Try the extreme and don't do any maintenance on your drive chain (like many, many people do). Let the lubrication expire, let the chain and sprockets rust, etc, and see how that works out. It's sage advice and commonly accepted that keeping your drive train clean and lubricated will extend the life of the components and keep shifting smooth. You'll have a hard time finding anyone who will argue against regular cleaning and lubrication, despite the specifics of how you clean and what lube you use. The important thing is to pick a program and stick with it. It ain't rocket science. After proper tire inflation, drive train lubrication is the most important bike maintenance.
Last edited by cascade168; 12-13-06 at 09:50 PM.