I bought a Trek 1.1 aluminum bike and it came with Claris. I've only ridden it a few times, but it doesn't feel as crisp as the 105 set on my other bike. There are little indicators on the top of the hoods that show you which gear you are in, which doesn't really seem that useful, but...
I'm happy with Claris for now, on an approx. $700 aluminum road bike, but I think I might upgrade in the future.