I have to say I'm a bit puzzled by all this business of oiling chains.
I used to oil my chains like everyone else, but a few years ago I got sick of worrying about grease stains, cleaned my chains with soap and water and haven't oiled them since. Subsequently I don't clean them anymore either because without oil they don't seem to get any dirt on them and have become one of the cleanest parts of my bicycle (I guess the movement shakes it all off and prevents the corrosion I find elsewhere).
I live in a big northeastern us city, close to the water, and my bikes are my main mode of transportation, so it's not like we're talking low mileage in inert desert conditions. I'm also pretty picky about drivetrain efficiency (feeling that singlespeeds offer a tremendous increase in efficiency over internal gears).
I should note that all my bikes are either single speed or internally geared, but I feel like I'm in the twilight zone being the only one advocating unoiled chains. What gives?
