Mongoose Alta

blakeops said:

Hi, my first post here. I've got an old (~10 years) Mongoose Alta with broken shifters and a worn out seat. I was wondering if these parts are standard or if they've changed since this bike was made. I can't find much information online. What are good replacement parts for these? I'm not looking to upgrade, just replace broken parts.

Shifters/Brake levers: Shimano Alivio ST-MC12

Saddle: Velo VL-195

Thanks!
Blake

P.S. If anyone has the manual for this bike, I could sure use it.

We sold lots of Altas back in the early to mid 90's. They were good bikes for the money.
Are the shifters broken or did they just stop working? Rapidfire shifters quit working when the grease in them gets gummy. They can usually be brought back to life by blasting them out with a light spray lube like WD-40 or silicone spray. Check the cables while you're at it and make sure they aren't kinked, rusty, or frozen.
I think you can still buy Shimano brake lever/shifter combo setups in 7 speed. They're not too expensive. Just make sure you get the correct lever for the type of brakes you have (Cantilever or V brake). You can also go with Grip Shifters. (You might have to modify your exsisting brake levers to work with them.) If you want original Alivio shifters, eBay may be your only option there.

The seat is no problem. Altas used an inexpensive micro adjust seatpost and almost anything with standard rails should fit.

The owner's manuals that came with these bikes were generic and didn't contain a lot of information. If you want something on bicycle maintenance, pick up a good book like the one Bicycling magazine puts out.