spacer underneath, then cut and move it to the top for future adjustments. But you can always swap or flip the stem.
Funn and spank do 35mm stack height stems this might help you out if you want to change stems that is.
Thanks all, bit of a relief. On the plus side it now looks like I'm a ninja steerer cutter.