From September to June I commute to work on my bike at least four days a week, about 15 miles a day. What should my bicycle maintenance schedule be? Is there some standard out there, based on mileage perhaps?

Standard mileage really doesn't say much unless you'd be able to provide a standard riding condition.

Mud, grit and grime are your biggest enemies, with plain exposure to rain and sun coming up a poor second. Winters (for me meaning snow, sand & salt on the roads) I try to give the drivetrain a decent clean at least weekly. Summers, it's whenever I can be bothered - maybe monthly, maybe every 2nd week. Bearings gets relubed yearly, if nothing else prompts the attention. Cables gets pulled for inspection/maintenance/replacement maybe twice yearly. Tires gets aired weekly.

Maintenance schedule for me gets a bit hazy, as I have a tendency to pull the bike apart for other reasons, and it frequently sees a bit of accidental maintenance during the course of disassembly and reassembly.

If you were to give your chain a quick wipe + relube weekly, clean derailers/sprockets monthly and then bearings/cables yearly you will probably be way ahead of the game.

That's about what I do--try to keep the bearings lubed and do the rest as needed. However, not being especially skilled mechanically, I am kind of stumbling on my way towards what bicycle maintenance should be. There's no point in re-inventing the wheel, so I was thinking that there is probably a general maintenance schedule out there with regular maintenance under normal conditions and under severe cycling (driving) conditions like the ones you describe. It may be that it doesn't exist.

Bikes aren't like cars, where someone with a recognized authority has stated "this shall be done". And even if this was the case I strongly doubt that they could provide any solid evidence to the actual benefits that sticking to a specific schedule would bring.

You can probably find a few suggested schedules and a bucketload of informal ones ranging from "I clean the whole bike with a Q-tip and distilled water every 2nd day regardless if it's been ridden or not" to "I hit it with WD-40 when the Ipod can't drown out the squeaks anymore..."

I still think that giving the chain a quick wipe + relube weekly, clean derailers/sprockets monthly and then bearings/cables yearly will be plenty.

2500 miles on the hubs. Remove and clean the chain every 750 miles. On parts with radial bearings either pull the seals and relub or wait until they become rough and replace.
A lot of time in the rain I would halve the schedule.

The previous responders, I want to buy a bike from them, they are nuts with maintenance, their bikes must be perfect. I think I'm pretty good with maintenance and many say I'm over the top with maintenance.

I do my maintenance based upon mileage or performance. I ride 5,000-8,000 miles a year, year round, trying to avoid inclement weather but I do ride in the winter though the roads may not have snow on them, they do have salt and sand.

After every ride I use a paper towel on the bottom of the chain and back pedal removing the surface dirt.

Every 250 miles I lube the chain.

Every 500 miles I clean the drivetrain using an automotive degreaser in an aerosol can and a chain cleaner tool with a solvent. I then wash it off with an electric high pressure washer adjusted to low. I then wipe down the frame with an all purpose cleaner and wipe off the brake rims. I use alcohol on the wheels to remove any road oils followed with a fine steel wool to remove brake residue, then a quick wipe. I lube the drivetrain using Duralube and on the chain I use Pedro's Synclube for the warm weather and switch to BoShield T-9 or ProLink for the winter.

I replace the cables when they are frayed. I usually know this when I'm having problems shifting. This is about once a year. I replace the housing every other cable change. I don't lube the cables. This year I'm trying teflon cables for the first time.

I find a chain lasts me 3,000-4,000 miles and I replace the cassette every other chain. I replace only when I get skipping. Same with the chainrings, I replace when I get skipping but then I replace the chain and the cassette. The chaiinrings last about 25,000 miles.

Wheel bearings, I use synthetic grease and at 10,000 miles I checked and they were fine. I'm sure I can 20,000 miles on them.

I true my wheels immediately when I see the slightest wobble.

I have no time to pull anything apart unless it's broken.

I wouldn't implament any schedule, I would do a as need basis. Don't fix it till it's broken, Then again, I might not be the best person to take advice from, since I rode my Gary Fisher form Buffalo to Chicago with on front brakes, and on one front sprocket, because the wires rusted out from be riding my bike into creeks and ponds.

This is quite understandable, especially with the mileage you rack up. The synthetic grease sounds like an idea I may try soon.

Synthetic grease lasts forever!

I use Lubriplate EMB which is a synthetic and still do the maintaince. I am riding on an 8sp. chain with over 11500 miles on it.
Go to Park tool for an idea of maintaince intervals.

Im not trying to brag or anything but I have over 25,000 miles on my Gary Fisher.

Syn grease is still a petroleum/ earth resource based product.. may be from Natural gas..

and its the grit contaminating the bearings that grinds things ..

they, any bike bearings, are not rotating at a high speed , compare with an electric motor at 12K RPM.

chain checker, or accurate measurement .. mr 25K miles has a very worn down drivetrain by now ..

Then you need to get out and ride. My Heron road has over 75000 miles on it and the tourer has over 45000 miles on it.