here's how I see it; The difference of £75 is meaningless over the life of the bike. Break it down to cost per mile or cost per day over 7.5 years .....

I always try to get the best stuff up front ... buy the best hardware I can afford. Upgrading a drivetrain is expensive and generally not worth it ... but getting the upgrade for cheap will never leave you saying "I wish I had less."

New Claris is supposed to be better than old Claris, which was sturdy enough ... sort of. Cheap materials, front derailleur maybe a little to o flexy ... but it works. I still use it on one bike. New Sora is supposed to be really good, having incorporated a lot of the tech from the better group sets.

Personally I like having more gears per chainring so i can worry less about double shifting, but 8 versus 9 is not a deal-breaker. I really like Hollowtech II because it is stronger and lighter than square-taper, and still threads right in. Yeah, i still have square-taper on two bikes and it gets the job done admirably, but I Prefer Hollowtech.

Obviously we could all be riding gas-pipe steel single-speeds and still get where we are going. There is no Essential tech besides two wheels a seat, steering and a drive train. On the other hand, not everyone buys the latest and greatest because the ads said to, or to be like Racer X on Team Y in the pro peloton, or to show of at the cafe.

Some of us like the better gear because it works a little better, lasts a little longer, and provides a marginally better riding experience.

Sure, we could all get where we are going on Walmart beach cruisers .... and you can if you want to. And the guy with square taper who thinks it is the greatest ... great. The guy with a seven-speed freewheel, the guy with friction shifters on the stem ... yeah, all that works. But if a person has a chance to buy whatever ... why not get a little better?

You cannot go wrong with either option. Giant offers good value, as a rule, and builds a good product. Claris and Sora are both good group sets. FSA makes decent cranks and rings (have them on my rain/work bike.) But in my opinion.... worth exactly nothing .... spend a few pence a day and get the better gear.