Initial testing for Silca Super Secret Drip lube – I have just completed block 1 (first 1000km of test), which is mostly about assessing any initial penetration issues for the lubricant.

Silca Super Secret Drip lube is a wax emulsion lube, and this is important to note as to date all wax emulsion lubes have had significant initial penetration issues – so much so that I have even had to put a specific guide up for Smoove – which is something that I have always recommended is universally applied to all wax emulsion lubes (such as squirt etc).

It is from such testing that we have seen lubes like the absoluteBlack Graphene launch with a special bag and stress that the initial lube on a stripped clean chain must be immersive. Lubes such as Smoove / squirt should also have released such a method in my opinion as I have tested them 6 ways from Sunday and whilst lubes like Smoove have many great properties (or I wouldn’t be stocking it), the initial penetration issue is a real world issue, unless you do some cartwheels to minimize (heating chain, heating lube etc), then initial friction and wear on a perfectly clean chain will be high.

I will be honest, when I saw the application instruction video with josh of silca massaging the lube into chain, I was worried. Anytime a mfg is recommending massaging lube into a chain, I’m always worried. It sure as heck doesn’t work for wend.

Had I been asked to place a bet pre testing, I would have laid down big money that silca drip would have similar initial penetration issues as other wax emulsion lubes. I would have lost that money!

The block 1 test result came in at new record low wear rate for a drip lube of just 2.9% for block 1. The average recorded wear rate for block one for all lubes tested to date is 20.5%, however this figure is somewhat ruined by the horrific results from muc-offs liquid sandpaper lubes and wend’s terrible solid rub on wax – but even still only 3 drip lubes now are under 10% for block 1, and it even beat previous best drip lube result of UFO drip which was at 5.4%. Other wax emulsion lubes tested such as squirt and Smoove were both 19.1%, even Tru-Tension tungsten which overall is outstanding – once its in and running thus far it has recorded the lowest overall wear across the very harsh test protocol for a drip lube (will silca beat it?!) was at 15% for block 1 – I believe Tru-Tension are also looking at an immersive tub (I hope they are as it’s an outstanding drip lube at a great price point, just that one initial starting issue).

In short, silca super secret drip is only beaten in block 1 by Mspeedwax which was of course at 0.0% being an immersive wax.

Testing re-starts for the silca lube this time using the immersive application tub – we shall see if that matches mspeedwax’s 0% result. This test will then continue to the end of test protocol with all re-lubes being drip on from bottle as per mfg instructions.

**Note – I have had feedback already from customers re silca drip that it mostly just slides right off the chain!! Yes – it kinda does do that, it’s a slippery little sucker to apply. I will be updating product info today – but – put a towel under bike / chain when applying lube – and apply fairly generously to ensure a good application does get into chain as it is darn slippery and does have a tendency to slide right off chain metal – that is normal – its slippery stuff!!

But yay – for the first time in known independently tested & proven history, we have a wax emulsion lube with zero initial penetration issues, this makes it vastly easier to live with when needing to do a proper chain clean post wet ride etc and re-apply, something that with other wax emulsion lubes was not easy as you had to do a lot of work indeed to try to negate initial penetration issues if not waxing. Well done to Josh and Silca – not a cheap lube – but as is still always what I have found with Silca, you get what you pay for.

Stay tuned for test 2 results.

Other news updates – on testing front I have completed the Tru-Tension race and Mspeedwax race application tests – I’ve just been too strapped for time to get results up on website and detail reviews out – im really trying to get there, just yup – one man band here and things are BUSY! Which is of course very groovy. Bear with me, will get there.

New Products!!!

Did you know that Sram eagle xx1 chains come in copper?! I didn’t until recently. They look super cool, and so have now added to stock lines. As we know the eagle chains are not fast, but they are unbelievably durable so make for the worlds best mtb training chains, nothing on the market is even close to eagle xx1 chains longevity, and you now get to choose between black, gold, oil slick and copper!!

And – another groovy little addition – not something you may have expected to find at Zero Friction Cycling, but it is just too cool not to stock!!!

 

It is…. The worlds best nail clippers!!! Ok, you may be thinking…. Really….. how cool can nail clippers be…. Well you would be surprised!

Made from the same steel used to traditionally make the highest level samurai swords, these nail clippers truly are buy once, have forever and hand down to your son / daughter nail clippers. Plus, my theory is you cant ride properly if your toe nails are too long ?

They are super sharp, will stay super sharp, and are magic to use.

They would also make quite the fathers day gift.  It should be up on website by end of today.

I have a bunch more latest news soon, but that will do for now!

 

 

 

 

 

www.zerofrictioncycling.com.au