u/Complete-Task2042

Deliberately provocative title, but serious point.

I really feel strongly that Yr Wyddfa (ok Snowdon, just this once), steals the thunder of a truly beautiful part of the country, and this leads lots of people unfamiliar to the area to go do a really dull slog of a walk when they could have a much nicer time elsewhere in Eryri, and really experience the magic of Gogledd Cymru's landscape in it's full glory.

---

I lived in Gwynedd for a decade and in that time managed to go walking or climbing on basically every mountain range in North Wales (not just Eryri).

Yr Wyddfa, despite being the tallest, was an unremarkable slog as a hike, the view wasn't significantly better compared to some of the subsidiary peaks (in fact not being able to see the Yr Wyddfa massif, actually reduces the drama of the view by comparison) and in summer it is not a relaxing or calm place to be.

I ended up doing it four times:

• Once in full winter conditions via Right Trinity,

• Once via Crib Gogh because my mate really wanted to,

• Once via the South Ridge because a pretty girl asked me to,

• Once via the Watkin path because my mate needed an additional route for her ML logbook.

---

Of those, only the winter ascent really felt worth it, and then because I got to experience something different (a sustained winter mixed route in Eryri even if it was easy).

Even Crib Goch was technically unremarkable and busy as hell, if it wasn't a route onto the tallest mountain, I doubt it would get a fraction of traffic it does...

When you consider routes like the Cyfrwy Arête on Cadair Idris, the Cneifion Arete by Llyn Idwal, or Bristly Ridge on Glyder Fach are right there for comparison, it's just mid.

Similarly, peaks like Cadair Idris, Pen Yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Llywellyn, or even Cnicht offer more interesting walking, and better views than Yr Wyddfa itself.

The only thing Yr Wyddfa really has going for it that feels really special IMO is Cloggy and it's winter friends (the crags of Clogwyn Du Arddu, then Clogwyn y Garnedd and Clogwyn y Ddygsl in winter), albeit they are only relevant to the climbing fraternity.

Are there any brands making liners or baggy-liner combos, with a higher rise, and/or more generous allowances for male anatomy, especially in sizes to suit larger blokes?

---

This has been bugging me since I got back into MTB last year.

Tried several brands of baggies with padded liners now, and have consistently found they don't fit in one or more of these three ways:

• The thighs and seat are too small relative to the waist, meaning that anything that fits my legs is loose at the waist, (typically an XXXL fits my Quads/Glutes, and an XL fits my waist).
• The rise (crotch to waist) is too small, which combined with the small seat, makes them want to pull down slightly every time I flex my hip, slowly revealing my arse crack to everyone behind.
• The front of the crotch appears to have been designed for a gentleman endowed about as well as a ken doll.

I suspect this is all a scaling issue, where the shorts were designed to fit well based on the measurements of a model who was a size M or L...

But by the time you get to XXXL the proportions can vary much more widely, and the general shape is different.

---

Prior to coming back to MTB I was racing CX for several years, and wore lycra bib shorts...

Obviously the waist isn't an issue there, but they also seem to have a greater allowance for leg muscles and "other bits".

Don't want to go full lycra on the trail:

• partially out of vanity/to avoid mockery,
• but mostly because they do rip much more easily (I have experience of this) and I don't think my mood after a significant crash would be improved any by riding 10+ miles back to the trailhead in newly one-legged shorts, trying to preserve my modest

I have also tried bibs under baggy shorts, and they work well from a comfort perspective, but the baggy shorts then grip even less well on the smooth lycra and slip down at the waist even more easily, to the point of being a risk of catching on the saddle.

Currently riding a set of 140mm Revelation RCT3 forks that came as standard fitment on my Niner Rip 9.

They are adequate, but despite a lot of time spent setting them up (adjust air pressure, ride the same short singletrack section, adjust even more incrementally, then the same process with rebound) they just don't perform all that well, and I think I am pushing or beyond the limits of what they were built for.

I did buy the bike used, so the forks could just be fuckered, but I had them serviced after buying and the LBS didn't report any issues.

---

Weigh 105kg (231lbs) bare-arse naked.

By the time I add clothes, shoes and a riding pack with a 5l hydration bladder, multi tool, pump, waterproof, spare warm layer, food, map, that's 112-115kg (246-253lbs) on the bike.

At 6'4" and 15% body fat, losing weight isn't much of an option, pretty good chance if I tried to (via increased exercise volume, starving myself would eventually work) I would probably end up the same actual mass or heavier just svelte.

---

When it comes to fork setup I basically have to choose between:

- a pressure which leaves them plush for smaller undulations, around 195-200psi/30% sag, or

- a pressure that makes them progressive enough to not bottom out on medium sized hits (nothing crazy, like a 3' drop off), around 235-250psi 21% sag, basically the max for the fork.

- setting them somewhere in the middle still hits on the bottoming out issue, whilst being increasingly harsh over small undulations, so is the worst of both worlds, rather than the decent compromise you would hope for.

---

Looking at the market a lot of forks seem to top out at 110kg rider weight, so presumably will have similar issues.

With the rise of E-bikes I would have thought forks that can deal with higher loading would be more widespread than they are.

I also refuse to believe I am that big for an MTB rider, upper end of the scale absolutely, but surely not "we don't make equipment that beefy" big.

---

Apparent Giants of Reddit, what would you recommend for suspension options?

---

Edit: should have mentioned, it's a 2014 model fork, and I cannot seem to source any of the older generation bottomless tokens in the UK or from an overseas seller who would ship here...

Which kind of ties me in to looking for a new (or at least new to me) fork.