Dewbert-

I'm the same size guy as you are (in mid 40's) and have been riding my Cypress since last August. Great inexpensive bike for shorter (under 30 mile) rides. Mine now has over 1200 miles on it and still rides well. Last fall, I did a moderately hilly 45 mile course on the Giant and afterwards it felt like someone had beat my backside with a 2x4.

Switching to 700x28c tires (I have Continental Ultra 2000's on mine and like them), will give you less rolling resistance vs the stock 38c. If you're doing mostly roads, it's a worthwhile and inexpensive upgrade.

Clipless pedals. Crank Brothers Candy or Mallets (if you want a full platform) are great on that bike. I chose the Mallet C's for the Cypress and got Candys for the road bike I recently bought. After you use them for awhile, you'll wonder why you waited so long to try them.

I'm working towards being able to do a century. I wouldn't dream of doing it on the Cypress though. Once you get into longer distances or club rides, the necessity of a road bike will reveal itself to you.