I stopped using Tri Flow many years ago... it does not work in our dusty environment very well and contains teflon which is good for chains and moving parts but not so good when it gets flung off into the environment.

The chains get home brew and this doubles as a nice light oil for wiping down steel bicycles and parts... secret is to wipe things down until you can't get any significant residue on your finger or cloth. I hit all the exposed cables too... by doing this a standard steel cable will stand up to some pretty severe use.

After that, water and dirt just won't stick and it offers some excellent rust protection as it fills every microscopic cavity where rust might want to take hold.

Other alternatives are automotive waxes and polishes that only need to be done about once a year.

People ask me how I keep my bikes so clean and I really don't clean them very often at all, the bikes that see the dirty and gritty conditions all have full fenders and have their frames seasoned to prevent them from becoming crud magnets.