We like Silca.
Their range of products grows at a sensible rate with each addition carefully considered and engineered to offer the best possible benefits to its users : us!
As we approach the darker, colder, wetter and muckier months, we can expect to have to spend a little extra time and effort on cleaning our bikes. Those of us that don’t like big maintenance bills down the line at least. Most of us like to ride our bikes with minimal extra drag from poorly maintained drivetrains and half a kilo of extra weight in caked on mud, but this often requires a little elbow grease and some dedication!
While there are many well known brands of jauntily coloured cleaning products in the market, few – if any – have had the consideration to their formulation, or the bicycle-centric tailoring (despite what you might be told) that Silca’s new range has. Few also, have a concise range of just 4 cleaning and protection products or the simplicity of application of Silca’s.
We are constantly marketed to (we get it – it’s a pain. It’s why we don’t throw stuff down your throats and have a minimal social media presence – smart or not, it sits better with us.) At this time of year it’s almost a guarantee that there will be a ‘new’ product in a cleaning range on a weekly basis.
Most will be familiar with a particular pink product – and they are a great example.
They have been around a while. Their product is OK – but not great. If I’m honest, we stocked them because it was an easy choice in a busy time. 10 years ago their range made sense, but these days it’s as confusing to manage a stock-in given the vagaries of the range and the incredible levels of cross-over; not to mention the creation of niches that, 9 times out of 10, don’t need to be filled. Ultimately it’s bullshit. Something I have little time for. Factor in woeful support from the brand and you’ll understand why they won’t be in store for much longer.
But they market well.
Marketing is a beast. The loudest companies – in my experience – often have the least actually on offer, and it is these wealthy monopolisers, that as a consequence of their shouting, have the power to control the narrative. Those willing to look see this all the time, in bike brands and plenty besides. In cycling, those brands mass produced by a third party have historically been marketed with such BS as speed graphs that are valid for mm of the page, before drifting into Mach numbers! (’tis true) Or whose stiffness numbers for the past 5 years would mean that the bike you were about to buy would be so rigid, you’d be brutalised just free-wheeling down your driveway!
All this vitriol to say – Hurrah then, for Silca!
I have a mantra. Keep it simple. Simplicity is a glorious foil. There is elegance in it and it has the power to make your life much more enjoyable.
Following that – I tend to gravitate towards brands that just do what they are supposed to, with minimal ranges and targeted product. It’s also why I buy Ronseal…
Silca are the personification of this approach. In their original guise they set out over 100 years ago, to build the best cycling pumps – price be damned.
Mission accomplished. Pumps manufactured in the 60’s and 70’s are still in service (and serviceable) today, and I have little doubt there are older pumps than that languishing in sheds up and down the land, that a new leather washer would make good in a jiffy.
When Josh Poertner took over the company, he vowed to continue the approach, and thus far he has been a man of his word!
So then, to the point! (All this blabber for 4 products – must be worth it…)
The new Silca Bicycle Spa Set is a super concise bike cleaning and protection system that, in harmony with Silca Lubes, ensures your bike will perform at its functional best while also ensuring the longevity of your paint finishes.
The Bicycle Spa set is designed around 4 products each with a specific task to fulfil and all based on actual science. These 4 formulas have been carefully concocted over 18 months to deliver exceptional results in relatively small quantities, and to ensure that their performance and longevity marry up with the price tag.
I could waffle on – but Josh waffles better….
Typical of the brand, the price on the tag of the Silca Bicycle Spa Set, is not the same as say, your pink product, or the copies that have emerged. While the cost of living rises may see some baulking at these prices, those in the know understand that value and price are not the same.
The obviously technological and scientific approach delivers exceptional performance, from some of the most concentrated formulas available. This benefits you in 2 ways. Firstly, the products last that much longer as a little goes a very long way. But more importantly, the Silca Bicycle Spa Set helps to extend the life of your bike – both at the component level, with less damage to your drive and braking elements – and at the frame level.
Protecting your investment from the damage of built up dirt (that is rarely properly removed wash after wash with current cleaners) scratches and colour fade, is worth more than a few extra quid on your cleaning products.
In addition, your historic need for 6 brushes, 3 cloths and 8 different cans and sprays is now gone, saving you space in your cycling cave – and most important of all – saving you time; arguably the most valuable resource we have.
If you need a kicker then remember: cleaner, shinier frames – they go faster. Fact!
Expected on UK shores mid October 2022, you can check out the range here and pre-order now:
