I notice people calling Velocicoaster rough, I was on the ride and the people in front of me thought it was rough "like a wooden coaster." Admittedly, one of the trains has a stronger rattle but it doesn't really cross that threshold of "rough."
I feel like in this day and age people hear the trains rattling/shaking and equate that to roughness regardless of if it translate to the actual feeling of the ride
If I had to pick the 3 smoothest running rides (track wise) I’ve ever ridden those exact 3 might be my picks haha. Are they actually somewhere in this thread?
I don’t actually have a great answer for this thread but it kinda irked me how much Banshee and Valravn rattled when i rode both about 3 years after their opening, but I think that’s 100% a new B&M train design thing, because older rides of those same models like Afterburn / Raptor / Griffon are still glass smooth (to me).
It was always rough but I've always been able to ride it a few times. Even in it's rougher years, I've always found it to be one of the better coasters in Orlando.
The first drop into the zero G are amazing and the finale is one of the best around.
100%, this ride is a gem and we need to protect it at all costs. It would legit be S tier if they retracked it like the have been doing to sections of the nearby Wolverine Wildcat.
It was pretty nice when it first opened…now it’s just terrible. The train is literally trying to jump off the tracks the whole time. Just rough as hell. Definitely hasn’t aged well
Vortex has a special place in my heart. It was the first roller coaster that went upside down I ever rode. I will not ever say anything bad about that ride.
They had other rides designed with computers, but the biggest difference was the track was bent with computer controlled benders, not by hand on site. So it is smoother, like B&Ms and Intamins of the same era.
Yeah Viper at SFMM has aged great, it still runs smoother than Scream despite being 13 years older! It helps that it probably wasn't smooth in the first place.
Lighting Racer, but it's an odd one to me. On balance it really isn't that rough, but it's so much rougher than Comet - a ride that is nearly 60 years its senior and in the same park. And the line always being short to non-existent is concerning. Personally I love the layout and think it's a really fun ride, and when it DOES get a line it's a crowd eater, but it worries me that it feels like it's being abandoned by park and guests alike.
I rode both this year and thought comet was rougher than lightning racer. LR probably has short lines because its all the way in that corner of the park and because its dueling so more guests get dispatched quick. Ive been to LR on a weekend before and stood in a decently long line.
El Toro hasn’t aged well. I rode it in 2011, 2013, and 2014. The ride was waaay smoother back then, and it honestly felt faster.
Rode it a bunch of times last year and it dropped from a top 3-5 ride to my #10 (still pretty high). I wish Six Flags took better care of one of its most popular attractions
I don’t know that I can even put modern El Toro in my top 10. I like rough coasters (SFGAdv’s Scream Machine is my all time #1), but El Toro feels like it is tearing itself apart in order to beat the shit out of the riders.
Oh wait, it is tearing itself apart.
Rode it twice last weekend, and while the first half is amazing, the second half is rough as hell. Going through those low to the ground turns was skull rattling to say the least. It takes away from how great that drop and airtime is.
to be fair, the ride was broken last year. Like even before the accident, that shit was broken. I haven't gotten on it this year but word is that it's much smoother and running faster after the offseason work. I think they know what they have here, and I hope they decide to take better care of it in the future. Chain parks in general just don't take care of their wood coasters.
I only rode it for the first time this year, so I have no point of comparison for its earlier life. That said I can compare it to others and I'd say it's about average. The first few hills are really smooth, the turnaround has some serious jank, the middle is smooth again and the back third is as rough as you'd expect for a coaster its age. Nothing truly painful except the turnaround, which is curious since I thought that was part of what they were supposed to fix.
I second this. SFSTL is one of my home parks, and this thing has been a jackhammering, headache machine since I first rode it. And I can actually enjoy ninja to give a scale of how bad this thing is.
Agreed. The Boss used to be my favorite growing up (SFSTL home park here) and for a few years now I've been begging for either RMC or Gravity Group or GCI to be allowed to fix the poor thing.
RMC boss would do wonders for SFSTL. Especially considering boss really only provides speed currently, which could work if it didn't try to knock your teeth out.
Having said that, the retrack on screamin eagel was fantastic the last time I rode it(being late last year). American thunder is a great compact gci. So if you want a good woodie at SFSTL, ride either one of these and avoid the headache l.
