Quote Originally Posted by Owlie View Post
Huh, I have small hands and short fingers, and haven't really had a lot of trouble with Shimano. I do need short-reach shift levers(a borrowed bike with regular 105 was not a pleasant experience!), and does Shimano make short-reach 105 or Ultegra? They tend to advertise short-reach brake levers on entry-level bikes, but not so much on the higher-end ones.

Jackie, don't worry. None of us were born knowing this stuff. We all had to learn.
I believe that the Shimano Tiagras and Soras shift like Campagnolos, with a separate thumb shifter. I don't remember how large the hoods are. However, 105s and above use the 2:1 shifting, which is an issue for small hands.

And what do you mean shim-able? Does that shorten the reach?