Originally Posted by lyeinyoureye
Would it be easier to pick up an older entry level model that already came with rigid front forks, or are older mtbs not sufficient?
I think that would be sufficient. A good quality MTB frame is built very strong. The wheels will be the week part: as I said above, make sure your friend gets very strong wheels. Tandem wheels would be ideal, but very good well-built mountain wheels with strong rims should suffice.