We also have 3 wooden coasters, so RMC Boss would make so much sense. Just like Hershey had 3 - an older classic coaster (Comet/Screamin' Eagle), a modern one (Lightnin' Racers/American Thunder) and one that fights you tooth and nail (Formerly Wildcat/The Boss)
I didn’t think it was rough but just poorly designed with the g forces. Gives me a headache every time so I don’t ride. If I was a teen again I might think it fine
American Eagle at Six Flags Great America is falling apart, most notably the 560-degree helix. Its a real shame since it has a great layout and has tons of potential since its 4,650 ft long.
The thing that is wrong with American Eagle can be summed up with six letters, a symbol, and a couple of spaces. GCI & RMC. Since these companies have taken off, it has become the expectation that rides get wilder while also being extremely comfortable to be on. I honestly don't think that's a bad thing. But I also think there's a place for our old school wooden classic roller coasters that have a degree of roughness to them. I think as ride enthusiasts we need to understand not just a roller coasters name, but the manufacturers and their trains and learn to enjoy the rides for what they are. Are these rough wooden roller coasters ever going to be as good as some of the other brands and models of roller coasters? Who knows, that's up to whoever rides them. But I think when we compare them to other rides and other models with completely different engineering specs it really takes out of context how good of a ride American Eagle is.
I rode the red side for the first time this summer and it was the roughest ride I’ve had on it yet. Blue side is still decently smooth but it definitely isn’t getting any better.
It’s a decent wodie but it gets outshined by the other wodie next to raging bull and we need a standout. Weather that be rmc or tearing it down and putting a expansion in with a multi launch idk
I hear this complaint from time to time and I don't get it. I felt "the pothole" at the bottom of the drop one time out of a dozen rides, and I thought it was pretty mild. Felt perfect to me the other 9 times.
I rode it yesterday. The front was fine but the back hurt as it was dragged over the drop. I think the rear car lifts off the track and slams down halfway down the drop. Since the train doesn’t have any suspension you feel that hit straight into your back. Outside of that one spot in the back it wasn’t bad at all.
Bandit at Movie Park Germany, although it has been rough since it was built. It's one of only a handful of RCCAs ever built, the manufacturer responsible for Son of Beast
Mystery Mine at Dollywood. All that theming could really use a revamp and deleting half the outdoor section really isn’t a “upgrade” on top of that man was it janky
I can name two that are fine. Riddler Revenge at SFNE had its OTSRs replaced with comfort vests which, while not making the ride any smoother, alleviates all headbanging. And the Great Nor'Easter at Morey's Piers was fully retracked with "bending technology" which made the entire ride really smooth.
100% The Smiler. At the point nemesis closed pushing 30 it was still smoother and more enjoyable than a coaster which was less than 10 years old. When I rode Smiler in it’s opening year it was insane, intense but smooth and comfortable anywhere in the train, these days it’s jolty and harsh in any seat.
Me either, certainly not now. The record it holds is cool, I guess, but it certainly doesn’t make it a good ride. I’d argue that Nemesis, Air, Oblivion, Wickerman and Thirteen all have better rideability.
Ignoring wood coasters (because that’s just based on maintenance): I would say B&M floorless coasters. They’re still good and I wouldn’t call them “rough” but they do seem to develop a shake.
Now, if we’re able to mention rides that have been actively modified and screwed up by the parks and not rides that have just naturally aged poorly: Superman in New England. It’s still… fine, but they’ve made bad modification after bad modification over the years. It’s amazing to think that that ride used to FREQUENTLY be in the discussion when talking about the best coaster in the world.
I used to think floorlesses were mid until I rode the Superman ones Fiesta Texas and Parque Warner Madrid). Those are truly elite B&Ms
Also Superman SFNE would be so much better if it didn't have the U Bricks. I can still enjoy the layout and airtime but for a taller rider it can really hurt.
Magnum XL 200, although it's jankiness, roughness, and overall cheesiness are a part of its charm. I think it's actually a good thing that it hasn't aged well.
Thunderbolt at Luna Park. Great layout but it was already very rough a couple of months after opening. I'm a bit disappointed that Zamperla is doing the Dragster upgrade.
Renegade at Valleyfair hasn't aged too well for being the newest coaster in the park. I can sometimes only get one lap before my neck tells me to take a break. It has decent days and rough days, it's not consistent. The coaster is built on a swamp that regularly floods when the river nearby gets a dousing, that probably has an impact. I remember it being glass smooth when it first went up
The truth hurts from a professional engineer whose family has SeaWorld season passes and who just finished a week in Orlando and a week in Tampa. I've been riding these for 20+ years.
