the cheepee bikes work just fine. won't win a race with it, and can't do the trails for very long with them, but they're fine for commuting.

i owned a cheepee mountain bike for the longest time and it served me well... had to true the wheels often, and the derailleur skipped regularly, but it was great for me at the time.

i don't bash the cheap bikes. i understand that they won't win races and may require maintenance more often than nicer bikes, but they serve the purposes of the owner.