Nice bike for the price!

Oh, I never have any problem with Sora shifters. I don't race, so not being able to shift from the drops is not a concern to me.
BTW,The new Sora's are now the old Tiagra, so I maybe some people will stop hating on Sora's now.

I disagree with your opinion about disc brakes as "unnecessary complication", though.
Other than a little added weight, I think they are a great design improvement over other brake designs. But to each their own.