Female, brakes and small hands!

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SpokeyDokey

67, & my GP says I will officially be old at 70!
Moderator
Having not long got a roadbike I'm struggling with braking from the hoods too. Fingers 'just' go round the brakes high up but there isn't enough leverage/pressure being applied to the brakes. Anyone know if cross-top levers are an option with shimano tiagra sti shifters?


Yes they will work fine - all they do is interrupt the existing cable. Go see your LBS - it's not a big job.
 
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Julia9054

Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
Thanks for all the advice. I'm practicing moving hands from hoods to drops where I can brake easily and will give shims a go in the first instance, I think.
 

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
I've got fairly big hands for a woman, and still haven't mastered braking from the hoods on downhills or for sudden stops - I just can't apply enough force.
 

coffeejo

Ælfrēd
Location
West Somerset
Making a slight adjustment to the angle of the bars can help as well, rotating the hoods towards you slightly. Or at least it helped me. As did changing the bars for narrow ones.

The list of things I've learnt for the next time I buy a road bike seems to increase almost daily.
 

lulubel

Über Member
Location
Malaga, Spain
I agree with coffeejo. Changing the angle of the bars, and also changing the position of the levers on the bars, can make a difference.

I started riding road bikes 5 years ago, and I'd never been confident braking on the hoods. I always moved to the drops going downhill. Earlier this year, I decided to change my bars, and spent a lot of time positioning, adjusting, and re-adjusting the angle of the bars and position of the levers (and re-taped the bars several times) until I got them just how I wanted them. My reach to the hoods is now so comfortable that my natural riding position is with one finger wrapped round each brake lever, and I can easily lock the wheels braking from the hoods. I hardly use the drops at all now.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Having not long got a roadbike I'm struggling with braking from the hoods too. Fingers 'just' go round the brakes high up but there isn't enough leverage/pressure being applied to the brakes. Anyone know if cross-top levers are an option with shimano tiagra sti shifters?

Yes, I have these
 

shyfire

Senior Member
Location
Cumbernauld
I see ... didn't notice the cross-top levers come already fitted on some models. Have moved the handlebars about as much as I can and wouldn't know where to start moving the levers! Thanks for the all the advice in the thread, meant I at least had some idea as to what to ask for at the bike repair shop. Booked in Saturday :thumbsup:
 
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