I never scoff at old school, retrogrouchy components, and dumpstered and yard sale bikes are great sources for durable parts. Even walmart specials have a few tough, usable components on them.
Good old steel frames and forks are bulletproof. Friction shifters fare far better on crank derailers than indexed, IMHO, you can trim out chaingrind on the fly. Oldschool cotterless cranks use easily serviced bearings, and last far longer than cartrige BBs.
And so on. The lightest and the newest isn't always the greatest, and the blasts from the past were built to last.