I don't usually go to the middle of nowhere, most often I'm going through a bunch of towns. In the worst case I can shove the bus on a bike to get to the next town.

Time and time again I have found that failure happens even with the best of components, and having standard components means you can find replacements more easily. Having a steel bike means the village welding expert in a random town in rural China can fix the frame, or fix your broken rack. Having standard spokes, tire, etc. means the LBS in Burmese village (who unlike American LBS, are actually reasonably priced) will have parts that work with your bike. Having standard brake pads and cables means you can get them anywhere when they wear down.