Q&A

The controls more suitable for a racing bike for women

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Parent Category: Q&A

Category: Q&A Technique

Published on Friday, 29 April 2011 07:25

Written by Luca Salvatelli

Dear Editor,
I want to ask you an advice. I bought a used bike, Shimano 105 for my daughter, who had before used mine with “Veloce”. She likes being on the bike best suited to its measure, is just that the controls are too big for her small hands, whereas she always takes the high grip.

 Instead of deciding to change with shims to bring the levers or other makeshift solutions, I thought to change some parts of the group-set or compatible with other Shimano components. Can you tell me which models of medium range, believed to have controls more suitable for small hands? Ultegra 6700, SRAM Force, Arsis Microshift or other.

Signed letter

Dear Reader, Shimano is the only company that manufactures a range of specific commands for those with small hands. It is included in the catalog "Shimano Non Series", which includes all those components, not series, which allow for better adaptability to the specific needs of the Shimano groups of the subject. The commands that may be of interest are identified by the name ST-R700, specific for the 10-speed ST-R600, specific for the nine-speed ST-R500, specific for the eight-speed. Although not specified I think you take a ten-speed group 105 and therefore may favorably adopt the command pair ST-R700. I suggest you apply directly to the importer Shimano, or to a good dealer who can act as an intermediary. Or giving the product name to the search engine will find a good shop and have them available at reasonable prices. Sram Force and Shimano Ultegra not have smaller size of its existing controls; Sram has a lower range of the levers. Microshift Arsis, especially the SB-R102B, ergonomics instead has a more compact and could be a viable alternative to Shimano controls mentioned above, however, that, personally I think the best solution.