An alternative is to buy a bike without a chain. The options are belt drive and shaft drive. Both are almost zero maintainence. Tires Buy good tires and keep them properly inflated. These are hard-core touring people and even they weren't properly inflating their tires.
Underinflated tires run hotter, wear faster, and are are more prone to blow-outs.
They also will really screw-up your bike's handling. Buy a decent tire pressure guage and use it every morning before you start out for the day. Always measure the pressure when the tires are cold. I never let my tires wear to the wear-bars. I replace them before they get that far gone.