I've run different brands of 26T granny rings. They all worked fine, but I settled on a SS granny ring because those small rings get burrs so easily. When went to the 26T, I also went to a 39T middle ring, which makes for easier upshifts. With that combo, I only run the 26T with the four lowest cogs. That works perfectly, and there's no reason to run that ring with smaller cogs on my cassette. The smaller the ring, the greater the chain tension at a given power and thus the faster the chain wear. I also installed a chain catcher, but now I think that might be more trouble than it's worth. I'm using a Shimano 10 speed 39T ring and a Shimano 9 speed 52T ring, which also work together perfectly.