My husband has a Jake the Snake that he uses on the road. He just changed the wheels, which was really cheap. He also is as fast as some of the people with their carbon frames so the rider does affect it. He does like the bike a lot though and he's done gravel trails with it, with the knobby tires on.
I guess it depends what you're looking for, if you want to upgrade. If you want a road bike, but one that can do more (for commuting too), then it's a pretty good, sturdy bike