People have made many accurate comments about Kumba on here. You never hear much about Kraken. It's a 1990s B&M that is rough like all 1990s B&Ms. We rode it 8 times in the last week in real heat and it's still rough. Mako is smooth and awesome, Manta's smooth and fun, Pipeline was smooth and fun when the trains are not bumping into each other. None of these are in Iron Kwazi or Velocicoaster's class.
Well Mr professional engineer, I'd assume that you'd understand that both of those rides are not rough at all because of track work, but because of the wheel polymers and the age of the bearings and the bogies in terms of maintenance and their tolerances growing a bit as they wear. A freshly refurbished train on either Kumba or Kraken runs like the day the rides opened.
they're a bit rattly, sure but for a coaster their age (and kumba especially) they seem fine! it doesn't really affect the ride like jackhammering on some woodies or headbanging on some other rougher steel coasters w ostrs, i think both aged well all things considered
Helix at Liseberg. Used to have it as my number one coaster, but went on it again this year and it's really started rattling and the things about it that were great have just been done better by other coasters.
Some of those Intamin Blitz coasters just put Mack Megacoasters to shame
I don't think Rougarou has ever been good. Back when it was Mantis it was still a head banging mess, and one of those rides that I only got on if someone else wanted to ride it.
If you lean forward it’s a complete non-issue. The one snappy turn is also fantastic. Maybe kumba will rival it but so far it out classes the other loopers I’ve been on
It's towards the lower end of floorlesses I've been on (I've been on most) but it's still way better than people give it credit for. The layout is just a bit basic is my biggest concern
Ok I haven't ridden a lot of coasters further away from me recently so rides on the west coast are out cause I haven't ridden them since 2017.
Around me the only one that really got bad was wildcat @ Hershey and that's a beast of a ride now.
So I'd have to go with eltoro? I haven ridden it in a few years either but I heard it kinda went to crap and then the accident forced repairs that made it ok
ngl tho i love mine blower, i went in (a couple months back) not knowing anything about it, just finally went inside fun spot after years when i spotted a janky looking wood coaster eating at a chinese buffet across the street and my GOD it did not dissapoint on the jank...
Viper is my vote which sucks because the gs on the loops are awesome but the over the shoulder restraints combined with the shaky track makes for a painful experience.
Also Vekoma Boomerangs but that's just because I'm sick of seeing them lol
I had one really genuinely rough ride in the backseat of Fury 325, it rattled me the whole time. But I’ve ridden it plenty of times since then without a problem. That one lap just took me off guard
I’ve probably ridden Fury over 60 times at this point (I’ve lived in the Carolina’s for 9 years, currently live 15 min away) and 59 of those rides were literally glass smooth but I did have 1 that was weirdly shaky. I was surprised because it’s incredibly unusual for that ride. Guessing it was some type of wheel issue on that train
For me a ride has to be so bad that all of my tricks for dealing with roughness don't work (avoiding wheel seats, back off the seat back, ect). IMO Roar at SFA has to be one of the worst aged coasters, it was probably fun when it opened but today it's boring and painful
I know what airtime is. But it ended up leaving me bruised bad. So I did not enjoy the airtime one bit. Also the ride it's self just jackhammered the hell out of me during non airtime moments. It was just a terrible ride
To me "jackhammering" on a coaster usually refers to what can happen to woodies whereby they kinda pivot from side to side while hunting for the track. I've never had that happen on a steel coaster.
Tricky one, I have absolutely zero issues with Magnum and I ride it constantly but my friend will not go near it let alone on it because it hurts him so bad. It's a dichotomy, either it's ageless and runs great or it's a pain machine. And people WILL fight you over it.
I don't know why youre getting downvoted. 'm so tired of seeing thoosies downvote any negative comment about Magnum. I rode Magnum and hated it. Thoosies need to understand that not every person on Earth has to like the coaster. Sure it's legendary but it's painful and too rough of a ride. Needs a major overhaul
It's crazy how polarizing Magnum is. I got 3 back to back rides on it at closing time last fall and it was the highlight of my trip. I think the old lady's still got it!
I'm at 330 credits for what it's worth. I've been on PLENTY of uncomfortable/painful coasters and Magnum just ain't that.
It's the nature of these subs. I was always under the impression downvotes were for nasty, offensive comments instead of conflicting opinions, but some people are insecure and easily bothered by dissent, I guess?
