Originally Posted by
queerpunk
It depends.
Since a Dura-Ace cog is like twenty bucks and takes forever to wear out, I don't see much of a reason to use anything else.
+1
Originally Posted by
gtexbush
Is there a difference in cog brand types? Does the higher price justify these cogs?
As with many types of equipment there is a place of diminishing returns. With cogs, that point of diminishing returns starts at around $30.
$30 Dura Ace and Euro Asia Imports (or similar) cogs are the standard and are used at every level of competition. There is no benefit of spending more than that for a cog. I'm not sure what extra value a $120 titanium nitride coated cog provides. The same is said about ceramic bearings.
I'm still using Dura Ace and EAI cogs that I bought in 2009, and I'm a big guy that and I am very tough on my drive train.