Originally Posted by
noglider
How about chains? When does it make sense to spend big money on a 1/8" chain? I have worked as a mechanic, and I haven't seen any catastrophic failures of 1/8" chains, even of the generic ones. 3/32" chains are a different matter.
The point of diminishing returns comes very quickly when it comes to chains. An $80 chain doesn't perform much better (if at all) than a $15 chain. But, a $15 chain does perform better than an $10 chain.
Stretching is more of a concern than breaking. As you well know, a stretched chain will eat up the more expensive chainrings and cogs.
Cheap chains stretch faster and more than the others more expensive models.
A good track chain costs around $15-20 and will last years with proper routine maintenance (cleaning, oiling, etc...)
I have KMC K710 ($15-20) and Izumi ECO ($20-25) chains that I've been doing fat guy standing starts on for years and they show no signs of stretching via the chain-checker. But, a cheaper chain would have stretched within months.
There are lots of good chains out there: Izumi, KMC (certain models), D.I.D., Whipperman, etc... Maybe other people can mention chains that have treated them well.