In addition to checking your tire pressure before the ride, another good habit to get into is after the ride, check your tires for slashes, things stuck in, rocks, glass chips etc. after each ride. I also wipe down my rims with a clean dry rag to get rid of any oil dirt etc. picked up on the road, and wipe off my brake surfaces. I do this because I (being admitedly obsessive, but also because I ride solo out in the country away from things like bike stores, gas stations and mechanical help, and because I am so abysmally slow at tire changing) don't want anything to complicate my ride.

I also wipe down the chain and jockey wheels on the derailleur, after every ride and relube about every 150 miles.

I grew up riding horses, and just like I would never put a horse "rid hard and put away wet", I won't do that to my bike either.

The routine takes me at most 5-7 minutes, and by that time my breathing has normalized, the majority of bugs, sweat and sunscreen have dripped of and I have finished my last bottle of water.

You take care of your equipment because it takes care of you.