Silca Super Secret chain lube evaluate: An wonderful chain lube that can be utilized to spice up immersive waxing too

Silca Super Secret drip lube is among the first names you’ll hear talked about relating to the perfect bike chain lube. It’s a product that has been available on the market for a while now and has earned a superb fame. 

Super Secret is a slippery, wax-based drip lubricant that can be utilized as a standalone chain drip lube or to ‘prime up’ chains which have been sizzling waxed, which lengthens the time wanted between rewaxing intervals and retains issues operating that little bit smoother. 

Super Secret sits alongside two different drip or liquid lubricants within the Silca vary, the opposite two being Synergetic moist lube and Synerg-E e-bike-specific moist lube. The model additionally presents a series stripper degreaser product you need to use to totally degrease your chain, which is a requirement for correct chain prep in case you are utilizing Super Secret in your chain. This product can be obtainable as a bundle with the chain lube so you should purchase each merchandise collectively. 

The lube is on the market in three totally different volumes 60ml-2oz, 120ml-4oz and 240ml-8oz. I’ve had a 120ml/4oz bottle to check. On the subject of my check bottle, my very own has the older Super Secret bottle sticker that was changed just a few years in the past for the purple and inexperienced one that’s used now. The lube formulation is strictly the identical (I checked with Silca) it’s only a branding refresh and a barely totally different bottle form.  

For immersive waxing, take a look at our greatest bike chain wax information. 

 Design and aesthetics 

The chain lube is available in a cylindrical bottle with a pleasant, easy-flow nozzle that twists to open and near keep away from spills, it is a bigger nozzle than CeramicSpeed UFO drip, however you may nonetheless be correct with it. 

The lubricant itself is comprised of wax, water, and tungsten disulfide which is similar element utilized in some sizzling immersive waxes. The basic concept is that on the appliance the provider for the wax (i.e. the water) evaporates, abandoning the good things to take care of your chain and its many shifting elements. The product security knowledge sheet can be in plain view on the web site, not one thing you see in every single place.

Silca recommends making use of this lube to a series that is very clear, basically as clear as you may presumably get it – Best follow for making use of any high quality chain lube in the event you ask me. Silca basically presents loads of data and training on loads of its merchandise and there’s a lot to learn and watch on the model’s YouTube channel and web site. There’s a heck of loads of good data on each. 

The model has a complete cleansing and chain prep webpage. And no, you needn’t purchase an ultrasonic cleaner to become involved. This is a top quality product, among the best chain lubes on the market. Investing in it and switching to it, the identical as with different prime drip lubes, means a bit of extra involvement than simply including some lube to your chain and heading out to trip, however it is going to be value it!

To apply the lubricant, shake the bottle nicely and change to the large chainring and largest sprocket, this provides the lube the perfect likelihood of simply penetrating deep into every chain hyperlink. It’s additionally finest to not retailer the product at temps beneath 41F / 5C.  Apply two drops of lube per hyperlink or a gentle circulation while pedalling backwards. It’s then key to therapeutic massage the lubricant into the chain hyperlinks while backpedalling along with your fingers. Finally, backpedal for 12 revolutions to permit the lubricant to penetrate the chain, and wipe off any extra from the hyperlinks. Ideally, do that a minimum of 4 hours earlier than you trip, and even higher, in a single day, or as much as 24 hours earlier than driving for absolutely the splendid.

Allowing the lubricant to correctly penetrate or work its means deep into every chain hyperlink is what that is all about. If naked steel surfaces aren’t lined and guarded by a lubricant the primary miles of driving can really see very excessive put on charges because of an absence of safety. So in the event you’ve ever added a tiny, neat drip of oil to a series hyperlink previously, this will not have really executed the chain a lot good. We need numerous high quality lubricant, deep into the chain hyperlinks. Independent testing has discovered Super Secret drip does this simply, which is among the causes it performs very nicely.

