Originally Posted by Ranger
I can think of no new entry level mountain bikes with Suntour friction shifting. Also can't think of any with cheap cassettes. Most bikes have quality cassettes regardless of cost. In a nutshell, I can't think of any entry level bike shop bike from this century that you have described.
I think that most people here understood that the examples I used were from the two opposite ends of the technology spectrum and that I am speaking in general terms. If you can’t tell the difference between how a Sram, R970, and a Shimano, HG37 Freewheel shifts then for you your points are all valid.