The stock tires roll ok on pavement, but I put 28mm Gatorskins on mine because I mostly use it for long club rides and commuting. I don't think you'll need 40mm tires unless you are trail riding it exclusively. The bike doesn't come with in line brake levers on the tops of the bars, but they are only $15 or $20 a set, and aren't difficult to install. The only changes I've made to mine are the tires, a Brooks B-17, and a set of fenders. One of the fenders broke last week though, so I took them of for now, I guess I rode down one too many sets of stairs.