I can't comment on Momsen's service and the communication between you and them, but I can tell you that the standard Weinmann rims that are fitted to the AL129 are below entry level for mountain biking in South Africa. Going down the mild Ghost House downhill at Rosemary is risking it.. I recommend investing in better rims and tyres if Momsen don't/can't help you.
Although manufacturers market and sell forks using terms as "travel", forks are engineered to provide a certain stiffness and damping coefficients. The large amount of travel is only to ensure a rider doesn't 'bottom out". You can't use 'travel' as the measuring parameter, because a rigid fork doesn't even travel 1mm. It provide much more stiffness and that requires the bumps in the road to be absorbed by another part of the bike or more generally; your arms. So unfortunately neither the theory nor the practice is correct.
Does the creaking happen when you apply pressure to the pedals and crank during acceleration or hard riding? I resolved my "creaking noise" by trial and error like you did standing out of the seat. I inspected the seat rails, BB, QR, actual frame for cracks and cranks bolts and eventually realized that the creaking comes from the cleat mechanism in the pedal. Q20 and no more noise.
I'm unsure for how long recent posts won't be available, so my apologies for a re-post. Cube GTC Reaction Pro stolen on 13th May in the Silverton, Pretoria area. The bike is similar to the attached picture only with American Classic Race wheels. There is a recognizable blue USN sticker on the top-tube of the bike which covers some scratches. Any information about the bicycle or info of known bicycle dealers near the Silverton area, would be much appreciated! Jan-Hendrik 083 641 6735
I don't know if there is already a system like this in place within the PPA, but how about they spend the excess on a marshal recruiting and organizing facility/body. This facility could serve as a middle man between race-organizers and public volunteers. PPA can advertise an event where the general public could assist as a marshal and help cyclists. Spend the money on administration, bright and reflective bibs and basic emergency training. This would ensure that marshals know whats going on and not just wave a stick with a red flag.
