This is not low end but not worth investing a lot of money in either. Think of this bike as a wise investment. You bought the bike at a reasonable price and found out you liked cycling. You also found out that this bike is not optimal for your needs. You can sell it to recoup some of your costs or keep it as a lock up/utility bike. Now you know what you need. You can either buy new or find a used bike that has the features you are looking for. If you like the look of vintage bikes, then buy a used one. You can find a really great used bike for quite a bit less than an equivalent quality new bike. Given the terrain you ride in you may want a bike with a triple (triples are more common on vintage bikes than compact cranks).