Originally Posted by
Chris_in_Miami
The stem is a very light old aluminum unit (including the wedge and bolt) and I'm afraid to raise it any higher for the trails, that's why it's buried. It's more comfortable than it looks, but I'll be adding a set of drop bars with a more upright stem.
That looks like an early ('89-'91ish) Syncros stem, from the days when Syncros meant "made in the lower mainland". It likely has a minimum insertion line that will indicate the max height that you can run it at. It's a quality piece: light, strong and (originally) expensive. I wouldn't fear breaking it, it's a tough unit. I still have one in my parts bin somewhere...