All good points guys.

I was hoping to get a couple responses in the other direction for a more balanced view of the topic, but I guess the parts upgraders are the more vocal bunch.

I'm still on the fence, but I will probably give the gear upgrade a shot. I would love to just have one bike that'll meet all my expectations, but sometimes, it's just a matter of having the right tool for the job. We'll see.

As for the bottom bracket upgrade, I'm no expert, but the thing spins pretty well when the chain is off, so I have a feeling it's doing ok. I'll take a closer look next time I'm fiddling around that area though.