There's no real problem with X-mart bikes, if you are willing to maintain them. I've been riding my department store mountain bike for over 10 years, and it still works as well as it did back then. Granted, this was from before the days where everything was plastic and springs.

Sure, it's a heavy bike, not the most comfortable, not the best quality, but it gets me from point A to B. Would I buy a better bike if I could afford it? Of course. Would I buy another X-mart bike if I could avoid it? Hell no. But the bottom line is some people can't afford to spend that much money on a bicycle that they will only ride casually. In that case, a department store bicycle is not necessarily a bad choice, especially if the person doesn't know whether they will want to continue riding.

Just make sure to give it a good tune-up before you ride it, and be prepared for the excessive maintenance it will require when the cheap components start to break down. Then it will last for quite a long time.

My own walmart bike lasted me for many years, and it was fine because I didn't ride more than 10 miles a week. Only now that I'm getting more serious is it time to buy a real bike.