Quote Originally Posted by 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.

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.