Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,781
Likes: 1,750
From: Northern California
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
No reason to call it low-end, which conjures up something like from a department store.
Entry Level is the term I would use, and the RSX gruppo was excellent but for the gearing, which oddly enough often teamed up a 46t big ring with a 13-26t cassette. Others came with 11-24t I think.
I've used these brifters for many hard training miles and they were fine after I dunked the hoodless levers in 175-degree motor oil for a couple of hours and then flung the oil from the hot levers at the end of a stiff rubber bungee cord. This was 5-6 years ago and they're still working fine after several thousand additional miles (I bought them used, of course).
Sora levers are quite a bit lighter, but I just don't like them for the most part. If they were on an only bike, I would quickly get used to them, but I ride bikes with better shifters, so the difference bothers me.