Performance 

I assumed Silca Super Secret lube can be an ideal pairing for a model new chain I used to be becoming to my Dolan observe bike, which I trip often on an outside velodrome. I bought a model new YBN SLA 410 chain for the bike and degreased it totally contemporary from the packet, which for my part is one of the best ways to begin off with a brand new chain lubricant in the event you can. As I discussed in my CeramicSpeed UFO Drip evaluate, trying to totally clear and degrease an already soiled and or worn chain could be a waste of effort and time generally. It’s best to do it with the chain off the bike.  

One factor that struck me instantly was simply how slippery the chain lube is, virtually sliding off my chain hyperlinks as I utilized it. I’ve by no means seen something fairly prefer it from one other chain lube and I put this all the way down to the Tungsten Disulfide within the formulation. I’d suggest placing one thing beneath your bike as you apply the lube to keep away from mess and to catch the surplus; cardboard or a drip tray can be a very good transfer. I’d strongly suggest not doing it over the carpet.   

My model new chain, as soon as handled and left to dry in a single day felt, as you would possibly count on quick and ‘mild’ feeling. Running cleanly and quietly. The chain lubricant in my expertise would not dry utterly clear although, with a darkish gray kind of look. This might niggle in case you are used to immersive waxing or sure merchandise that maintain issues visually just about spotless. 

Super Secret can be totally suitable with Silca Secret Chain mix immersive wax. This means it may be used to ‘prime up’ an immersive wax coating, and show you how to get longer out of every therapy, in addition to protecting factor that little bit quieter, as waxed chains can run a bit of bit louder at occasions which I feel is one factor that places folks off long term.  

When it involves reapplying, the model recommends a reapplication each 150-200 miles within the dry, which is on a par with UFO Drip at 180 miles. In the moist, wipe the chain down with a fabric and reapply a drop of two of lube per hyperlink. You also can use boiling water on the chain after an extended interval to ‘reset’ issues’ clear the wax off and begin with a contemporary utility.  

Super Secret has additionally examined very nicely in Zero Friction independent lubricant testing, and has examined as one of many worlds finest drip lube choices. It’s necessary to make the purpose, {that a} chain ‘feeling quick’ just isn’t sufficient to say whether or not it is on the cash or not. The ZF testing process takes a series by means of six blocks of testing of dry, moist, and moist with an abrasive contaminant. It’s the chain put on charges themselves which can be monitored to see in case your lubricant is taking care of your drivetrain and pockets. It’s finest to learn the entire data which is on the market at no cost, however this lubricant is an excellent possibility, and among the best drip lubes. I’m keen to guess it is quicker than loads of others, which is one thing all of us wish to know.   

Value 

Price-wise, at face worth, this lubricant is on par with others available on the market, and there are three bottle sizes on supply. In the largest measurement it is $45. Affordable sufficient if getting the best possible drivetrain efficiency is your goal. 

It has an excellent cost-to-run ratio, which means if utilized and used appropriately it ought to lengthen the lifetime of your drivetrain elements, usually the costliest elements of the equation. This can be the case for a variety of prime waxes and lubes, not simply Silca. No one desires to pay for a brand new chain and cassette each couple of years, or perhaps a 12 months. 

Take a take a look at this cost-to-run calculator, which helps you to enter your drivetrain, lubricant and mileage to see how a lot your setup will value to run. $45 may start to seem like a really engaging possibility. Overall, this lube presents good worth for cash. 

Verdict 

Silca Super Secret is a superb possibility relating to a drip lubricant on your chain, this needs to be clear sufficient by now. It’s additionally a helpful ally in the event you already use immersive wax and wish to simply maintain issues ticking over properly in between full rewaxing. 

Independent checks are stable when it comes to put on charges and price to run, reinforcing the very fact this is among the finest merchandise you need to use in your chain relating to drip lube. The model additionally does a superb job relating to training round its merchandise and offers all the information it’s good to get arrange in case you are contemplating investing, which is nice to see.