Shimano Dura-Ace
Shimano's Dura-Ace line was first introduced in 1973 and remains Shimano's top-shelf components group. The components can be seen on a vast number of bicycles in the professional bicycle peleton. Shifters weigh in at 379g and are designed for use with 10-speed drive trains. Shimano's Dura-Ace range offers a choice of either manual or electronic shifters. The 2010 shifters retail for $930 for electronic and $700 for manual.
Campagnolo Super Record
Arguably the most storied of bicycle-component makers, Campagnolo is headquartered in Vinceza, Italy, and was founded in 1933 by Tullio Campagnolo. Campagnolo's finest shifter is represented in the Super Record line. The shifters weigh a scant 340g and offer 11 speeds, the most of any shifter. Shifting is executed by pushing one of two levers, which will cause either up- or down-shifts, depending on which lever you use. The 2010 Campagnolo Super Record Shifters retail for $560. The shifters are manual only.
Sram Red
Sram launched its road group in 2006 after a long association with mountain biking. Sram Red is the company's pinnacle component group. Sram Red shifters are the champion lightweight at only 280g. Reach to the brake and shifter levers can be customized, allowing for hands of many shapes and sizes to comfortably use the shifters. Unlike Shimano or Campagnolo, shifting options are included in a single lever, rather than the normal two, a feature that Sram labels "DoubleTap" technology. In 2010, Sram Red shifters retail for $556, making them not only the lightest but also the most affordable of the top-of-the-line entries.
