STI levers for small hands

[Rohini]

Hi, This is my first post but there seems to be a lot of experience out there so I thought I'd give my question a shot.

I'm 5'2" and have owned a Dawes tourer for about 9 months. It's the 43cm compact sardar sti. It's my first road bike and I love it but I really struggle with the sti levers (Shimano Tiagra STI 3x9sp
). They are out of my reach and make braking quite ineffective unless I hold the bottom of the handlebars. They also make my hands ache.
I've heard of the Shimano adjustable reach ST-R600 levers. Has anybody else?
They are quite expensive at about £170 and I want to know if there are any other options.
Should I be looking to change my handlebars to ones that bring the levers closer?
Any response appreciated.

[Veronica]

Have you tried moving them on your handlebars? Remove the tape, loosen the clamp that holds the brake to the bar , then adjust them up and down through the drops to see if you can find a more comfortable position. Once you find a more comfortable position, tighten the brakes back down and retape the nandlebars in the color of your choice.


Good luck!

Veronica

[Rohini]

Thanks for your reply Veronica.
I went to a good bike shop and they inverted the handlebars and chopped the protruding bits off. The bottom part of the sti levers are now positioned so I can brake without having to move my hands. I'm having to adjust a bit as the reach has become shorter but it didn't cost much to do.
The reach adjustable levers are a waste of time if you already have sti levers. There is just an extra wedge that brings the lever closer but wouldn't have made much difference overall.

[zigzag17]

Try angling the brifters out a bit to the sides which should make them a little more accessible.