Been about 13 yrs since I biked
 

Used to bike all the time, been about 13yrs.
My boy enjoys biking and so I decided to surprise him with a new bike, and I got a bike to do we could go together.
Just cheap Walmarts for now
His a BMX style and mines is a Kent Ridgeland 700c. Single speed
We rode yesterday about 5 mile, then we checked out a new gravel bike park by our house that's really cool
I rode 9 mile today after work.
Did it in 48min. A fun workout I'm definitely out of shape.
Are there upgraded bearings/ cranksets I can put on this Kent or is it not worth the money to try to make this thing last a long time? I actually really like how it rides

Welcome to Bike Forums.

We suggest asking your bearings question in our Mechanics forum. https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/

nice to hear you've returned to biking and are enjoying it with your son. I've seen a few videos on YouTube of upgrades to Walmart gravel and mountain bikes.

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad that you are happy with your low-dollar bike. I would suggest riding it as-is until something breaks or pops up that you are no longer happy with. Then, and only then, would I consider sinking money into the bike. Generally, everything on a Walmart bike is engineered to look good and hit a price point but not necessarily last a long time.

Welcome,

As you can see, there's an answer for everything. I recommend posting the requesite number messages so that you can share a pic now and then.

Regarding upgrades it's only worth doing if you want to do it. Sometimes I build wheels just to do it. I have a Schwinn Typhoon where I built it on a 2 speed hub and then I decided the original single speed was good enough. I had a cache of spokes so I didn't care. I bought spare parts for the hub and for future hubs. It's part of the hobby for me. BTW I overhauled the headset and BB, too. I don't even intend to keep the bike. It needed rescuing and it will make a fine bike for someone.

Best

Congrats on finding a bike you like. While you can upgrade the crankset, that would not be my priority unless the current one is causing issues or you want to change the gearing.

First, I would look at some brake levers where both the lever and the body are actually made of metal. Cheap plastic levers are prone to snapping in two, and also make your brakes weaker. You want levers intended for long pull brakes.

Second, I would overhaul the bearings in the hubs, bottom bracket, and headset. While these are low quality, just like every other part on the bike, their lives can be extended by cleaning everything out, getting fresh grease in there, and adjusting them as well as you can. Bearings on a bike like this from the factory tend to be poorly greased and adjusted too tight.

Welcome to BF. Congrats on riding with family. Everything positive comes from quality time.

Kent Ridgeland? If it looks like this one - first upgrade would be matching tire colors. I usually select black, butt that's just me.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f4a519dc0f.jpg

Welcome! I just bought a new bike for my daughter (her first—a balance bike) and look forward to sharing journeys and adventures with her. As others have said, keeping it stock and riding as-is will save you money and give you more of an idea of what you might like out of a future bike. Also, trying out different tire pressure ranges can greatly improve ride quality. Just make sure you don’t go too low and get a pinch flat

Well we got my boys bike, the Kent Ridgeland, and a trek 4500 now and a cart for little miss.
Whole family's enjoying it, I probably have done 80 to 100 miles since last sunday I love the 4500
The Kent's been out on trailer duty
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e564028c15.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...844ba7d8ae.jpg

If you have a bike Co op nearby where you can buy used parts, some upgrades might extend the life. What typically breaks first on these bikes are pedals. As stated earlier, bearings are often poorly adjusted and sometimes poorly greased, so addressing that can help extend the life. After that it's brakes and shifting hardware across the board. I have seen a crankarms failure at the pedal on a WM bike, but that was one off.

Since your pulling a trailer, stay on top of brake function.

Kent Ridgeland and Bike Coop
 

Can't say enough about Bike Coops. I volunteer at SBK in Sacramento. It's all-volunteer and I love it. Got a 16" bike for my grandson and pulled the crankset so he could use it for a balance bike. He used it for several months and when pre-K started he told his dad he wanted pedals. Within two days he became a pretty good rider. I am all for the balance bike. And, used parts are Cheap if you find what you are looking for.

Trailer duty is a good duty for a bike.

Welcome - I'm also just getting back to biking, after about the same amount of time off!

Welcome Aboard
 

It's really great that your back into biking and getting the whole family into it too. Biking is a great family recreational activity. As for upgrades to the bike, I agree with the other members. I would ride the bike as is until something breaks and needs replacement unless it was a contact point (saddle, grips, or pedals) that were really uncomfortable which would hinder or deter you from wanting to ride. Upgrades can get very expensive really quickly and may not be worth the investment on a lower end bike unless you absolutely love it. Anyways, welcome to the community.

We've got a coop here in Bellingham. I stopped in a few times, but haven't gotten involved ... yet.

Well I'm down the rabbit hole on biking now.
Trek4500 has gone to wife.
My 2 main bikes are an Ozark trail G1 and a Schwinn axum
Try to ride multiple times a week.
Hit a few mountain bike trails and for just out cruising average 25 or so miles a ride
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b2798cd5e9.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ce7e14e9f5.jpg

This is good to hear, people such as yourself returning to bike. I too have recently attempted to return to a bike ride. Probably been at least about 2 decades, no lie.
Recently divorced, and now dating someone new that rides regularly, she says "let's bike!"
I say "cool, I'll bring mine!"
I show up and she exclaimed "Omg, it has a kick stand! Haven't seen one in years, used to love those."
Oh yeah..., waaaaaay not embarrassed.
Did the universe keep going and I missed the bus somehow?