I bought my first MTB in the 90s, and bar ends was something that I bought in addition, they were not standard from the factory. That was before downhill biking

I bought my first MTB in the 90s, and bar ends was something that I bought in addition, they were not standard from the factory. That was before downhill biking became a big thing, geometry was still very classical (triangle, either no suspension or just front wheel) and we were mostly doing more mild uphill/downhill riding on forest roads. The bar ends were helpful for the uphill part, because you could push the bike left-right more easily standing up while pedalling.