Glad you posted this dydst, since I am in a similar situation. I just started riding 4 months ago and got a Trek 7100. Although I plan to get a road bike later on this year, I really want to keep the Trek for commuting. I have already upgraded the rear derailer, cassette, wheels, and tires due to an unfortunate bike/car collision on my first commute (only my bike had to go to the hospital). I mostly love the current setup except for the suspension fork; I would really like to ditch it but wasn't sure if it was cost effective.