Agreed, no sense in 'upgrading' to some hypothetical level.

But then I'm sure many riders swap out saddle, grips, pedals on any bike - and tyres sooner or later - anyhow.

Any changes to the bike should be for the sake of comfort and safety alone. Leave beauty and 'performance' to the others.

The advantage of sturdy frames and proven run-of-the-mill standard components has to be seen as just that. I'd bet that more than a few of us have just that kind of bike as a second or third vehicle.