Originally Posted by
Stucky
Gotta say one thing about my old $99 Murray, which was my means of transportation when I was 13-14: It might've been a heavy boat anchor, and couldn't stop worth a darn in the rain....
Yes, but $99 then is equivalent to what now? That would be considered an "expensive" bike in todays world. It's not that good bikes have gotten cheaper, it's that we've figured out how to make bikes far cheaper by cutting costs.
1960 -- $99 = $807 (2016)
1970 -- $99 = $615
1980 -- $99 = $280
If you don't crash, leave it the rain, and perform basic maintenance, most bikes frames can outlast their owner (regardless of material). That's why many companies offer lifetime warranties, they know the frame is basically robust, and other factors generally result in the bike getting binned.