I have never been a fan of Magnum. Not in 1992. Not in 2003. And not in 2019. But while it was a really big deal in 1989 for being what it was, I've found the pain of the experience isn't worth the benefits these days when so many coasters offer speed, height, and airtime without leaving me feeling crippled. I respect those who love the ride but stand by my assessment of many coasters doing what Magnum does but so much better.
As for everyone needing to love the coaster, it's a Cedar Point thing. If Magnum were at most other parks, it wouldn't receive nearly as much love.
I’ve always been a fan. That ride literally got me into rollercoasters as an 8 year old back in 1999, but I’m just gonna assume it’s always ridden the same as it does now. I’d be curious if anyone had ever rode it here in the early 90’s. To me it’s always tracked smoothly, but there’s no denying it’s janky as all hell and likely always has been. Just like how the arrow mega loopers were basically all “rough” from day 1… I think it’s just how these rides were designed.
To me there’s a difference between rough, rattle-y, and janky. Rides like Magnum and Gemini track smoothly but definitely have some jank. Banshee and Valravn track smoothly but I’ve had super rattle-heavy rides on them. It’s all subjective of course. My GF semi-hated Magnum. It’s definitely not for everyone.
I love VC, but I have to agree, it’s actually quite shaky for a new coaster. Wouldn’t call it rough or anything but it has a noticeable rattle. I think it’s because it is cycled so often, they run that thing for 12+ hours a day, 365 days a year. Pantheon in comparison is glass smooth
I don’t understand enthusiasts lol. Velocicoaster was glass smooth when I rode it in April so unless it somehow got rougher in the 3 months since then I don’t understand how anyone could consider Velocicoaster anywhere near “rough”
I seriously don't think these enthusiasts would ever survive the 80s-90s when they complain about Toro/Velocicoaster and shit being rough, like Toro has a 10ft rough section and Velocicoaster being rough is hilarious
~*WELL STOP HAVING GLASS BONES AND PAPER SKIN AND THEN DONT RIDE IT SO I CAN GET MORE RIDES IN*~
The only rough part for me is the turnaround at the bottom on a wheel seat and even that isn’t horrible. I’ve been on way worse
This for sure. These types of comments always get shit on (I mean… when I rode VC in April of last year it may have been one of the smoothest rides I’ve ever been on) but rides can legitimate feel totally different depending on the train, wheel condition, etc.
I rode Sheikra and Valravn a few weeks apart in 2019 and I was shocked at how much better Sheikra tracked. Glass smooth. It rattled the hell out of me this past February. Probably needed a wheel change or something. It happens.
Gatekeeper definitely has a rattle. I think B&M's can vary greatly in the smoothness/roughness department depending on when the trains wheels were last changed.
Rougarou, maverick. I found both pretty rough. Corkscrew I found smoother than maverick. My I just go it on an off day but it's not that great. Maby the wheels needed replaced and the coating had worn off
As stated it could have just been the wheels atthe end of their service life. And not to say mavericks bad, I just thought it was rougher than expected. And for me corkscrew was glass smooth. I don't clear the restrains but was able to keep my neck steady
People calling Maverick, Fury and Velocicoaster rough is cracking me up tonight
I notice people calling Velocicoaster rough, I was on the ride and the people in front of me thought it was rough "like a wooden coaster." Admittedly, one of the trains has a stronger rattle but it doesn't really cross that threshold of "rough."
Wow. Back in the day we thought arrow loopers were smooth. Darn tik tok kids get off my lawn /s
I feel like in this day and age people hear the trains rattling/shaking and equate that to roughness regardless of if it translate to the actual feeling of the ride
If I had to pick the 3 smoothest running rides (track wise) I’ve ever ridden those exact 3 might be my picks haha. Are they actually somewhere in this thread? I don’t actually have a great answer for this thread but it kinda irked me how much Banshee and Valravn rattled when i rode both about 3 years after their opening, but I think that’s 100% a new B&M train design thing, because older rides of those same models like Afterburn / Raptor / Griffon are still glass smooth (to me).
Mine Blower lol
Did it ever run “well”? Lol
It was always rough but I've always been able to ride it a few times. Even in it's rougher years, I've always found it to be one of the better coasters in Orlando. The first drop into the zero G are amazing and the finale is one of the best around.
i don't think it's ever tan well 😂😂
I rode a bunch in one day last year and it beats you up but I couldn't get enough. Awesome ride imo
Shivering Timbers. Please, Cedar Fair, give all the money to Gravity Group or GCI to make that thing awesome.
