Road Cycling - Shimano ST-R600 Short Reach STI

Does anyone have any experience with these shifters? These are the Ultegra-grade short reach STI shifters that have an adjustment to get the levers closer to the bars for better braking/shifting while in the drops.

Here's the text, and a pic:

At last! Shorter, adjustable reach STI levers for smaller hands! By inserting or removing the included wedges, the R600 levers can be adjusted closer to the bar - this becomes especially important with ergo-bend bars! Compatible with all 18-spd and 27-spd Shimano drivetrains.

ThanX!

Wow, I think I could use some of those myself. I have relatively small hands and sometimes reaching for the shifter is a chore when in the drops.

I did not know they exsisited. Thanks Bac.

Originally posted by SamDaBikinMan
Wow, I think I could use some of those myself. I have relatively small hands and sometimes reaching for the shifter is a chore when in the drops.

I did not know they exsisited. Thanks Bac.

No problem, Sam. I found these in my research. I've looked @ shims, and new bars also. These shifters seem to be the best solution. However, per usual, the best solution is also the most expensive. These run anywhere from $160-250 per pair.

Anyone else have any experience? Any comments?

ThanX!!!!

I just wish that the shimano shifters would have just a little bit shorter throw for the big lever. Otherwise, I've never had brake reach trouble...you must just have woman hands...:D

Originally posted by Phatman
I just wish that the shimano shifters would have just a little bit shorter throw for the big lever. Otherwise, I've never had brake reach trouble...you must just have woman hands...:D

I prefer to think of them as the delicate hands of a surgeon! :D

*cough*woman hands*cough* :D

So has anybody actually tried these. I was at the LBS today complaining about my reach issue and the manager sent me for a ride around the block on a bike he had these on. Reach did in fact seem easier. They didn't look like Ultegra finish though. So I'm wondering are they really the same internally?

Does anyone have any experience with these shifters? These are the Ultegra-grade short reach STI shifters that have an adjustment to get the levers closer to the bars for better braking/shifting while in the drops.

Here's the text, and a pic:

At last! Shorter, adjustable reach STI levers for smaller hands! By inserting or removing the included wedges, the R600 levers can be adjusted closer to the bar - this becomes especially important with ergo-bend bars! Compatible with all 18-spd and 27-spd Shimano drivetrains.

ThanX!You can accomplish the same thing with any 9 speed lever with a homemade wedge and a bit of ingenuity. They are ultegra.

Check this out... already been done.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=55307&highlight=close-cell

there are other contexts in which I'd rather not be known as having 'short reach'....

You can accomplish the same thing with any 9 speed lever with a homemade wedge and a bit of ingenuity. They are ultegra.

The LBS is willing to swap them out no charge since I just bought the bike. I might just take them up on the offer if they are truely Ultegras. I'll have to see if he'll let me swap for a Ergo bend handle bar since we went to pro when I got my carbons hoping to fix the reach issue. Unfortuneately the drops on the pro bend are not quite as comfortable.

I have the short reach shifters on my bike now but am considering going back to Ultegra even if I can't reach them very well. The left one is really stiff with a long throw that makes shifting to the largest gear difficult. They were impossible at first but my bike mechanic has made them better but still not like a shifter of that price should be.
I'd like to hear if anyone else has had this experience.

tisease

My GF has them on her bike....not a slam....truth....Specialized dolce comp.....mixed with her handle bars they fit like a glove...

Work fine...

get em no one can tell....they look like older dull Ultg shifters that I have

The short reach levers are a must have on my next bike. I was told yesterday by an LBS that the short reach is only available on the 9 speed Ultegra and not the new 10 speed.

Can anyone confirm this as fact? I did a search on Shimano's website with no luck.

So far mine are working fine.

I looked into this in depth just a few months ago. The R-600 shifters are indeed Ultegra level, and differ only slightly in finish from 6500s. I have held both side by side and the only difference is in the little wedge that is installed in the shifter body and holds the lever blade closer to the bar in the rest position. There is NO difference in the shape of the blade.

Save yourself $180 and get just the little wedges. They come in two different thickness, Shimano calls them 5 degree and 10 degree, and they are left/right specific. Go to your most trusted LBS, have them carefully search in their QBP catalog (trust me, they are in there; I can give you the page # if they can't find them) and order up a set; $6 per wedge. The Shimano part #s are LD 7780 through LD 7783 and are called "Lever Adjusting Block". The R-600 actually use a little press fit nub that hold them in place, but a little glue will certainly do the job on your 65xxs.

So, any ideas why my brand new R-600 left shifter is so stiff? We already tried a new cable housing (since I had scraped up the original in a wreck).
If someone has some suggestions, I will keep these shifters. If not the idea of going back to Ultegra and finding the wedges is the best idea so far.

When I work on a problem like this, I try to isolate the potential sources of trouble from each other and track it down that way. I would first disconnect the cable from the derailleur and operate the shifter while lightly pulling on the free end of the cable, keeping all the housing in position. If the shifter still feels stiff, pull the housing from the frame, and hold the cable such that the housing runs straight out of the shifter and try again. This will tell you if the bends in your cable or its other friction points are causing the problem. Check that the barrel on the end of the cable is properly seated in the shifter mechanism. Still stiff? Pull the cable out of the shifter completely and operate; if it still feels stiff, take it back to where you bought it. Also, operate the front derailleur with your thumb/fingers (carefully if you are turning the crank) without the cable attached and see if it is unusually difficult to do; might need to compare it against a smoothly operating one. Lastly, make sure you are using shifter housing, and that all the cut ends are square and the openings are free of any interference, and the ferrules are seating properly on the housing and in the shifter and frame stops; also check the cable guide under the bottom bracket shell and make sure the cable is moving smoothly through it.

i'm looking at buying a set of the st-r600 shifters and want to put them on a set of bullhorn bars. my main concern is the amount of travel between the levers and the bars. does anyone know if the set-up has a normal (i.e regular shimano shifters) range of motion/travel with the shims/wedges removed or are they designed to sit closer to the bars even without the shims in place? your time and response/s are appreciated.

My wife has R600 shifters and one of my bikes has 9 speed Dura Ace (STI-7700). With out the shims, the reach seems similar, but she has different handle bars so I can't really say if it is exactly the same.

And for what it is worth, she is very happy with the R600. They don't seem overly stiff, but I do think the throw may be longer than my DA. Maybe it's because it is triple compatible?

the reach is slightly shorter, and with the shims even shorter.

I think the shims are just held on by double sided tape... or they click into place, I don't remember.

I have these on my Louis Garneau revolution 4.5, I actually really like them. When i was shopping for my bike my LBS described them to me as 105-level, I remember when i was researching them(because i didnt know what they were), i figured i would probably just take the shims out first thing when I got the bike home. Instead I loved them right as they were, Im not a big guy at 5'8, but i do have large hands for my size, and i actually prefer the closer reach of them. Your hands just seem to wrap around them better, so they feel better, more comfortable, and you feel like you have more control. Felt more natural then my old sora's. I highly recommend them, but i cant speak to upgrading from 105 to them for the price, as mine came standard. Its a brilliant and simple idea. Having used them for months i'm surprised more bikes don't come standard with these, as you get to adjust them to your liking for control and comfort, who wouldn't want that?

you can just buy some specialized slim shims from a local specialized dealer.
they come in 2 sizes and are specific to which lever they can be mounted to.

I have them mounted to my DA-7800 levers.