Or is it just a saying?

I am guilty of neglecting maintenance on my bike. I wipe the gunk off the chain and relube every couple of hundred miles...no rhyme or reason to it, just when I think of it. I'll also knock off any obvious gunk around the rear derailluer/cassette, etc, but definitely not a thorough cleaning.

Last week, I finally gave my poor bike a top to bottom cleaning. Degreaser on the chain/cassette, scrubbed with a brush in all the nooks and crannies and cogs, and a bubble bath for the frame and tires and hosing off afterwards. The chain/cassette/cogs were definitely gunky, but not terrible. I also replaced the battery in my computer.

Today, I went for a short ride, and when I started, I noticed the computer was reading much faster MPH than usual. I figured I didn't reset everything correctly when i replaced the battery. But, I finished my ride a few minutes faster than usual, and my avg MPH was a bit higher. I didn't feel like I was really pushing myself any harder than normal.

So, just a fluke, or did the shiny chain really help?