Cleaning the chain

[Dianyla]

Some bike mechanics have advised me against WD-40. I think the reason was that it's more likely to damage the plastic parts of your derailleur, and also your tires and other parts of the bike.

Oh, I usually put some newspaper or cardboard to prevent overspray, and do a full wipedown of any areas that may have gotten hit. WD40 shouldn't affect plastic, but it will degrade rubber or anything petroleum based.

[Geonz]

http://sunandski.com/page.cfm?PageID=98 "how to wash your bike"
and the "commuting" articles at http://www.bfw.org/articles/index.php include some good stuff about washing... I'm going to get better at washing my bike, honest... starting tomorrow!