Guitar Ted "Lube-Off": Update On Super-Secret Lube

 NOTE: The Guitar Ted "Lube-Off" is an occasional series here on the blog where I pit chain lubrication products against each other to see what- if any- chain lubrication products are good for riding on gravel. These reviews are my opinions only and are not meant to be taken as the final word on any of these products. 

I know I just gave my final thoughts on this SILCA Super-Secret Lube not long ago (HERE), but I have a bit more to add to the story now that I think is interesting. So, read that link and then consider this post an addendum to that one. 

Last weekend's "Hall of Fame Ride" saw me use the Black Mountain Cycles MCD I used for the Lube-Off test featuring Super-Secret lube. After the initial test period, I felt like I probably should reapply some lubricant as the chain felt not-so-slick anymore. It wasn't noisy, per se', but the chain wasn't as quiet as I'd have liked either. 

So, I wiped that chain down really well, until I was hardly getting any residue off of it, and I liberally applied Super-Secret to the chain rollers, manually turning them with the tip of my index finger to help pull the lubricant into the chain pins. then I wiped off the excess and let it sit for a day. 

When I came back, I could not see any evidence of the Super-Secret Lube on the chain, but I could feel it, and the chain was quieter. So, I took it on the Hall of Fame Ride last weekend which was approximately 44 miles and change of mostly very dusty gravel. Following you will see the chain and results from the "Touch-Test" of the chain afterward with no modification to the chain whatsoever, no cleaning, nothing. This is what it looked like right after the ride.

The odd dark marks are where the chain is worn and the gold treatment is gone.

Mostly dust here!

Okay, so as you can see plainly, the chain was mostly just dusty. The "Touch-Test" brought out a lot of dust from the chain. Most of this will wipe away with a soft, micro-fiber cloth and the chain will be fine. 

Here's another view showing where that dust is hiding and what the cassette looks like.

Yeah, pretty impressive! Considering the fact that the cassette and chain are just about toast, as far as wear, this looks really good here. I have to admit that Super-Secret Lube is as good as the DuMonde Tech at this point. I know I'll be using it all up, (I got a special "double your order deal" when I ordered mine), and that will take a while. 

The thing is, I think this is better from the standpoint of reapplication where it works exactly like it did on the first application. DuMonde Tech is a bit finicky in that regard. However; my initial reaction is that I will have to reapply this Super-Secret Lube more often than I do with DuMonde Tech. So, a give and take, which to my mind equals the two out a bit. Nothing I can think of makes either stand out as  "better" than the other yet. 

So, Super-Secret Lube from SILCA is a worthy one for you dust-eatin', gravel-grindin' fiends out there. I'll report back if I have any further observations, but I just wanted to give my latest experience to you for your consideration.

Again- SILCA did not sponsor this review. I bought and paid for the Super-Secret Lube with my own money. See the "Standard Disclaimer Page" for further explanation.