This is another big debate. I'm on both sides of the fence.

For the bike I purchased in 1979, I had never cleaned the chain. It was only when my son worked in a bike shop 34 years later was there any work done on the chain. He changed it.

A few years ago, when I finished my first winter of bike commuting, I cringed at the thought of purchasing a new bike and putting it through the harshest of conditions winter will throw at it. But as it turned out, I did make that purchase and I thought I better take care of it or it won't last for many more winters. So I got a chain cleaning kit and started scrubbing the chain clean for the first time in my life.

Some people still think simply wiping the gunk off is good enough. That may be true too.