The last update was way back in June which you can read HERE. The contenders, once again, are the Effetto Mariposa Flowerpower Wax Lube, DuMonde Tech, and SILCA Super-Secret Lube. Since that time I have not re-lubricated any of the chains. I have not ridden the Raleigh (DuMonde Tech) all that much since then but I did start riding the Black Mountain Cycles MCD more which has the SILCA Super-Secret Lube on the chain. This time I'll contrast the Super-Secret Lube against the Flowerpower Wax lube.
Flowerpower Wax:
The weather went from drought conditions to flooding in the last period between updates here. Interestingly, the Flowerpower chains looked like they did at the last update when all the riding was done in very dusty conditions.
I thought that the Nobel GX5, being the geared bike I have set up with this lube, was noisier than I recall. The single speed King Fab bike seemed about the same, but it is a single speed, so...
Compared to the Super-Secret lube the noise was a bit louder and I also thought that the Super-Secret felt slicker during the Touch Test. which didn't show much dirt off the rollers, but none of the chains did, really. I did wipe all the chains down with a cloth afterward and a strange finding was seen on both Flowerpower Wax chains. I saw a fair amount of black residue and some with a red tint. This was odd because I haven't ridden in red dirt, with the exception of the single speed, at all. Could that have been some rust?
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| It's like - why bother with this test? |
I checked all the chains for wear and both geared bikes barely register any wear at all while the single speed chain shows about 30% wear. Odd that, but the chain is a lesser quality piece on the single speed.
After wiping the chains down with a cloth, neither the Super-Secret or Flowerpower Wax chains seemed to need lubricating, but I may do that and then go through the rest of Summer before I get to my final verdict.
The red residue puzzles me. The single speed was ridden on red dirt roads in Oklahoma, but the GX5 has not been anywhere near red dirt, and yet it showed the same residue. My only conclusion is that this was caused by the Flowerpower Wax somehow. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this as the test goes on.
This stuff works great but this time the chain for the Super-Secret lube looked worse than the other two with the Flowerpower Wax lubricant.
The dust was caked on a bit thicker, especially in the inner plates area. This did not seem to bother anything, but it was notable. As stated above, this chain also does not show any wear.
This chain, when wiped down, did not show any red residue, but it did show a little black residue. Much less residue than the Flowerpower Wax lubed chains. I will say that this bike has been running this Super-Secret Lube since last year, so the lack of chain wear is impressive.
I am finding it a bit strange that I am seeing more residue now than I was when things were dusty and dry. Perhaps the moister roads have caused this? That would be my guess. It certainly doesn't seem to matter in regard to the Touch Test which shows almost nothing on all three chains.
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| Just because - Here is the Honeman Flyer's chain. |
The differences between these two lubricants are minimal. The residue issues notwithstanding, both work about the same and both have about the same longevity in terms of time between lubing. As stated, the Flowerpower chains seemed a bit noisier and maybe less slick than did the Super-Secret lubed chain.
The accumulation of dust is surprising on all three chains. I will be paying attention to this in my final analysis. I also hope to get the DuMonde Tech chain back in the mix before I end this round of the Lube-Off, but we will see.
I am looking at the beginning of September for the final word on this round to be written up. Until then I don't see a lot of major changes developing between the three lubricants. They all seem to be pretty good, so far.
Stay tuned...
2 comments:
I had an email exchange awhile back with Adam Kerin of Friction Facts regarding the rapid wear I'd noticed on my SS MTB using the same lube as my geared drivetrains (which last a looooong time with wax). He pointed out that chain tension is higher than on a geared bike, typically, and you don't get lateral wear, so all wear is in the elongation direction because of a perfect chainline.
I've also found that you've got to really be on top of chain maintenance with the wax lubes after a wet ride. Waiting until the next morning is too long and you get some surface rust. I've switched a couple bikes back to wet/oil lubes just because they tend to not be as carefully maintained.
@Blain - Thanks for sharing that. It makes sense to me when I stop to consider that.
I know it has been more humid here and wetter after rains, but this red residue wasn't visible, it came from deeper within the chain, and I never rode either bike in rain at all. So, while it still may be due to moisture, as you suggest, I am still suspicious of the lube, as the other chain did not show that, and I rode that bike in similar conditions.
As I stated, this bears watching and I'll report back later.
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