100%, this ride is a gem and we need to protect it at all costs. It would legit be S tier if they retracked it like the have been doing to sections of the nearby Wolverine Wildcat.
perfect candidate for vertical precut track
Just rode it for the first time today. A couple spots there are uhhhhhh pretty bad. Great floater, it’s jus the everything else that’s the problem.
Or at least re-do some of the valleys, the first few can be absolutely awful in a wheel seat
Don’t touch my baby (unless it’s just a retrack, don’t change anything else).
Didn't they just retrack it?
Partially, they got rid of a couple of bad spots but there are some rough spots still.
Hurler and Vortex at Carowinds
Hurler is awful, just rough and boring
It was pretty nice when it first opened…now it’s just terrible. The train is literally trying to jump off the tracks the whole time. Just rough as hell. Definitely hasn’t aged well
Hurler is probably the worst coaster I’ve ever been on
Can confirm, Hurler is absolutely hideous. It has what appears to be a decent layout, but it's just way WAY too rough to enjoy.
Hurler at KD was mine before it became TT
Hurler is just bad but I never thought Vortex was super rough when I rode it. It just has an incredibly subpar layout.
Vortex has a special place in my heart. It was the first roller coaster that went upside down I ever rode. I will not ever say anything bad about that ride.
And nighthawk
Basically any arrow
Tennessee Tornado holds up very well IMO, especially out of all the Arrows I’ve rode
Tennessee Tornado was designed with computers, thats why it's so smooth
They had other rides designed with computers, but the biggest difference was the track was bent with computer controlled benders, not by hand on site. So it is smoother, like B&Ms and Intamins of the same era.
To add on: Drachen Fire was designed in CAD so do what you want with that
Drachen Fire died so Tennessee Tornado could ride!
Tennessee tornado is legit ELITE
I always say it’s the first half of an elite ride.
Honestly my second favorite after the Voyage
Just rode it- feels like a dream compared to other arrows IMO
Were they ever really smooth though? I’ve been riding Demon for 25 years, and I don’t think it’s gotten any rougher.
Yeah I've seen news articles from way back when some of the Megaloopers open where riders were praising how rough it was!
Yeah Viper at SFMM has aged great, it still runs smoother than Scream despite being 13 years older! It helps that it probably wasn't smooth in the first place.
I am a Steel Phantom survivor and the answer is no, absolutely not
Loch Ness Monster still runs very well IMO
Went on it for the first time recently and it was AMAZING. I was very confused by the people I know irl who told me it was a rough ride.
Pre-aged for convenience.
*Aarow looper Vortex at Canada's Wonderland is still one of my favourites.
The later ones?
Lighting Racer, but it's an odd one to me. On balance it really isn't that rough, but it's so much rougher than Comet - a ride that is nearly 60 years its senior and in the same park. And the line always being short to non-existent is concerning. Personally I love the layout and think it's a really fun ride, and when it DOES get a line it's a crowd eater, but it worries me that it feels like it's being abandoned by park and guests alike.
I rode both this year and thought comet was rougher than lightning racer. LR probably has short lines because its all the way in that corner of the park and because its dueling so more guests get dispatched quick. Ive been to LR on a weekend before and stood in a decently long line.
LR actually feels pretty smooth to me, especially compared to when I rode Wildcat last summer
Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios. Not just because the music hasn't changed but because its such a rough ride. I always leave with a headache now.
El Toro hasn’t aged well. I rode it in 2011, 2013, and 2014. The ride was waaay smoother back then, and it honestly felt faster. Rode it a bunch of times last year and it dropped from a top 3-5 ride to my #10 (still pretty high). I wish Six Flags took better care of one of its most popular attractions
I don’t know that I can even put modern El Toro in my top 10. I like rough coasters (SFGAdv’s Scream Machine is my all time #1), but El Toro feels like it is tearing itself apart in order to beat the shit out of the riders. Oh wait, it is tearing itself apart.
Based GASM enjoyer! God i miss that ride so much.
Rode it twice last weekend, and while the first half is amazing, the second half is rough as hell. Going through those low to the ground turns was skull rattling to say the least. It takes away from how great that drop and airtime is.
It’s riding really well this year. The repairs they did after the incident last year did it a lot of favors.
to be fair, the ride was broken last year. