rsbob 

Have ridden Campy for umpteen years with the brake/shift levers within easy reach of the bars. With the Campys, I would ride 90% of the time with my hands on the hoods. My new Ultegra hoods are stretched out about 2 or 3X in comparison which really forces me to stretch out more for braking/shifting (brifters). Have others that have made this change gone to a shorter stem to bring the brifters closer, or just lived with them? Not thrilled with bringing the bars closer since they feel right, but don’t quite know what to do (Switching to a Campy gruppo is not the high priced answer I am looking for <- Preempitive negation).

jadocs

Interesting dilemma. I'm assuming you don't want to bring the bars in closer because they feel right in the drops at current distance?

genejockey 

Yeah, I really noticed that on my new bike, with the latest 105, compared to my other bikes with ~2006 Chorus and Veloce. The new bike has a shorter 'Reach' measurement than either of the older bikes but I end up equally stretched out on the hoods.

Depending on what you've got now, you could try a bar with less reach?

There's also bar angle, but of course you don't want to tilt that up so much you can't brake and shift from the drops.

mstateglfr 

If 90% of your riding is with your hands in one spot, I would focus on making that the comfortable distance. If you bring the 105 levers in closer either by way of shorter reach bars, shorter stem, or both- you will solve 90% of the issue.

I wouldnt base my fit of a 3 hour ride on the 18minutes where my hands are in the drops or on the tops.

Im not sure what being stretched out 2 or 3x in comparison means, since Shimano hoods dont make you stretch twice the distance as Campy hoods...that isnt physically possible Regardless, if you only change the bars and get bars like Specialized Short Reach 65mm, then you will have the hoods 1-1.5cm closer than they are now and the distance to the tops of the bar would stay the same. Thatd help since the 10% your arent on your hoods, some of that time is on the tops.
Obviously if you need more than 1-1.5cm of adjustment, then the stem would be next. Reducing the stem by 10mm and the bars by 15mm makes your reach to the bars 1 inch closer than it is right now.

rsbob 

I am leaning toward a shorter stem which should reduce the reach 25%.

Thanks for the replies.

DaveSSS 

I'd just try a 10mm shorter stem first, unless you don't like your handlebar reach. I know that Trek makes some odd choices with 100mm reach bars and 80mm stems, where I'd choose the opposite, to give more clearance when riding out of the saddle. FWIW, SRAM mechanical levers are nearly identical in reach to Campy. I switched to force axs with no issues.

Iride01 

Do they actually measure that much different than your Campy?

The Ultegra R8070 STI's seemed shorter to me than my 105 5800 STI's of my previous bike. But when I got down to investigating, they measure the same from the point on the bar they sit to the top of the hood. It was just the curve of the bar being different from the other bar as well as where they sat on that curve.

rsbob 

They are exactly 1” longer. Sounds like get a 1” inch shorter stem.

Fox Farm

go back to Campy

Chi_Z

the newer campy levers have longer reach as well, just have to get use to it unless you can source 2000 10 speed records

DaveSSS 

I've owned every version of Campy levers since the days of 8 speed. There has never been a significant change to the brake hood reach, that would require even a 10mm reduction in stem length.