I can't say that they have. It was probably because of the phenonomom of Mountain Bikes becoming so popular in this era. The nineties were when true mountain bike started. Although they were available pre-1990, most youngsters wanted a BMX or a racing bike.
My brother had a Peugeot Laser? I think. As he told me tonight, it was like a gate because the frame was that big.
Because he started thinking about mountain bikes, I bought a Raleigh (Not sure about the model now) Magnum.
It reminded me of the Grifter. Lump of lead !!!
As a kid, the better models were always out of your (parents) price range. So you had to settle with what was affordable.
What annoys me now is that parents think they are doing the right thing by spending £200 on a brand new bike, when they would be better spent using that money on a decent second hand one.
Here endeth the lesson. :roll: