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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE: APRIL 26th
HOW DO WE DECIDE OUR OVERALL RATINGS FOR PRODUCTS WE REVIEW?
SILKOLENE PREMIUM CYCLE LUBE WET
100ml £8.99
The wet specialist of the Silkolene Premium Cycle Lube range is designed for extreme wet conditions, so perfect for testing in an English autumn. Whilst this is a very competitive market, Silkolene’s wet lube has, like its Dry and Everyday siblings, some distinctly likeable features.
Pros: Easy to apply and pretty frugal.
Cons: At the higher end of the price bracket.
Spec
“Extreme wet and/or long distance road use,” is this potions sphere of influence, but also “ideal for mountain bikes,” downhill and enduro work. That covers most bases, so there’s a good deal to expect form Silkolene’s Premium Cycle Lube Wet.
A good shake is required to mix the active lubricating agents with the delivery agent, but there’s nothing unusual in that.
The sole warning indicates the presence of Toluriazole derivatives, commonly used corrosion inhibitors, which may produce an allergic reaction. Had no effect on me, but you may want to wear gloves during application if you wish to.
Application
Thirty minutes curing time is suggested, though a speedier getaway is possible at the cost of reduced effect and a period of pedalling as the pink potion penetrates.
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Shake it up, baby, twist ‘n’ go. Shake tube, that is, with vigour, and apply with the twist ‘n’ go nozzle which is a feature of Silkolene’s Dry and Everyday lubes, too. Along with the distinct pink colouring, the nozzle provides efficient coverage, with little waste and any gaps easily spotted.
Wipe away and spills, and obviously keep away from braking surfaces.
As you’d expect, it is more viscose than its siblings, but there’s really no need to squeeze the tube at all. Easy enough for a precise drop, or so, on each link followed by a couple of rotations of the pedals.
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Performance
Thirty minutes later, and morning milking over, it was time to head for my favourite dung covered country lane. Generally, good mud-flinging has been a feature of the Silkolene Cycle lube range, but how would a heftier wet lube measure up to my friendly local farmer’s prize dairy herd’s deposits?
Twenty-five miles of country lanes – not all coated in bovine deposits, but pretty messy – saw the chain coated in a dirty looking black film. A gentle wipe with a cloth revealed clean metal, still visibly coated in lube. Equally, most lumpy detritus had been flung off before returning home, so there’s little gunge to end up in your turn-ups when heading for the office. Mind you, in common with many wet lubes it’s easy to transfer lube and any associated muck onto fingers and clothing. Take care if the mechanical gremlin strikes when you’re in your Sunday best.
There’s no doubt that the lube protects the drivetrain well. However, some others have reported that they didn’t find things quite so clean as I had. I’d been fairly sparing when applying, so maybe a heftier dose attracted more dirt. Mind you, may well offer longer tenure as well.
Starting off pretty dry, the testing period favoured long use. However, seeking out a few fords caused no immediate issues. Eventually, Storm Callum came along and provided a better challenge, but two hours in, Silkolene’s Wet Lube held it own. Eventually four hundred and ten miles in, the chain looked pretty dry, but there’s still no rattle. Another fifty miles and the first metallic rattle was heard. That is pretty decent – even in the context of initially favourable testing conditions. Worth mentioning here, that there’s been a road and gravel bias to the terrain for testing. Heading into the undergrowth might have a major impact on mileage and cleanliness.
More viscose wet lubes like this generally do well on most moving parts, cleats and so on. Application of a careful drop or two has seemingly gone down well on the front and rear mechs. Ideal, too, for a drop or two cables.
Conclusion
Without hitting the heights of some high-end concoctions, such as Muc-Off’s Hydrodynamic Lube, more traditional wet lubes such as this still appeal to many cyclists. I’m happy with it on water-logged country lanes, too. In a competitive market, little things matter, so cleanliness counts a lot, in my opinion. Having said that, Weldtite’s TF2 Extreme Wet Lube is tenacious and cheaper.
Verdict 3.25/5: In a very competitive market price-wise, a little goes a decent way, but there are cheaper and similar to be had.
Steve Dyster
https://www.ison-distribution.com/all/default.php
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PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2018
