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| The Super-Secret Lube was run on the Black Mountain Cycles MCD |
Well, you may have thought I had forgotten about this test! It's been since April that I've last updated on this particular lube. (HERE)
The bad news is that- actually- I did forget about this test! The good news is that there is a reason that plays into the findings of this test which otherwise I would not have found. So, what's up here?
So, I have ridden the MCD, the bike I put this lubricant on, once since the last update, out in the country. That finally happened last week. I've been spending my time on other bikes of late just because they need to get ridden. So, that's one reason this took so long to get done. That and it has been not so dry here, and I wanted to do the last big ride before my conclusions on dry, dusty roads. But the big plus here is that I did not realize I hadn't lubed the chain, or remembered what I was actually running on the chain, until about 3/4's of the way through that last ride when it dawned on me for some reason that I needed to do an update on this Lube-Off.
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| The appearance of the chain after 7+ hours of running this lubricant. |
And that means that I wasn't thinking about my lube, or experiencing issues related to poor lubricant. And that is a really good thing. Okay, but what about that chain close-up above. What are we looking at here?
Well, that splotch of grey below the embossed lettering is actually dust. Nothing more than that, and it wipes away very easily. Otherwise, this chain is pretty much as it was when I first applied the Super-Secret lube. However; you may remember that in my last update I mentioned that I got a fair amount of black residue on my finger after the "Touch Test". Well, about that....
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| Barely anything on the finger here after the Touch-Test. |
As you can see, there was barely anything to report here, and the cassette looks great as well. No gunky build-up, and no gritty stuff anywhere. So, I am pretty pleased by that result. I should also mention that the shifting performance has been awesome as well.
Conclusions: Okay, this is a wax based lube I would use, and furthermore, if it continues to perform at such a high level, I am going to slot this stuff in right up there with DuMonde Tech as the best stuff I have tried. Remember- I first used this on a pretty wet, gritty course. The Super-Secret Lube held up well. Really well compared to other wax based lubes I have tried. Now in dry conditions it seems to resist build-up and cleans up with a light application of a micro-fiber cloth when it does show what little dust/dirt does get on the chain.
Plans are to run this lubricant out to see how/when I need to re-apply it, how that process works, and then determine if this is my new go-to lube or not. It's really that good, and it may depose DuMonde Tech from its throne here if things keep going as they have. One thing about both of these lubes- And this is VERY IMPORTANT! You MUST apply them as recommended, on CLEAN chains to start out with. I've spoken to many riders who don't like DuMonde Tech, and almost to a rider, I have found that they did not THOROUGHLY clean the chain before application. And the SILCA lube is no different in that vein. So, don't come around here with how this Super-Secret lube, or DuMonde Tech sucks, unless you've done your due diligence with regard to initial application procedures.
Stay tuned for the final update on the EcoSheep lube coming soon.
6 comments:
I'm really interested to hear how the Silca does in wet conditions.
I love my waxed chains a lot. But the one time the wax fails is when it's wet out. If the Silca super secret holds up to rain and mud at all, I might have to switch to using the Silca wax and the Super Secret lube.
@Chilly Willy - Thanks for checking out this post. I did ride the Super-Secret lube in pretty wet conditions last April. Not "rain and mud", per se' but nasty wet gravel/mud.
And I am not likely to ride in anything worse than that, so I am afraid that maybe that advice you are looking for won't be coming from me. I'll stick to testing in mostly dry conditions, but maybe this Fall and Winter? Who knows.......
@Chilly Willy - I started waxing with MSW (original formula) and switched to Silca Hot Melt, mainly due to the absence of PTFE. I think Silca is better than original MSW, but there isn't much difference (and MSW has dropped PTFE, too, in the new formula). The Super Secret somehow seems to do better in the wet than either hot melt. Enough so that I've pretty much quit hot-waxing MTB chains and just use the Super Secret. After a few creek crossings a hot waxed MTB chain is done, but the drip seems to hang on better. Maybe Josh can chime in as to why.
The biggest downsides to waxing have been the hassle of melting and applying solid wax and the poor performance in the wet. It seems like both issues are well addressed by this lube. I will be giving it a shot. I’m using DuMonde Tech already, but it’s still relatively messy compared to wax.
Good things to know!
I use generic wax and add PTFE myself. Super cheap, and works fine (in the dry...)
I don't find waxing to be a hassle at all. But I have my own system. I run 3 chains on my bike. Depending on scheduling, I might wax 2 chains when the last clean one goes on my bike. Or I might wait until all 3 are done and need to be re-waxed. Couple that with having 2 different bikes I'm running with waxed chains and I might be waxing 4 or 5 chains all on the same day. Same amount of setup effort, but 4 times the results.
Really, my only complaint ever has been the fact that it all goes to pot when you ride in the wet. I might have to try to add the Super Secret to see if it extends my generic wax's lifetime. Or better yet, suppress my cheapskate soul and buy both the Silca Secret wax and the wax lube.
I finally decided to give Dumonde Tech a try last year, based on what you have written here in the past. Initially trying it on one bike when installing a new chain, it turned out to be one of those things that I can not believe I had not started using it a long time ago and now use it on all my bikes.
Cleaning the factory lube completely off a new chain is definitely a PIA, but it sure pays off. I have actually thought about getting an ultrasonic cleaner to make this job much easier.
And now there might be something better? Wow!
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