re wiping the chain with a rag -- I'm always surprised how few people do this regularly, including nearly all of my riding friends.
No matter the chain lube or whatever, regular simple fast wipe downs take but a few seconds and keep the gunk from accumulating.
Clean type lubes make a big difference too (Ive tried all kinds of chain lubes over the years) and so have become my favorite type of lube, just less mess overall and make rag wiping so much easier to keep the drivetrain reasonably clean.
my analogy is like doing dishes or keeping the kitchen clean.
Do it each time and its a fast, easy job.
Leave it for a bunch of days and its a real chore.
hey djb, try hot wax 😜 did you hear about it? I'm cycling since 1989, only a view month ago I started hot wax and it's a game changer.