Conventional forks have always been a real rarity on MTB's, generally confined only to full 531 spec. I agree that unicrowns don't usually do the looks of drop bar steel sports bikes any favours. They just gradually crept right through the product range; MTB's in the 80's, Raleigh hybrids in 1990, then Road frames very soon after that. All about cost-cutting & profit margins, which eventually led to the demise of all mass-produced lugged steel. It's ironic that what was once the standard construction method for virtually all bikes, irrespective of price range, is now strictly a niche product.
