Shifters for small hands ?

[Proto]

Daughter is planning to ride from Vancouver to San Diego in October, and is gathering required kit and equipment. Her bike is a Dawes Super Galaxy, running gear is 10sp triple Shimano Tiagra (with the cable side entry and resultant washing lines). All works fine, but she has small hands and finds the Tiagra shifters too big for her to brake easily when riding on the hoods.

I thought about fitting some 105 5700 shifters, but it's an expensive fix. Some bar end shifters would sort it but she's less keen on these. Do SRAM make anything that would shift a triple chainset?

So what are my options? Anyone able to advise? Help!

PS brakes are standard cantilevers. Ant benefit to be gained from swapping these for decent V brakes from a mountain bike? Brake lever compatibility?

 

[Dogtrousers]

@vickster

 

[vickster]

SRAM for me

50/34 on the front and 11-32 on the back, plus cross lever brakes on the bars. With SRAM or shimano long drop v brakes?

Apex equivalent to Tiagra, Rival to 105 (also 11 speed)

I can brake from the hoods but not in haste so well and get hand ache on long descents (I'm a wuss down hills), hence the cross levers are a godsend

 

[Spinney]

I have fairly large hands for a woman. I have never manged to do anything other than gentle braking from the hoods, but it doesn't bother me.
(I don't think I have particularly weak hands either, maybe there is some technique I am missing?)

 

[coffeejo]

I have ridiculously small hands and can brake without any problem from the hoods. Both my drop bikes (Orbea and Ridgeback) have the factory brifters, but they've got shims and I spent ages working out the most effective position.

 

[vickster]

I do find the shape of the fatter shimano brifters (up to 105) uncomfortable for braking as much as the reach to the lever part, digs into the part between thumb and forefinger

 

[DCLane]

Try using shims - my tiny-handed youngest has Ultegra on his training bike, Campag Record on his race bike and 2300 on his cross. With shims they all fit.

 

[coffeejo]

Try using shims - my youngest has Ultegra on his training bike, Campag Record on his race bike and 2300 on his cross. With shims they all fit.

TMN to me!

 

[DCLane]

TMN to me!

Half a one ... at least I mentioned which brifters

 

[coffeejo]

Half a one ... at least I mentioned which brifters

 

[Nigeyy]

Thinking a bit outside the box... any chance you'd want to swap for a straight bar? It could give you more of a choice, and more customization. If you put on some bar ends you'd have different hand positions too. Or butterfly bars?

Though I think you can get short reach Shimano STIs, but that was a couple of years ago, might be worth googling. You could sell the current stis to offset the cost.

Oh one other thing: the reach and drop depth of a drop handlebar can be a big thing; might be an easy fix to try a different drop handlebar with different reach and drop...... It can make the controls much more reachable and easy to use.

Daughter is planning to ride from Vancouver to San Diego in October, and is gathering required kit and equipment. Her bike is a Dawes Super Galaxy, running gear is 10sp triple Shimano Tiagra (with the cable side entry and resultant washing lines). All works fine, but she has small hands and finds the Tiagra shifters too big for her to brake easily when riding on the hoods.

I thought about fitting some 105 5700 shifters, but it's an expensive fix. Some bar end shifters would sort it but she's less keen on these. Do SRAM make anything that would shift a triple chainset?

So what are my options? Anyone able to advise? Help!

PS brakes are standard cantilevers. Ant benefit to be gained from swapping these for decent V brakes from a mountain bike? Brake lever compatibility?

 

[Proto]

Thanks for replies. We consdered various options but decided in the end to go with bar end shifters and some brake levers. Dura Ace shifters are only £50.00 ish and can be used in friction if need should arise. Brake levers will be cane creek, designed for smaller hamds. Parts should be here tomorrow so we'll see how it goes.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/s?q=shimano+dura-ace+7900+10sp+bar+end+shifter+set&cat=product

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cane-creek-scr-5c-brake-levers/rp-prod27937

 

[Mudpuppy]

My friend and I (both female) had exactly the same problem with Shimano brifters. She used the same solution as you and is quite happy with it.

In my case, adding shims and better brake pads made only a little difference. I borrowed a friend's bike with Campagnolo brifters and these were so much easier to reach and I could apply enough braking force from the top of the hoods. It is a shame that they are so expensive...