I personally don’t do everything they say but I do agree that it is important to take good care of your bike if you want to increase its life. In most of the cases I use to power wash it, and then dry it using a rag. After all this is done, I put some WD-40 wherever there is something moving, especially metal on metal. The most important parts that I try not to skip when I clean my bike are: the chain, the crank set, the derailleur gears, the pedals with the whole rotating system (my previous 2 bikes I had issues with these parts so I am trying to pay more attention now), the breaks, and the wheels.
Since Spring has arrived, it’s a good idea that before you get out and ride you thoroughly inspect your bike. Here’s a good article on how to do that.
