Synergetic release info from ZFC
*Also pls note ZFC sells products at recommended australian RRP set by company. Some online sites may sell at prices which are literally $1 to $3 above landed price. This may work for high volume stores who can afford to make $1 per sale, but not for a small boutique store, where around 10% of revenue is put back into covering the cost of testing projects which provides knowledge for us all to use to save friction and wear on our drivetrains. By purchasing from ZFC, you are supporting the worlds most robust and referenced independent test model, and one where test results do not need to sit behind a paywall but open to all. If the manufacturers RRP for australia price fits in your budget, your support is of course greatly appreciated*
Why Synergetic vs chain coating type lube? Wont wet lube attract contamination?
If you have followed zfc / had a good browse of website – you will have seen that in general ZFC advocates for immersive waxing as number 1 (because it is proven 6 ways from Sunday as the way to attain lowest friction and wear running day in & day out as each re-wax resets any contamination & re—coats chain in a fresh coating of a solid super slippery lubricant that has highest level of contamination resistance possible), and second to that is using a chain coating type lubricant (silca ss drip, ufo drip, tru tension tungsten or race) with periodic immersive waxing to reset contamination, and 3rd to that is simply using a chain coating type lube with periodic boiling water / UFO clean rinse maintenance to reset contamination.
However, wax / chain coating type lubes are not for everyone. What makes them exceptionally clean and remain ultra low friction is also what has them have a shorter treatment lifespan vs some very long lasting wet lubes, and after 200 to 300km the coating can start to sound and feel quite dry. IF stay on top of applications no problems (or two training chain on rotation makes this very easy and has some other benefits too) – however for some, they simply aren’t on the chain coating / wax lube bandwagon, they are in team wet lube.
The long term king, by far, of wet lubes has been Nix Frix Shun. ZFC was pleasantly surprised just how well NFS tested, other wet lubes have failed as soon as contamination is added quite quickly. Silca used to sell Nix Frix Shun under Silca branding until something happened re obtaining a key ingredient.
Since then Silca has invested heavily to bring a wet lube to the market to set a new benchmark for those looking for a wet lube. It is still to be control tested by ZFC (it is on the priority test list) however like hot melt and Super secret drip, due to full data sharing and trust in silca products ZFC is confident to stock and recommend prior to testing, and this area will be updated once testing complete.
Why did Nix Fix Shun do so well?
The traditional Achilles heal of wet lubes is that every particle of airborne dust sticks on contact. And there is a lot of it. Shine powerful torch / bike light into the night sky and watch what is floating through the beam. All of that sticks on contact to wet lube chain, becoming part of the lubricant. Typically in a short amount of time, you have a black, abrasive liquid masquerading as your chain lube. The lower performing wet lubes become quite the industrial grinding paste in short order and require a huge amount of maintenance & solvent use to maintain at not terrible friction levels.
The secret with NFS was that it was a) very low viscosity, b) super slippery to negate viscous friction losses and c) so little was needed that if lubed properly with a small amount and excess wiped thoroughly after application and work in – that for a wet lube NFS remains much cleaner for much longer, and with so little lube needed and what is on chain has such low viscosity, contamination that does stick has a very hard time moving from outside of chain to inside where it can cause wear. This makes it easy to just wipe chain after each ride and keep lubricant very clean and low friction.
Some wax lubes can also be a tough clean and have significant initial penetration issues (some do not…), NFS & Synergetic are very easily cleaned and re-lubed should you wish to perform periodic maintenance every approx. 2000km (road, more frequent depending on conditions is recommended).
Synergetic has been designed to take on NFS and establish itself as the clear new king of wet lubes. Nix Frix Shun has an almost cult following amongst wet lube users as it has been so far ahead of anything else on the market, and you can read below the product info from silca – the wet lube battlefront is now hotting up.
ZFC will control and field test asap, however in the interim, ZFC has extreme confidence in the product performance claims by silca, or quite simply I would not stock and recommend until after it has been tested.
Product info from Silca;
What is it?
The Ultimate Oil Based Lube SILCA’s new oil-based lubricant based on technology originally developed in F1 racing, to reduce friction and nearly eliminate wear in all metal components.
Who’s it for?
This lube is for the demanding cyclist who wants to experience the lower friction, increased lifespan, and silence of the most advanced lubrication technologies without the extra work involved with deep cleaning, drying, and waxing their chain.
WHY WE DESIGNED IT:
Electron microscopy of this phenomena was first reported by Paula Ussa Aldana at the University of Lyon in France a few years back. She was able to section the test samples to expose the tribofilm, showing exactly how the WS2 nano platelets are being held in the tribofilm of ZDDP.
Tribofilm formed in the wear groove of a test pin.
In SILCA testing, the use of a significantly more advanced base oil than used in the University of Lyon testing has shown further improvements in both wear and friction, while careful balancing of the formulation has allowed us to mass produce the resulting oil at an attainable price despite the exotic cost of some of the ingredients.
SILCA Synergetic oil has tested internally to be the fastest and quietest oil-based lubricant ever tested, losing only 4.9 watts on 250 input (98.1% efficiency), however, it really begins to shine when focusing on longevity and durability of the chain and mating components. Best of all, because the lubricant forms a durable tribofilm at the metal surface, and is strongly attracted to itself, the lube proves to be exceptionally waterproof, remaining inside the chain even in testing under full water submersion, the lubricant is not displaced!
SPECIFICATIONS:
- 2oz Squeeze bottle with 18ga. Luer Lock Precision Applicator Tip
- 12,000+ miles of lubricant per bottle
- Ultra-high wearing, ultra-quiet, ultra waterproof wet lube
- For best results apply to clean/dry chain. For good results may apply to new factory lubed chain and will fully displace the factory lube within 4-5 applications
- MSRP: $25 / 2oz bottle
- Made in USA
- https://silca.cc/products/synergetic-wet-lube
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Synergetic will work best on a perfectly clean/dry chain, but this is not absolutely necessary. It will eventually displace factory grease on all common chain brands if dripped over top on a new chain.
- Chain should be free of dirt and contaminants before applying Synergetic
- Initial Application on clean/dry chain:
- Apply 1 drop of Synergetic to each set of gaps on each roller (2 drops per roller)
- Cycle chain backwards 10-12 revolutions to allow lubricant to fully penetrate
- Wipe Outside of chain and chainrings as dry as possible using MicroFiber cloth
- Re-apply 1 drop per roller every 600-800 miles or after every wet/rainy ride
- Application on chain with factory lube:
- Apply 1 drop per roller
- Cycle chain backwards 10-12 revolutions white rubbing lubricant into chain between fingers
- Wipe outside of chain and rings as dry as possible with MicroFiber cloth
- Re-apply and wipe after each ride for 4-5 rides to allow Synergetic to replace factory lube
