I also had better luck shifting in front with Campy than I did with Shimano STI. However, my Campy bike is a compact double, and my Shimano STI bike was a triple, and that may make some difference.

The easiest of all to shift in front is bar-end shifters, but unless you build a custom bike, I don't think you can get those any more. I got them on my Bike Friday Pocket Crusoe with a Shimano Ultegra triple, and I can shift in front very, very easily. Unfortunately, some "improvements" in components over time (like STI) are not helpful for some people.

I do think you'll have better shifting performance from higher-end Shimano components, like 105 or Ultegra, but even my Ultegra-equipped bike with STI was a bit hard to shift up in front unless *perfectly* adjusted. And I don't even have small hands - I just didn't have the hand muscle strength needed once my hands got tired on a ride!

Good luck - and no, you are NOT alone. I have seen posts about this very topic on numerous forums over the years. Male LBS employees just don't get this as their hands are naturally larger and stronger!

Emily