I don't think it's a wheelbuilding "smugness" here....it's a tough skill to master and, in my opinion, one of the most difficult jobs in bicycle mechanics. You're proud when you build a set of badass wheels, and happy to have saved the money it would have cost to have an LBS do it, even though in the end you're paying a premium price on parts. I would liken bicycle wheel truing to getting that perfectly tuned drumset; it's like an artform and it takes more a lot more than one time to get it down.

Not to mention, anyone can build a decent set of wheels using only a spoke wrench, a flathead screwdriver, some light oil, the stays of your bike for truing, and Sheldon Brown's website.

My first set of wheels was for a dirt jumper and they've been the lowest maintenance set, although this can probably be attributed to the 24" hoop and the 2.5" tire scrubbing out a lot of the minor hops that would be huge on a 700c road wheel.