Mountain Biking - Question for you old school fans...

Well, at 18 I'm a premature retro-grouch. I'm after a nice rigid mtb frame, with a rigid fork. I know a few people still make them, like surly and soma, but the surly is ugly looking and the soma is too expensive (though I may get it if I can't find anything else).

So yeah my question is pretty much, what high end, prefferably cro-moly old school rigid bikes are most commonly available? And out of these, which would be able to fit modern mountainbike components? (I have a mtb already, love the components, just dislike the frame and fork).

Espeically after the name of some treks, giants, and specialized, as I see alot of them here. Cheers.

Well if you can find an older Hardrock say from the turn of the century or just before those make an excellent Cromoly rigid with the addition of a Surly 1x1 fork
For example http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=545751#post545751

Well if you want a new bike I would probably go for a new Jamis or Marin steel bike and swap the fork for a rigid one. You can then unload the OEM fork in ebay and even make a few bucks. The advantage you would have with this setup is that you can have old school feel and new components. If a used bike would do you can wait until a nice steel bike with or without a rigid fork shows up on ebay. If it is a hardtail you can again swap the fork and be done. I like Marin and Jamis bikes so would look for those but other brands like G. Fisher or Kona also produced some nice steel bikes. Of the first two the Jamis looks slightly more elegant to me but both are good brands.

A few days ago I bought a 2003 Marin Pine for $500 that I justified by saying that I needed a back up commuter. I probably did not need it but it felt like a good deal and I got tempted. There are good deals out there is you wait for them.

What's your price range?

Kona unit.

Here (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=367&parentid=253)

Forks (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/not_bikes_category.aspx?categoryid=207#forks)

Frame (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/category_listing.aspx?categoryid=264)

Or while your there check out the 2005 and 2004 frames they still have.

I seem to have been a bit unclear in my post...by old school I meant actually older:) like early 90s or something like that. Also I'm really only after a frame and a fork, like I said the components I've got now are fabulous, I plan to transplant them.

The kona looks nice, though realistically outside my price range of jack sh** all:) Pretty much looking to get an older high end cromoly bike and put my components on it, and if I can't do that I'll get the soma groove.

Ritchey P22 or23, GT Xizang or Zaskar, Fischer HooKooeKoo how retro/vintage do you want to get?

I saw a HooKooeKoo go on ebay cheap not so long ago. I used to own a Ritchey P22, very different from todays bikes, but a very sweet ride.