Mid eighties mountain bikes were really more all terrain bicycles and some were scaled down touring bikes with 26 inch wheels... as such they serve well as all rounders that are generally equipped with robust parts and have a nice ride quality and ability to take the beating that the streets hand out.

My 1987 Kuwahara Cascade was sold as a mountain bike and was top of the line model but was really a touring frame fitted with flat bars and 26 inch wheels and I have been running it with drop bars for 4-5 years and last spring set it up as my primary touring bike.

It just got new racks.