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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE: MARCH 7th
HOW DO WE REACH THE OVERALL RATINGS FOR PRODUCTS WE REVIEW?
Silca NFS Leather and Pump Lube
(six month test)
20ml £9.60
Specialist leather and pump lube? Well, how specialist can you get? Silca NFS Leather and Pump Lube promises to help you maintain seals and gaskets. Developed by NFS for Silca, it is designed to work with Silca pumps to prolong longevity and maintain efficiency. It may appear pricey, but so is a good quality pump, and a little goes a long way. In any case, £9.60 is not a deal-breaker, in my opinion. Note, general solvent-based leather feeds are not the same as this, avoid using them on rubber seals.
Pros: does what it claims, adds to the lifespan of pricy bits of gear, safe on rubber and leather seals.
Cons: looks expensive.
Specification
Totally synthetic, the Silca NFS Leather and Pump Lube’s bright red colour is nicknamed “Pump Blood” by its fans. The potion took two years to create, so you’d expect little more to be revealed about the recipe. It is designed to adhere to leather seals and gaskets and cling on to the inner wall of a pump. This should help revive aging pumps, but, prevention being better than cure, regular application should prevent wear, reduce heat build-up, and make pumping more efficient. It is also designed to be safe on rubber seals – more common these days than leather.
I have found no evidence that it is unfriendly to rubber or other materials. It is not sold as a feed or polish for other leather goods, such as saddles or bar tapes, or your best brogues. For those there are specific products.
Application 4.5/5
Silca suggest a few drops every six months to a year. Frequency may depend on the level of use a pump has, for example, in a professional workshop. However, even for amateur fettlers like me, a regular dose may work wonders when it comes to our pumps – especially if they are stored in a cold shed. Frankly, I was surprised to find discolouration – early sign of corrosion – inside what I thought were well-sealed frame and track pumps.
Application is easy. Just a few drops down the barrel and pump away for a few strokes to spread the lube up and down the barrel.
If you are rebuilding a pump – and Silca offer a wide-range of spares, including new leather gaskets, seals, cups, whatever you want to call them. There’s a video on YouTube , but you drip some Pump Blood onto the new leather, work it in, add some more, manipulate it, and continue until things feel right.
Contexts
Silca’s leather pump gaskets are made from the remnants of top-quality leather used for high-end leather goods. Not every pump has this; some use leather others use different materials.
Pumps used for testing have ranged from the SKS Airmotion 12.00 Floor Pump – a bit of a favourite – Zefal’s Profil Z Turn Track Pump – an older favourite – Zefal’s HPX Frame Pump – a well-used go to on tour and commute – as well as a variety of older Lezyne mini pumps, and some so ancient that the maker’s name has worn away. Silca’s own Impero Ultimate 2 Frame Pump, of course, although being just recently tested, it did not really need much. Most had rubber seals.
Performance 4/5
When the odd hiss and scrape began to sound in the Zefal Profil Z Turn Track Pump, rathet than seek replacement parts, I decided to give the Silca NFS a chance. A few drops onto the main seals and a few gentle strokes of the pump and I was pleasantly surprised to find things running smoothly and without a sound. Now that is on rubber, not leather, but there seem to have been no ill-effects. The same was true of the Zefal HPX Frame Pump. I am particularly keen to maintain this as good frame pumps are increasingly hard to come by.
Another frame pump, the Silca Imperio ultimate 2, has had a lot of work – on my tourer and other folks’ bikes, as well has facing the elements outdoors on rides and when camping. Although I’ve only had it for seven months I decided that it was well-worth giving some TLC on a regular basis. A mere drop or two has been all that is needed.
The last thing you want on a pump is a gungy barrel. No fear of that with the Silca NFS. Things run smooth and clean with no build up of dirt to interrupt a smooth stroke.
Short on pumps with leather seals, a scrap of dried out gasket served as a corpse to bring back to life. This was well and truly desiccated. If you let anything get any cycling gear you’d be ashamed of yourself. Following application, it was vital to work the potion in with the finger. Adding a little a bit at a time worked very well. The leather soon became more malleable, without becoming a thing of beauty. To be honest, given the price, I’d tend to stick to leather seals, gaskets, and washers before they reach deaths door.
This lead me to wonder what it would be like on a saddle. As a leather and pump lube, I was worried that it may become slippery. I tried it out on the underside of some ancient leather saddles of around sixty years of age. I could see the Silca NFS as having a place in touching up a particularly dry spot or a touch up repair – just check it out to ensure the colour is not affected, However, given the price, there are better leather treatments where lubrication is not necessary – Brookes’ Proof Hide (vital to maintain the warranty on their saddles) and numerous proprietor brands.
Solvent- based leather feeds may well damage rubber seals. Whilst this is not a problem with water-based blends, Silicone sprays are a better option for rubber seals etc., both to nourish and lube.
Value 3.75/5
It would be hard to justify calling the Silca NFS Leather and Pump Lube as an absolute workshop necessity, I’ve been persuaded of its benefits. It is easy to apply, and when you have a lot of bikes to work on and the pump gets a lot of work, it’ll help keep things working smoothly – especially if you have leather seals/gaskets. It is, of course, pretty specialist. As a product really created by Silca for their own pumps, the value lies, to some extent, in preserving your investment (The Impero Ultimate 2 Frame Pump comes in at £160 – although can be found discounted.). In that context, it offers good value. However, it works equally well on cheaper pumps.
Summary
Whilst not a workshop staple, if you do a lot of pumping, it is very, very useful and will sit on your shelf until you need it. One for the big fleets, Eroica fans, restoration enthusiasts, and anyone with leather gaskets/seals.
