I go through the bike pre tour and grease and lube everything "greasable" (hubs, headset, cables, derailleurs) with Phil Woods waterproof grease or Tri Flow. Everything is adjsuted and the bike are in the best shape that I can make them.

I carry a pretty basic set of tools. spoke wrench, chain tool, small 10mm for fenders, chain lube (White Lightning Epic), small Tri Flow oil, an extra power link for Sram chain, a couple extra pins for my wife's Shimano chain, tire levers, patch kit w/extra small patches, 1 shifter cable, 1 brake cable, 4-5 extra spokes (front, drive and non-drive side rear), old toothbrush, and small sponge. All this stuff fits into a 6" x 8" x 2" Tupperware box.

This kit has served me well on a 3650 mile cross country trip as well as several shorter ones. I generally wash down the bikes every 2-3 days, depending on the conditions. A paper cup or a gatoraid bottle with the top cut off makes a handy wash "bucket". We usuall have dish detergent which does a good job along with the sponge getting the gunk off. A water bottle does a pretty good job of rinsing. Keeping the brake pads and rims clean extends pad life. I believe that keeping the chin as clean as possible really helps. A small rag and the Epic oil are a good combination for chain cleaning. I've also used napkins from the local eatery. I lube the chains about every three days, and about once every 3-4 weeks stop at a real bike shop for a proper cleaning. However, this all depends on riding conditions. For real wet weather a heavier bodied chain lube may be better. The trade off is that it will collect more crud.