Adjusting the pull/reach of STI levers with top-brakes (Tricross) Please excuse my terminology, I have a Specialized Tricross (2008) with Shimano Tiagra STI levers, and convenience brakes on the top of the bars, running through the same cable.

Naturally, adjusting brakes is easy enough, but I have a very sharp pull on the top brakes (flat bars, if I can call them that) - and my STIs pull almost all the way to the stop before even engaging.

Can this be a case of badly adjusted brakes? I asked my Bike shop to service the bike (minor service) - and it came back more or less like this, it's not dangerous, at all - but I like a very short pull on my brakes after a nasty TFCC injury that still isn't recovered.

I've checked the manuals for the STI levers (I expected some kind of internal setting I could crank on these, and have them take up the slack from the top-brakes)

Whilst we're at it, what's the proper name for these inline top-brakes?
The inline brakes are called interrupter brakes, or cross brakes.

It almost sounds like the pull of your inline cross breaks is meant for V-brakes, while your STI's are set for cantilever. From the details you provided, its hard to say what is going on.

If your brakes are set really loose, then both levers would bottom out before engaging, or would be rubbing the rims.

If they worked before, the shop did some work, and now they don't, well then its pretty obvious you need to return to the shop and have them fix it properly.