Originally Posted by
MartianDestiny
I'm 4'11" with tiny hands as well.
I run Shimano Ultegra levers with no problems (yes, with the Specialized shim in them), but it does matter what bar I'm using. I really like my Specialized Women's Pro Road Ergo bar (they also make it in an aluminum version which is cheaper). It's short reach, so I have no problems getting to the brakes from the hoods, but it has a normal drop that really allows me to get my hands in and grab onto the brakes when I need to (typical "short and shallow" bars have too short a drop for me to do this).
Yes, the other option would be SRAM which does have a different hood design which is shorter.