I have friends who coat their bikes in WD-40 for over the winter storage, and then clean the bikes off in the spring with simple green and water. (Hows that for a tie in).
Rob has got me hooked on cleaning the bike with windex, paint wise.
I just clean the chain with a tooth brush and 3 in 1 oil. Then I wax it let sit and let it sit overnight which reduces splatter.