Originally Posted by
midgetmaestro
I disagree - the sora thumb levers may be difficult for small hands to hit while in the drops.
To the OP: if you're not concerned about 9 vs. 10 speed, I would buy Tiagra for her.
Isn't Campy shifters have thumb shifters?
Anyhoo, if she's just starting, you can get either Sora or Tiagra bicycles. They are solid and reliable without busting the bank. Being a newbie, she will problly fall a few times. So it be a shame to scrap up those Ultegra bits.
In the end of the day, it's the human fitness that counts + tune state of the bike that really matters. Unless if it's SRAM. Instant WIN.