Axiom makes a great chain cleaner, it's easy to use and you don't even have to remove your chain from your bike. Use it with some citrus solvent and rinse the solvent off with a hose. Generally speaking, the less sticky the lube, the better it is for dry condition. If will pick up less dirt and can still give you the right lubrication. The downside is that it doesn't stay on very well when it gets wet.
Wet lube is the complete opposite.
It's heavy enough to stay in most situations, but it gets very dirty. Pedro's Extra Dry is a good compromise between the two. To check for chain wear, measure the chain from pin to pin. 12 links of chain should measure to exactly 12 inches. If your weight falls out of this range, you might have to purchase optional tuning kits to tune your suspension.