Cogs are easy to machine, even without Level's explicit approval it wouldn't be difficult to start producing compatible cogs if level were to go under. In fact, if the hubs are as long-lasting as their design suggests they will be, then if Level were to go under, one could have a reasonable little business selling Level-compatible cogs that wouldn't be hard to machine. In fact, you could even do small runs with companies like emachineshop.com and cut out 50-100 cogs at a time.

But hopefully it doesn't come to that. If they stick around for a while and are flexible with other companies wanting to produce splined cogs, then they'll last.

I don't have 250 clams to spend on a new technology right now (or 250 to spend on old technology, for that matter), but if I were in the market for a top-shelf hub, I'd definately be looking at the Level...

Some people are diehard early adopters who buy anything new the second it hits the market. Some people are diehard traditionalists, who only trust things that have been around longer than they have. The rest of us (most of us) fall somewhere in the middle, and its a delicate balance to find the position that is the most reasonable, since either extreme has its severe downsides.

peace,
sam