My first MTB was a Muddy Fox Courier. Think it would have been '88 or '89. It was the one with the purple fade into white around the headtube. Bio-pace chain rings and Suntour. U brake under the chain stays.
Parents thought i'd grow into it. Would still be 2" too big for me now!
First mtb was a Townsend Beartooth but didnt ride it anywhere serious so first 'Proper' mtb would be my 1996 Edinburgh Bicycle Contour 300 which was very well equipment specced for the time although the frame and forks were nothing special
Mine was a Ridgeback 601ex full exage groupset with chain stay mounted u brake, did loads of miles on it before being bitten by the spec it yourself bug.
1996 Cannondale M200 SE
bought for Xmas that year by Mum&Dad.
I upgraded to a sus fork and Xt mechs with stx-rc rapidfire.Exage chainset if i remember correctly :?