Byron,
Setting up a mountain bike can be a little tricky as you ride in a more upright position. How did you set up your seat height? It's very possible that it's too low, causing too much of your weight to remain on the saddle, and, it will also be very hard on yournees. The seat height should be high enough to just permit some flexing in your knee when the pedal is in the max. downward position. It's also possible that the frame is too small, you can usually find the frame length on the seat tube, something like 17 or 19 inches. Find that number and also measure your inseam as that's a key for determining frame size.
There are plenty of sites on the net about how to set up a bike, and, of course, your local bike shop (LBS) can give you some advice. You never want to pedal with all your weight sitting on the seat, the legs and arms should carry some weight. Many LBS's will let you demo a saddle, usually for free ( new ones can cost as much as a new bike).
Cheap Mtn. bikes can be very heavy and due to the tire thickness, they can require a lot of wasted energy to ride. At least that's what my body tells me whenever I try to ride one. Standard saddles are generally not a lot of fun and they are the first thing changed out.
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