Originally Posted by
cargomama
I have a serious cyclist friend who has had a professional fitting, I should ask him about it and see if it seems wise to try.
My "brifters" are the first gen Campy carbon levers (1997 and earlier), I agree...I know people love them but they are not. for. me. They just aren't. I'm glad to hear about the pad adjustment, I think my friend mentioned that as well...I have noticed that when they are angled up I can brake far more effectively, but yeah, they're not for me.
The general adjustment is to angle the hoods up a bit but it makes it more difficult to access the levers from the drops. The springs, etc. in the body are also stronger making it even more difficult for the smaller hand to use. I stayed away from Campy until 1999 when the body was smaller and thinner and the springs required less pressure...a huge difference from previous models.
Shimano stuff is generally more forgiving to smaller hands though the low end Shimano brifters on my cross bike are long making it impossible to shift from the drops...oh well, not a big deal.
You may want to talk to some certified fitters to at least discuss your needs and the bikes inability to meet them...they can give free advice and will generally give a brief "look over" also at no cost to give you options and choices...but they have to know what they are doing or you will be no better off.
Here is what my 49cm c to t looks like. My inseam is 27 1/2".
