Originally Posted by
staehpj1
+1
I am convinced that cleaning a chain with detergents or solvents shortens it's life by allowing the grit to penetrate deeper in the chain. Also I think it tends to kill the lube deeper in the chain. Clean as little as you can get by with and as non aggressively as possible. I do that and my chains have lasted in the neighborhood of 10,000 miles.
i find it very difficult to believe that one can get 10,000 miles from a bike chain. even with your cleaning regimen, stretch alone would render your chain out of whack much sooner than that (from my experience).