Yes, I will start this post by embedding a cheesy punk rock song that samples Pee-wee Herman. This is the way.
I have been going over some routine maintenance on my mountain bike lately, and I came to the horrific realization that I must have bought it about fourteen years ago. I think this is the longest I have owned a bike, and by a significant margin at that. This led to reminiscences of those bicycles past.
Of course, my story of pedal-powered transportation starts with tricycles. I remember at least one red trike with a metal frame and hard rubber tires, but that doesn't hold any real affection. No, the best early ride was a beat-up old Big Wheel. As it slowly began to come apart at the seams, it accumulated gravel in the body and wheels that rattled horribly. It was glorious.
My first bicycle was a godawful hand-me-down with a Care Bears theme and a horrible banana seat. But it was the machine that shifted me from three wheels to training wheels and then eventually to proper two-wheeled bicycling.
After that bike, I received a single-speed BMX-style bike. I think it was a Murray, but it might have been Huffy. Those brands mattered when I was 7. It was like a grade-schooler Ford vs. Chevy argument. Since I don't remember which camp I was even in, it must not matter quite so much now. Those brands don't matter, either, now that they're all made in China anyway.
I eventually graduated to my first mountain bike when I was 12 or so. It was a Raleigh, and it had slightly-smaller tires than adult bikes. 24", perhaps? I think it had a six-sprocket cassette in back with two gears up front. There were no front or rear shocks. I beat the snot out of that thing
I also very briefly rode my dad's old road bike. It was an early-80s 10-speed with awkward shifters on the front stem. The front sprockets folded like a taco while I was riding on a paved path, and replacement parts were nigh-impossible. It wasn't a collectible machine. I gave it away to an acquaintance who thought he could still manage to do something with it, and I don't know what happened after that.
And this is how I finally decided it was time to quit riding secondhand bikes and get a new machine for myself. It was just before disc brakes became a standard feature on entry-level models, and while it has the attachment points for retrofitting should I choose, it still has brake calipers on the rim. They work fine for my level of riding, though. It's due for new cables, tires, and other general maintenance. Maybe I'll see what the upgrade will run while I'm at it. But even with what it has now, it should last a good while longer.
It may have been made in China, but it's not a piece of crap. Buy a decent bike from an established, reputable brand, and if it has good components, it'll be fine. There's no need to spend an insane sum unless you're a truly serious rider. The entry-level models from brands like Trek, Specialized, and Giant will get the job done for years to come for 99% of us.