Originally Posted by
BlazingPedals
Building adjustability into a stem makes it heavier. That would look bad on the specs sheet and would drive lots of customers off. And like 'Jet says, the only adjust-ability is in the angle, not the length. Better to make sure the LBS puts the correct stem on it as a condition of the sale.
and, when you buy a new bike clearly discuss future (within a reasonable time) stem swaps as you adjust your stem to home in on fit. I would want the shop to tell me that they will work with me with no additional cost to get the stem right. Many shops have a good collection of "take off" stems in various lengths and angles that they will allow you to switch as needed to get the fit you're looking for.