Home > Clothing-Gear-Tools

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube promises to redefine how fast chain oil can be!

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube chain oil, wax speed, wax efficiency, oil simplicity
16 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

Following up on their Super Secret drip wax & hot melt wax lubes, Silca just dripped out an even more advanced new Synergetic Wet Lube that promises to be almost as fast, with none of the hassle. Marketing spiels & independent tests alike have confirmed in recent years, that nothing beats the ultimate speed & efficiency of premium wax-based lubes. But not only are waxes complicated to apply to your chain the first time, they need frequent reapplication, and there’s still a good bit of room for error – wasting time & money if you mess up a step.

The result is… most cyclists still prefer a simple lube they can drip onto the chain already on their bike, and ride away hassle-free. I’ll admit, that I have a hot melt wax bag waiting in my home workshop. But I haven’t found the time/hassle to pull the chain off my bike (no quick link!) and go through the process of completely degreasing it before I can even think about heating up the wax.

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube promises wax speed, with oil simplicity

Silca’s Joshua Poertner gets it. He knows that the average everyday cyclist just doesn’t care enough about the incremental gains of the cumbersome deep clean and waxing process. Regular cyclists just want chain lube that works, that decreases drivetrain friction, and that lasts long enough that we don’t have to relube after every ride. Yet even in advanced chain oil, you can get much of the performance benefit, and maybe even more bang for your buck.

So, enter the super high-tech Silca Synergetic Wet Lube.

Chain Oil simplicity, with wax speed & efficiency – F1 Tech details

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube chain oil, wax speed, wax efficiency, oil simplicity, ASTM pin wear test
c. Silca

Silca claims the new oil-based Synergetic lube almost matches the efficiency & durability of their wax lubricant solutions, with the ease of use of traditional chain oil. It even lasts for a claimed 600-800 miles between reapplication.

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube chain oil, wax speed, wax efficiency, oil simplicity, miscriscope wear detail

The secret seems to be a combination of two super premium additives inside that come from motorsport racing – one WS2 nano-scale tungsten disulfide, and the second F1 race car valve lubricant ZDDP. Either on their own reduce friction by 10-15%, but combined together a synergy is formed, and friction reduction is claimed at 50%, with wear reduced even further at 95% reduction thanks to a protective layer formed by the pair together.

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube chain oil, wax speed, wax efficiency, oil simplicity, tribofilm protection

The “tribofilm” mechanism behind the “Synergetic” performance was established by scientist Paula Ussa Aldana at the University of Lyon, France. And you can read about it in detail on Silca’s blog & product page. But suffice it to say, the result is that Silca claims internal testing to demonstrate Synergetic oil as “the fastest and quietest oil-based lubricant ever tested, losing only 4.9W on 250W input (98.1% efficiency)”. On top of that, the durable tribofilm protective layer formed by the two additives makes the lube “ultra-high wearing” and exceptionally waterproof… “remaining inside the chain even in testing under full water submersion”.

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube – Application, Pricing & Availability

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube chain oil, wax speed, wax efficiency, oil simplicity, 2oz bottle
Silca Synergetic Wet Lube 2oz

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube may be a more conventional chain oil in the application, but those expensive additives keep the final price of the US-made lube quite high too. At $25 per 2oz/60ml squeeze bottle, it’s a good thing that it comes with a tiny 18-gauge needle applicator at the end of the bottle. You don’t want to just pour it over your chain.

Instead, correct application means carefully dripping one drop onto each chain roller, then back pedaling to let it work itself into the chain. It’s best on a degreased chain but even works on a brand-new factory greased chain, getting optimal function after about 4-5 applications. Drip on, spin, wipe clean and ride.

Silca Synergetic Wet Lube chain oil, wax speed, wax efficiency, oil simplicity, performance comparison

Silca says the standard relube interval is 500mi/800km, giving you 10,000mi/16,000km out of a single bottle. Compare that to their own Super Secret Blend hot melt wax or Super Secret Chain Lube drip wax, and you come away with much better bang for your buck, and negligibly higher friction.

Silca.cc

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

16 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
PStu
PStu
3 years ago

It isn’t clear where it comes out on the issue of chain life. Does it attract dirt and grit, like most non-wax products, reducing the lifespan of a chain compared to wax-based products? I still love my waxed chain, because it is so easy to handle and stays clean, even on a dirty ride. Recently completed a 300-mile bikepacking trip on a single wax job and didn’t need to add any liquid wax along the way.

Jim E
Jim E
3 years ago

Will this have bad dirt attraction qualities like other wet lubes for MTB or gravel use?

Chader09
Chader09
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim E

Josh touches on this at the end of the video. Yes, it is an oil like lube, and will attract dirt like others. You can do your best to wipe the chain clean after proper application, to minimize attraction. He didn’t say directly, but I would think really dry and dusty environments may not be ideal for this lube. Maybe their further info will cover this question in greater detail.

TomM
TomM
3 years ago

What happened to Silca’s NFS chain lube, which was also in the same category of drip applied lube, was similarly expensive, and IIRC made similar claims. It disappeared from the market a few years ago. And now this appears. What’s up with that?

