That's a fine looking bike; what is it?

I don't know if the shift from level to sloping tubes makes much of a difference in terms of a bike's utility as an all rounder. I like sloping top tube. MTBs just evolved in terms of the geometry and equipment and became better for their intended use offroad. Vintage mtbs without a suspension fork are just fine all rounders. When posters come into the C&V valuation forum looking for a commuter, we always suggest a vintage mtb because of price and functionality.

When vintage road bikes took off in terms of price, that craze just didn't hit the mtbs. I'm not sure why. There are a lot more of them out there which may be part of the reason. That isn't true for the ones from the early 80s which is probably part of the reason why they have gone up in price; the same would be true of the mtbs from custom makers. I have 3 high end production mtbs (a 1988 specialized stumpjumper comp, a 1991 specialized team stumpjumper, and a 1992 Trek 950) and I know none of them are worth much.

No one would ever confuse my Trek 950 for anything other than a mtb; here it is in its natural environment, :