I don't mind doing maintenance, but I don't find I have to do it that much, and often don't have time. my bikes just keep on ticking. I use a touring bike for day to day commuting and touring. However I rarely clean my main bike, and it shows. The paint on the drive-side chainstay never sees sunlight
I do put my bikes together very carefully from the ground up, with ample lubrication and proper torque where necessary. The main thing I have to do is replace brake pads in the salty New England winters. At the worst of this year's winter, I was chewing through pads every two weeks.
The drive-train is a mixture of Sugino and Shimano DX which are pretty tough in my experience. For chains I try to get ones with riveted-pins such as are found on KMC 8x and whipperman chains- the pins are less likely to wander in the link and weaken the chain. Also I think it's a good idea to use 36 spoke minimum wheels, and try to obtain well-made, heavy duty stuff when you do need spares.
edit: Fenders are a HUGE help, with a decent mudflap on the front.