Chader09
Chader09
3 years ago
Reply to  TomM

@TomM, Josh touches on this in the video (about the time he applies the new lube after the NFS test?) and says that the manufacture of one of the key ingredients to NFS stopped making it. With the lack of that element, they were unable to make NFS.

Also covered in the video, is the fact that Josh learned about some new lube info from a friend in the F1 world that did some extensive research apparently. New info on new materials and methods sounds like.

TomM
TomM
3 years ago
Reply to  Chader09

Thanks @Chader09 that seems plausible.

Greg
Greg
3 years ago
Reply to  TomM

NFS is present in the pin on ring test picture above.

Involuntary Soul
Involuntary Soul
3 years ago

500+ miles maybe if you re only riding indoor, after 100miles my chain with normal wax lube is already black with grits all over and have to be degreased, I’ll be surprised this wet lube last more than 50 miles before degreasing is needed

Moby
Moby
3 years ago

zddp isn’t some magic f1 thing… do any simple search on engine or camshaft (non roller) break in. I can’t think of an internet engine rebuild break in thread that doesn’t include some eventual discussion of zddp before it becomes a complete goat rodeo. Not saying this isn’t good stuff, but let’s stop appropriating common tech from other places and claiming it has the powers of alchemy. To be fair though, the Silca site presents a slightly, slightly more balanced picture of zddp.

Coming from the PNW the only solution, no matter what chain friction reducer, is to put the chain in the ultrasonic cleaner every 100 miles or so. That’s what makes parts last and low friction.

Matthew Ball
Matthew Ball
3 years ago
Reply to  Moby

Goat rodeo….thank you definitely adding that to my vocabulary

Josh Poertner
3 years ago

While you are correct that ZDDP has been around since the 1920’s.. the relationship between it and WS2 was only recently discovered and has transformed lubrication strategies in auto racing, replacing other, more modern chemical formulations that had thought to replace just ZDDP.. as we say, the relationship here (and some other things we aren’t disclosing) demonstrates 5x the wear reduction of just ZDDP or just WS2 in oil.. of course the base oil is incredibly important and special, look at the ZeroFrictionCycling data, SILCA NFS is the only oil to successfully make it to block 6 of the test, most oils fail out in block 2 or 3, so the base oil is super critical, so here we have started with the best oil based lube in all of cycling and then further reduced wear by 80%.

Of course, this is always the problem with our strategy of transparency and openness..it becomes easy to naysay or ‘build your own’ from the internet, but I like to say that this stuff is like ice cream.. all ice cream is milk and sugar, but the end product come from obsessive attention to those ingredients combined with obsessive attention to processes and controls.. and in the end, some ice cream is utter garbage and some of it is completely transformative.. When we launched our SuperSecret, people on this very forum were saying ‘it’s just like Squirt only more expensive’ and yet, look at the Ceramicspeed launch yesterday showing it to be considerably faster than Squirt while ZeroFriction showed it to be considerably longer lasting, etc.. so clearly it isn’t ALL just that simple.

Lastly, as we say in our marketing and our video, it is still oil. The order of awesomeness in lube is currently, hot wax first, then drip wax second, both are superior in terms of friction and cleanliness.. but the reality as we’ve seen over the past year selling wax based lubes is that the 99% of cyclists who are not debating lube on the internet aren’t willing or able to remove the chain, strip it, dry it and wax it.. so we felt there was a need to bring something much higher technology to that customer, and that product needs to be a high film strength, hard to displace, oil based lube that can be dripped on the chain without exceptional or complicated cleaning measures. So if you are one of the people looking for a more efficient, longer lasting lube for your commuter bike, e-bike, indoor trainer, etc.. this is your product!

Tom
Tom
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh Poertner

Money response. Thanks for weighing. I’m a self-confessed lube whore, but this stuff is too pricey. At $25 for 4 ounces, you’ve got me. At this price, I’ll stick with Smoove. I suspect I’m giving away a few watts, but the stuff lasts and lasts and lasts like nothing I’ve ever tried. As a truly retired racer, that’s paramount to me, not a few watts

pm732
3 years ago

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272016886_Action_Mechanism_of_WS2_Nanoparticles_with_ZDDP_Additive_in_Boundary_Lubrication_Regime

synergy at 100C. not buying it for this application without more data. i just can’t reconcile that this is from the same company that sells the same bar plugs that supacaz does.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago

Well, now that chain lubes are becoming more expensive than the chains themselves, we are coming to the point where it is probably better to replace the chain after each 200 km, avoid all the mess and fuzz of cleaning and lubing the chain.

Robin van Dijk
Robin van Dijk
3 years ago

Dear all,

I still have 3 bottles (60ml) left of the praised NFS (labelled Dario Pegoretti). Can I safely finish those before buying the new Silca Synergetic, or will I be missing a big improvement?

Ciao,
Robin

paul james blee
paul james blee
2 years ago

Ok been using this for 2 months,with no problemsat all.Drivetrain is super quiet,gear changes superb and attracting less dirt than NFS.The blunt needle applicator works a treat. Highly recomend this lube

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.