fishugly: I think you mean "cut the steerer"; the stem is the piece which bolts to it and which holds the bars. Can you remove some spacers and mount the extender properly without cutting the steerer? If your existing stem drops down you could turn it over so it rises up, that would put your bars higher; alternatively you can get a higher-rise stem or an adjustable stem. Higher-rise bars are also a possibility and can be had relatively cheaply.