STI levers for small hands

Rohini · 07-20-2003, 06:36 AM

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 · 07-20-2003, 11:20 AM

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 · 07-28-2003, 09:10 AM

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 · 03-21-2004, 06:39 AM

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

07-20-2003, 06:36 AM	#1
Rohini Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Birmingham, Great Britain Posts: 2	STI levers for small hands 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.

03-21-2004, 06:39 AM	#4
zigzag17 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 5	STI levers for small hands Try angling the brifters out a bit to the sides which should make them a little more accessible.

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07-20-2003, 11:20 AM	#2
Veronica "Ride lots!" Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 6,796	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

07-28-2003, 09:10 AM	#3
Rohini Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Birmingham, Great Britain Posts: 2	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.