Let's just agree on that.
What about cost? With the money i spend on a 12 speed chain or cassette, i can get 2-3 8/9 speed parts for the bikes i already have.
One more issue- i cannot help but hate the look and engineering behind 1X drivetrains.
Who would ever want a bike whose cassette is almost as big as the wheel itself? It just looks wrong.
Modern mountain bikes look like tractors, change my mind.
Kind of like complaining about a modern new car having a price which is greater than a 20 year old one though. Tech costs money.
Why would you buy a nice new reliable car with all the modern tech and 55mpg for £30k when you can buy 10 x 3k snotters and run each one into the ground……
Modern mtb are a evolution. The changes might not be to your tastes but functionally they are better at doing their task and last longer than the 90s versions for sure. 90s stuff wasn’t ridden that hard really as riding has changed so much. Stuff broke really easily and wore out just as much too. Modern bikes just work , and keep going and going.
Rose tinted glasses on what we all used to ride happens a lot. nostalgia is the biggest driver of 2nd hand prices and certainly why I collect them.
I personally like how modern stuff looks too. The 2000-2018 bikes were the ugly period for me personally.