misskaz, I replaced my older daughter's shifter/brake levers on
her Volpe with a set of Sora integrated shifters. While she hadn't commented about the old levers, she liked how the slightly slimmer area between the handlebar and the 'knobby' area of the levers fit her hands, and she has small hands also. See how a set feels at a bike shop for yourself.
Really tough to compare in a picture:
Brad