The order goes like
Campag V Shimano
This is how one legendary bike tester* who was neutral on the subject used to rank ’em back in the day… Based on an unscientific combination of price, performance and perceived desirability.
Campag Record
Shimano Dura Ace
Campag Chorus
Shimano Ultegra
Campag Centaur
Shimano 105
Campag Veloce
Campag Mirage Shimano Tiagra
Shimano Sora
Campag Xeon (guessing on this one – cos I’ve never seen it)
I would say that all three of Shimano’s top groups have moved up a bit in the last couple of years, so that these days it comes down to which method of shiting you prefer. On a rational level there isn’t much in it between Campag Record and Dura Ace 7900. The latest Dura Ace is very Campagesque in look, and feel and ironically the latest Centaur levers look like an older version of Dura Ace.
SRAM complicates things a bit, if you go on aftermarket price that puts Red up their with Super Record, Rival out ahead of Dura Ace and Force… erm somewhere around Ultegra level, but as cyclists don’t seem to calculate the desirability of something on price alone, or dare i say it, even performance – your guess is as good as mine.
* So that means it’s not me!