Short reach STI levers

star_rover

My wife is struggling with the reach to the shimano 105 STI levers (10spd) on her bike. I've seen some short reach levers (shimano r700) but that means shelling out at least £130 and the bike is fairly new (so don't really want spend more money) and it looks like the only difference is that you get a couple of shims. I've also checked out buying these shims separately, but they don't seem to be for 105 (though a couple of places suggest otherwise).
Could try a women's specific handlebar but I don't see how that helps with braking/shifting from the hoods.
Anyone got these levers or have any other suggestions?
thanks in advance

Steven Martin

Remember that you can sell the 105 STis. That will offset some cost, probably £40 or £50. Or buy the R700 secondhand too, that might not cost very much at all, but you will have to be quick and/or lucky.

My girlfriend has the short reach mechs for 9 speed and they are a lot better than the standard.

I haven't looked on the Shimano website to see if it would be possible to fit the shims but you could look at the schematics and try and determine.

As for the bars, you're right, it would not make a difference braking from the hoods.

ut_och_cykla

I have R600s - no shims included.
Thought of making own but ended up buying Specialised shims for other Shimano shifters adn cutting them to fit. (could have used cork but it would look tacky!). Superglued into place they work very well making braking from hoods /drops much better on local rides.
Howevr for long Alpine descents they were still a problem and I will look at the bar ideas during the winter. Some suggest Morphe 3T, other suggest non-anatomic bars.
But in short shims are just wedges, can be removed again and not a disaster if you lose one! You'll need to adjust the brake cable a bit that's all.

star_rover

It's R700s that include the shims. Can't work out if they are just regular sized levers that come with shims or if they are smaller sized as well.
Think I'll try the specialized shims to begin with. They are only 4 quid a pair.

Blonde

You can buy the Shimano shims for STis seperately - I have some on my Ultegra STIs. They are great. Handlebar shape can really effect reach to levers as well. Be very careful though that they really will help, when investing in new bars - I bought the Bontrager short reach for use on my fixed, but the bends are so tight you cant get the outer cables into the cable grooves without severly compromising braking effectiveness - the kinks are just too severe, so you have to tape the cables to the tops of the bars which means you can feel them under the tape and it looks hideous too! Also they actually place my hends further away from the brake levers - the complete opposite of what was intended! It's to do with the angles of the bar and where you place the hoods on the bar.

I have also measured and found that both Shimano aero brake levers and Shimano STIs are shorter reach than Campag Ergos and Dia Compe V brake levers in the first place, before you even introduce any shims to them, so that's worth knowing for those of us with smaller hands!

Audiolathe

As some of the posters alluded to, adjustment can make a big difference - even before we get into the business of shims and worth a try, before trying something else. First and most obviously is the position of the STIs on the handle-bars: Depending on the position of the levers, and their angle particularly Shimano STIs can create a longer reach and a big difference in riding experience merely by changing the angle of the levers up or down.

Aim to have the base of the levers horisontal with the top of the bar to start with.
Try angling the handlebar a little upwards first to shorten the reach a little (also consider the position of your saddle and stem lengths), before trying to move the levers themselves. Again if they are too upright, your hand needs to almost tilt back on itself to get a good grip so go easy on this adjustment.

Secondly with the Shimano range of 105 and upwards you also have the option of adjusting the angle of your brakeshoes to create a more gradual braking action. What do I mean - well, in my case when my 105s arrived, fitted to the bike I had bough all set up in the shop, the brake shoes were flat against the rims and the adjustment such that first nothing would happen when trying to squeeze the lever and next thing you know it feels like you've hit a brick wall.

I loosened the cable tightness slightly (which means you need to squeeze more to break), which makes it easier for those with a short reach to control their braking and secondly I angled the brakeshoes, so that the front of the brake shoes on both front and rear brakes are about 1.5mm closer to the wheel rim than the back. So despite the brake pads wearing unevenly, you will also experience a gradual braking sensation of initially only a part of the brake hitting the rim and gradually more of it.. this is incredibly smooth and confidence inspiring and really makes a difference. So I have personally settled for the above and abandoned the idea of shims..

star_rover

Some good advice here, many thanks folks.
I intend to try changing the position/angle of the existing STIs, for sure. And adjusting the brake shoes is something I hadn't thought of but will now try.
Anything to avoid my wife having to spend another £140+ on new levers and me having to fit the damn things . . .

dave5n

Sora STIs have adjustable reach - you can bring them in quite close.

dave5n

I think Ribble do them for about £65 a pair.

star_rover

Sora STIs are only 8 speed though, I need 10 spd

John C.

The other thing to try is simply tilting the bars a little as this alterd your hand position and have quite a bit of free cable on the brakes.