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Small hands can't reach

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Midsmartin
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Small hands can't reach

#316851

Postby Midsmartin » June 9th, 2020, 4:39 pm

This is a a rant about trying to get a bike for someone with small hands.

One of our offspring, a student, is stuck at home with us until September at least, and I thought she needed a bike for exercise & something to do. She's a bit big for the children's bike she used to have.

I bought a second hand road bike via a local facebook ad. It's a lovely bike. but she can't reach to use the brakes (or even change gear very easily).
You can get plastic 'shims' for the Shimano levers to adjust them. I've bought those, and they relieve about 10% of the problem. The design fault is that it's just too far to the pivots of the levers - it doesn't matter how much the levers are pulled closer to the bars if her fingers don't pass enough beyond the pivot.

It seems a common problem when I google. Major bike manufacturers simply don't cater for people with small hands. Let them take the bus instead! Not much good for enjoying the countryside and getting some exercise.

Googling, Microshift make "short reach" levers that are compatible. But.. they mostly are made for children, and have no gear changer for the front. I have found one set that says it has both changers on Ebay,. It's in the USA, and costs nearly as much as I wanted to spend on a whole second hand bike.

Really? No adult in the UK with small hands rides a bike?

I'm just cross! I'm going to have to sell the bike Iv'e just got. They difficult bit is buying another bike that works. Most people sellign second hand bikes dont# even think to list the frame size in their advert. I might have to buy a brand new one, but didn't really want to as I'm only expecting a few months use out of it.

Anyway, I've left it with our friendly local bike fixer just in case he can do some magic.

James
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Re: Small hands can't reach

#316874

Postby James » June 9th, 2020, 5:24 pm


didds
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Re: Small hands can't reach

#316898

Postby didds » June 9th, 2020, 6:45 pm

aplolgies midmartin, im struggling to picture how hands could be so small as not reach etc.

what is her measurement from groin to floor?
and what is the frame size of the road bike?

lets get the easy bits out of the way first :-)

didds

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Re: Small hands can't reach

#316945

Postby redsturgeon » June 9th, 2020, 9:24 pm

I guess the issue is endemic to road bikes with drop bars. To some extent straight bars with levers are easier to adjust for smaller hands and disc brakes especially hydraulic disc brakes are easiest to adjust the biting point to be closer to the bars given the inherent stronger action of the brakes.

I guess that doesn't help much.

John

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Re: Small hands can't reach

#316975

Postby servodude » June 10th, 2020, 12:36 am

This link has a step by step for adjusting the offset on the most popular drop levers
- https://cyclingtips.com/2015/08/small-h ... ver-reach/
- be sure to adjust the brakes themselves after doing so (possibly just with the barrel adjusters if it's not changing too much)

good luck
- sd

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Re: Small hands can't reach

#317488

Postby Bubblesofearth » June 11th, 2020, 11:14 am

When I was a kid a friend of mine had an old Dutch bike that braked by back-pedalling. Googling a bit I think these might now be called coaster brakes. It was a bit weird but once you got used to it it worked fine.

Dunno if that helps at all but your post brought back the memory!

BoE

James
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Re: Small hands can't reach

#317556

Postby James » June 11th, 2020, 1:28 pm

Bubblesofearth wrote:When I was a kid a friend of mine had an old Dutch bike that braked by back-pedalling. Googling a bit I think these might now be called coaster brakes. It was a bit weird but once you got used to it it worked fine.

Dunno if that helps at all but your post brought back the memory!

BoE


The old Raleigh Twenty had those brakes too. Great fun for pulling skids but not sure I'd want them on my road bike. :o


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