I’ve a set of Sora on my Boardman. I’ve never really got on with them – even for my average size hands (XL gloves) they are a long reach to pull brakes and a significant angle of movement try change gear.

We borrowed a lovely xs Kinesis Crosslite for mrs_oab today. Small gloves and 5′ rider. But she can’t actually reach the brakes without almost ‘leaving’ the bars from the drops (thumbs just remain hooked) and the hood is so long she can’t brake effectively from above with fingers.

Am I the only one that finds this?

We will leave aside the shocking lack of power from the cantilever brakes as well…

All current Shimano sti levers can be adjusted for reach. They now also offer short reach versions of their hydraulic levers (in 105 and ultegra)

All current Shimano sti levers can be adjusted for reach

Do you know from what year?

Still doesn’t solve the big hood issue or the angle required to change gear…

Makes me realise *how* good Shimano flat bar Deore and above brakes and shifters are.

Do you know from what year?

No, but off the top of my head all 11spd, 10spd 4700, 9spd R3000, 8spd R2000

I struggle a bit with this from drops, although I do find it ok riding on hoods with Ultegra. Improved a bit once I actually figured out reach adjustment.

Would something like the Gevenalles work for her to improve shifting?

Shifters

Your bars are too far away and shifters in the wrong place.

As @Tired says, have you got the leavers set correctly on the bars and have the correct reach position and also adjusted the leavers for the correct reach adjustment made. There’s an adjustment screw at the front of the leaver under the rubber hood.

They may not be quite right – that said the bike is borrowed off another shorty, levers seem in a ‘right’ position (I can reach them), but as ever if it was ours some titivation might help.

I’ll wind in for today’s pedal.

It’s still like having chunky grips for very small hands, and long angle of articulation for the gear changes…

We are trying to decide on new bike being drops or flats and bar ends as a tourer for roads and tracks.

If she’s got proper small hands then the Microshift R10 are the answer, or R11 if the bike is 11 speed

Microshift R10 1x Short-Reach Shifters SB-R402K(S) 10-speed

A side-on photo of the bars would be useful. Might help with advice on lever positioning. I know  ladies with small hands who don’t seem to have the same problem.

micro shift are great for small hands, they are specced on frog kids road bikes

People often rotate the bars up for reach and comfort. This puts the ends of the levers far away from the drops and you can’t brake with them. The correct solution is to use a shorter stem, raise the bars slightly and set them with drops more horizontal. I normally set the bar rotation and stem length first then move the shifters (down typically) about 0.5-1cm. You can do this without retaping the bars.

My bet is stem length. Even small hands should be able to reach sora when placed on the right part of the drops.

I recently fitted some cyclo-cross brake levers on a friends bike – she has small hands and struggles to use the STI’s when riding on the Hoods or from the Drops.

She reports much improved confidence when braking :o)

Older Sora levers used to come with a shim that took about 30 seconds to fit which stopped the levers pivoting all the way back making the reach shorter . I bet lots of shops and people have them knocking about .

Older Sora levers used to come with a shim that took about 30 seconds to fit which stopped the levers pivoting all the way back making the reach shorter . I bet lots of shops and people have them knocking about . https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares/shimano-sora-st3400-adjustment-block-left-hand-8-deg-6lt-2400/

Older Sora levers used to come with a shim that took about 30 seconds to fit which stopped the levers pivoting all the way back making the reach shorter . I bet lots of shops and people have them knocking about .

Having dropped the bike back off with its owner tonight I found out they have the shim fitted. The owner, also small of hand, finds she cannot brake from the hood either.

I wrapped a cable tie around the tops of the Microshift levers to stop them fully returning on my 7 year olds frog also had to the the same for the suicide levers to reduce the travel and I’ve fitted an old 9 speed xtr shifter next to the suicide lever so she can shift the gears as currently her hands are too small to shift using STI’s. Brake and gear cables are then all adjusted to suit.

Thanks to all the victim blamers above.
I have small hands and correctly fitted Shimano brifters and I can confirm that they are difficult to reach.
As above, try Microshift.
APF

Maybe try SRAM shifters as they’re a different shape and often work better with smaller hands. Obviously not with Shimano mechs but you know what I mean.

correctly fitted Shimano brifter

Always a matter of opinion, hence me asking for a photo from the OP.

As mentioned above, the new generation of Shimano offer a smaller brifters design. Di2 is great for small hands, albeit somewhat spendy.

I have small hands and correctly fitted Shimano brifters

Me too. You are aware, I’m sure, that the curvature of the bars matters too. Some will place the levers further away whilst on the drops than others. There are some very compact bars available that can mitigate the reach. I like 3T aeronova, but many of the curved rather than ergo bars can help.

Or just fit some flat bars and appropriate shifters and brake levers.
It’s not just reach it’s hand strength.
My wife is very short (5’) and she finds it hard using some flat bar shifters as they are too far away – drop bar ones are totally out of the question for her. She wears XXS gloves – nightmare to find!
My wife has a flat bar road bike and beats me up the hills!
Some people are just out of the range that the equipment was designed for and you just have to find what works and keeps the cycling enjoyable. Just like very tall people struggle to find bikes big enough.

We’ve tried a flat bar hybrid this morning – I think we’re going that way. Easy to find close reach brakes and we know Shimano shifters just work.

As swedishmetal says, I think we’re just outside of the range of practical use for drop bar shifters, let alone the variety drop bars that are not designed for weeny hands and upper bodies. Hmmm.

I’m afraid you’ll probably get loads of people jumping on your decision to say you’re wrong. There seems to be an almost fundamentalist drop bar brigade who think they are the answer to everything and if you don’t like them you’ve got the wrong kit or you don’t know how to set it up.