Originally Posted by ducati
Seriously, I say leave it stock and deal with a little sloppy shifting. I'm really intrigued: can a commuter get their money's worth out of the Denali?
I agree with the above, keep it stock as long as possible.
I bike commute with a co-worker that rides the Denali. Aproximately 1000 miles into it, he has replaced the bearings in the BB and some sort of "helper" spring popped out of the brake lever but it still functions properly. He does complain about the shifting and not being able to get it just right. I don't use the big ring on my Specialized Allez Elite because I can't adjust it right so I conclude Denali=Allez Elite
Please keep the updates coming.