>>1765032>But modern entry level components are literal junk, and if you need to bend the frame to get wider tyres it begs the question, why not recommend a bike that comes with superior components already fitted and wider tyres as standard?That's exactly my point, why recommend an old MTB that will usually have shit components too, only a lot older, when you can buy a new a cheap new bike. I mentioned an old road frame and possibly bending it for one's needs, just because from my experience, those old road frames that are widely available are cheaper and BETTER thatn the 90's MTB frames that are widely available. I live in Poland, so it's not a 3rd world country (ok it is, but no bottom tier at least), and honestly, while a 90's MTB is probably the most widespread bike type here, 99% of those are total shit, even if bought just for the frame. I think it's better to just get a shit tier road old road bike, since at least you can put modern QR wheels on it and more often than not, you'll be able to get an old good western-made road bike, than a 90's MTB. I used to have a bike like picrel, and the only good thing about it was geometry, that made for great control, but everything else (maybe except the brakes, but these required making grooves on the rim to be good), was shit. The best quality was that the frame bent after crashes and didn't crack, so I could easily fix it with the help of my grandgather. That is the standard for 90's MTBs here, and honestly unless you're like super poor, the cheapest Decathlon bike will be a better deal. That, or an old road bike like a Peugeot or something, as they pop up frequently on internet auctions and I find them a better platform to build something useful.
Again, as I said, maybe in the US, the typical 90's MTB is the GOAT, but I've yet to see a well priced Marin or Cannondale from that era here (don't think they were even sold back then, the only brand I can recall is Giant and nobody had the money for those).
