Originally Posted by
BenPS
Yeah, it's all aesthetic, but to me it shows intent. You could have all different parts, but it seems like a simplicity in design type thing. You could have all different parts, but it adds that extra little bit of hotness by thinking through the design of your bike, and getting the same stem/seatpost.
If you're trying to do things well, I think that your cranks should either match the rest of your group (shifters, derailleurs and maybe brakes) or can possibly be matched to your stem/seatpost if the manufacturer does all three.
Just my $.02
I'll add 2 more. I personally like to match the cock pit as much as I can. A hodge podge of parts on a bike makes it look like it was put together with spare parts from the bin. Maybe a brake set or even a crank set of different brand would be ok, but stem, bars and post that match in brand looks much better as a well thought out plan setup.
Cheers