Sounds like you made a copy of my bike except I went with the extra long stem as I have a long torso. I was the first one to put Big Apples (that I know of) on a Swift. I personally love them as they have been a bulletproof tire so far and are pretty fast. The other advantage of them is their ride is good and the rougher the pavement, the more they hold a speed advantage over other tires. On smooth pavement there are faster tires. I don't live in a smooth world. So if you have rough pavement you can put on lighter "faster" tires and go slower. Try airing up the tires as well to see what you think if you haven't already tried that.

I wouldn't go with longer cranks. Try to explain exactly what you are wanting to do better. You can compensate for crank size with gearing changes and have less risk of pedal strikes on the ground if you are turning. Do you have really long legs?

Glad you like the bike. Just be careful with the silver paint as it isn't as durable as the powder coating. You will love the hub the more you ride it. I can't see ever using a derailleur on most my bikes now after using this hub I like it so much. Sure, it may be "slightly" less efficient than a perfectly setup derailleur but it more than makes up for it in other areas.

If you decide to take of the BA's, let me know. I can always use a second set. :-)