Sam D. wrote: "...some people like to use special lubes like white lightening that needs to be reapplied every 80 miles. Not very effective and adds to drivetrain noise...."
It is noisier and needs more frequent lubing, but I like White Lightning for winter season when grit is more likely to accumulate and for my mtn and X bike. I don't like the gummy effect, but it seems to stay clean and frictionless.
Last fall, I explored "a road less traveled"; it petered out to dirt, and then mud. Not wanting to backtrack I continued, figuring it would intersect with the paved road soon. But things got progressively worse. I couldn't ride, and then I couldn't push, and then could only carry my bike, which felt like 40 pounds with all the mud. I was bummed as sandy mud had fallen from the tires and completely caked the chain and gears. Just a mid-low model Follis, but nice all the same.
When I finally got to a house on the main road, the owner heard his pit bull barking at me and came out. He turned out to be an ex-49er (forgot his name, played in the 60's). Nice guy, let me use his hose to clean off my bike, shared some football stories. He said he did some training on a bike.
After blasting the mud off the drive train, but no relubing, the bike rode smooth and quiet as before (really!) and I finished the remaining 40 miles.
C