Originally Posted by
veganbikes
I would highly caution against putting money towards a tourney equipped bike beyond enough to keep it safely riding. Save your money and get the bike you want it. If you want to build up a bike then get a nice frame and build something nice. Tourney bikes are not a good starting point they are designed to hit a price point and that is about it, it is rare the frame is much of anything and the fork is usually the same. Rideable till you get what you want but nothing to really spend morey towards.
If you are desperate to put money towards that particular bike I would look at CUES it is Shimano's new groupset designed to replace the low end Shimano with something lower cost but a little higher quality and from what I have seen here and there it looks promising. Save the XT build for a nice frame.
While I understand the sentiment of upgrading an average bike as opposed to purchasing an upgraded bike, through my research I could get exact what I want for half or more if I do the work myself. I like my bike but just want some upgraded components. If I stick to a 11 speed which is my plan at the moment it’s a much cheaper option.