Very Basic Maintenance

MilkyWhy said:

got my kid a bike for Christmas. bought used. I have no idea what kind of
weekly or routine maintenance supposed to do.

For routine maintenance, keep the tires properly inflated. Bike tires need
to be checked more often than car tires. Keep the chain clean and oiled.

Since this is a new/used bike, there are some things you should check. Check
the brakes. If the bike uses hand brakes, make sure the levers aren't
bottoming out on the handlebars. Make sure the brake pads contact the rim's
braking surfaces squarely. Make sure the cables and housings are in good
condition. Friction in the housings will decrease braking power.

Make sure the saddle is level, and at the proper height so that your kid's
knee is just slightly bent at the bottom of the stroke.

If the bike has derailleurs, make sure it shfts into all gears, and that the
chain doesn't overshoot the extremes on the front and rear sprockets.

Probably too late for this, but make sure the bike isn't too big or small
for him/her. If too big, may have trouble controlling the bike and
straddling the top tube.

Art Harris