I agree with others that the Aurora Elite is great just the way it is. Before buying my last bike I seriously considered this one, but ended up going in a different direction altogether. The only upgrades I would make would be full-coverage fenders with mudflaps (PB Cascadias come to mind) and maybe a tighter 11-28 Deore cassette since I wouldn't be doing any mountains or loaded touring. I would also consider a nice Brooks saddle and matching bar tape, but that would be mostly for aesthetic purposes.