Small hands and STI shifters

[quint41]

Hi all! I'm switching from hybrid to road, in the process of shopping for a new road bike now after riding an 8-year-old hybrid. I have very small hands with short fingers, and am having a heck of a time with the STI shifters for the front derailleur. On many of the bikes I'm testing, I cannot get the chain up onto the big ring. I have to fight and fight, sometimes I can get it on the big ring if I fight hard enough, others it just doesn't work. I've been to several shops and talked to several people (mostly men, some woman, but they don't have small hands). Has anyone else encountered this problem? I've tried Soras (can't shift to big ring at all) and Tiagras (some luck shifting). I'm wondering if the better components are easier to shift. Yes, I've tried WSD bikes with short reach levers, and they are not easier to shift. (I have no trouble with rear shift levers at all.) HELP!

[Kathi]

I have very small hands and I use a compact crankset. My big chainring is 48t and I find it pretty easy to shift.

I know it's going to be harder to find but I prefer Campy shifters over Shimano, they're so much more comfortable in my hands. It's been a long time since I used Shimano but I recall thinking Campy shifting was easier.

[emily_in_nc]

I also had better luck shifting in front with Campy than I did with Shimano STI. However, my Campy bike is a compact double, and my Shimano STI bike was a triple, and that may make some difference.

The easiest of all to shift in front is bar-end shifters, but unless you build a custom bike, I don't think you can get those any more. I got them on my Bike Friday Pocket Crusoe with a Shimano Ultegra triple, and I can shift in front very, very easily. Unfortunately, some "improvements" in components over time (like STI) are not helpful for some people.

I do think you'll have better shifting performance from higher-end Shimano components, like 105 or Ultegra, but even my Ultegra-equipped bike with STI was a bit hard to shift up in front unless *perfectly* adjusted. And I don't even have small hands - I just didn't have the hand muscle strength needed once my hands got tired on a ride!

Good luck - and no, you are NOT alone. I have seen posts about this very topic on numerous forums over the years. Male LBS employees just don't get this as their hands are naturally larger and stronger!

Emily

[Kathi]

Another thought, new components are stiffer. A month ago, when I got my new bike, I was complaining about how hard my brakes were to squeeze and now, after 700 miles, I'm already noticing how much the cables have stretched.

[quint41]

Yes! The woman at LBS suggested that Campy is easier on the hands. I have never seen a bike with Campy components. Are there manufacturers that put them on their bikes? Or is this something I'd have to swap to after purchasing a bike? At what cost? That just goes against my grain -- spend $800 or more on a bike and then MORE money to remove the brand new Shimano components to put the Campy on?! I'm too frugal for that!

Please keep those ideas coming. I'm going to take this info with me when I go bike shopping! Thanks!

[Kathi]

Bianchi is the only company that I know that puts Campy on their bikes.

My LBS switched out my crankset on my mtn bike from a 170mm to a 165 mm and didn't charge me. I'd ask your shop what it would cost to make the changes.

A warning about Campy, there is still a problem reaching the brakes from the drops. Shimano has a shim that brings the brakes closer but Campy doesn't. To me it is only an issue on long downhills where I need the power to slow myself down. When I lived in Ohio I didn't break from my drops, only over the hoods.

I know how frustrating this all seems, the bicycling market still does not adequately serve the needs of women.

[divingbiker]

I just went through this, and the problem IS solvable. I had my LBS put women-specific Shimano levers on my ultegra-equipped bike (apparently they have a shorter throw to shift) and shims to bring the levers closer to the handlebars. Even with that I couldn't shift in the front rings at all. Once another mechanic adjusted everything again (a new set of eyes and hands) I now can shift very easily. Don't let them tell you it's just you, because it isn't.

[mimitabby]

Bianchi is the only company that I know that puts Campy on their bikes.

My LBS switched out my crankset on my mtn bike from a 170mm to a 165 mm and didn't charge me. I'd ask your shop what it would cost to make the changes.

A warning about Campy, there is still a problem reaching the brakes from the drops. Shimano has a shim that brings the brakes closer but Campy doesn't. To me it is only an issue on long downhills where I need the power to slow myself down. When I lived in Ohio I didn't break from my drops, only over the hoods.

I know how frustrating this all seems, the bicycling market still does not adequately serve the needs of women.

Kathi,
on friday i am getting Eva handlebars put onto my bianchi for this very reason.
It shortens the distance between the brakes and the bar.. we'll see. I put the new handlebars side by side with the old ones and i still couldn't tell.
I'll let you know how it goes.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The easiest of all to shift in front is bar-end shifters, but unless you build a custom bike, I don't think you can get those any more.
Emily

My new Rivendell came standard with bar end shifters. I am a novice biker, but I got used to them pretty quickly, and they shift very easily for me with no problems at all. I'm sure they are not for everyone though. I got the front with friction shifting, and back with index shifting.

[Kathi]

Mimitabby,

I was very skeptical too, but my Venus's really do work, braking is so much easier, no stress on my hands or arms. Having the correct size bars is a plus, too.

[Kathi]

I just went through this, and the problem IS solvable. I had my LBS put women-specific Shimano levers on my ultegra-equipped bike (apparently they have a shorter throw to shift) and shims to bring the levers closer to the handlebars. Even with that I couldn't shift in the front rings at all. Once another mechanic adjusted everything again (a new set of eyes and hands) I now can shift very easily. Don't let them tell you it's just you, because it isn't.

When I was chosing components for my Serotta the LBS wanted me to go with those levers, but I stayed with Campy.

Shimano claims they are women specific but that is a misnomer as they did not change the shape of the hoods. If you have short fingers they work but with small, tiny hands like mine the size of the hoods are very wide and uncomfortable.

One of the guys in my LBS told me that guy mechanics adjust cables for the size and strength of their hands and tend to forget about women with smaller hands and less strength.