Well at the end of the day, really, you still have to ride the bike no matter how much you spend on it. That's why I always say fit and feel and durability are more important really. You can blow your brains out on expensive stuff..but really..are you going to get up that hill much faster? Josh makes some good points..if you feel more comfortable, whatever it is, dropper post, more grip, better fit, lighter wheels that FEEL faster even if they don't really make you much faster at all..if you feel good about your bike, you'll be faster and feel happier. 14% grade still feels like 14% grade whether I'm on my MTB or my road bike...they're both tough!
There is no substance on earth that will make me fast, or even appreciably faster, on a climb. But I do appreciate smooth shifting, which is theoretically what I was buying. As I recall. It was quite a while ago. Also ... it's all about budget. If it's not a big sacrifice in money to get the nicest stuff, and if (big if) the highest end components aren't so lightweight that they aren't durable ...
But the body is the great leveler. Plenty of people on much less expensive gear can climb like billy goats. So I might as well take solace in my fancy-pants stuff. Anyway, I think the components are like 6 years old at this point, maybe more, so they've amortized well. Aside from replacement for damage, which has been minimal, I've just upgraded to wider bars, shorter stem, flat pedals (yes that's an upgrade for me
), and a dropper. Oh and a free bash guard to replace the big ring. I did put them on a new frame, because I had originally gotten an XS to reduce pressure on my wrists, but as my wrists got better after a few years, I wanted a S. Ellsworth did me a solid on a "trade in" treated as a warranty, so I got a nice discount even though the frame was already several years old.
All of which is irrelevant, really, to Amy's query. You're absolutely right that I could have gotten components a few steps down and been just fine. Probably wouldn't have even noticed it when actually riding. But if I were to do that, well, as
@Philpug will tell you, I have a self-imposed obligation to keep the outdoor equipment economy running.