I find handlebar and brake lever hood setup matters a lot. I want my hoods to be both in the right location and at the right angle for my wrists. Now, I am one who loves to climb out of the saddle and I have been known to not sit down for miles at a time (where the hills are that long). I call riding out of the saddle, "the dance". Like a good dance partner, the bike should just feel completely natural and "there". The handlebars and brake hoods are the arms and hands of you partner.

Now, I think the concept of crank location is backwards. I see the bottom bracket as being the center of the bike; the point from which the geometry and dimensions are measured. The handlebars are measured to the BB, not the other way around.

Ben