My first mtb was a 98’ Mongoose DX. It was fine for light flat trail riding but once I progressed to riding more challenging trails the bike literally fell apart. It was heavy and clunky. My first ‘real’ mtb is the 04’ Gary Fisher Tassajara hardtail with rim brakes and 3x drivetrain. I’m still riding it in 2021 with a few upgrades. Once in a while I would get bewildered looks from riders with this old beast. Having an outdated 26” old school bike just keeps me motivated.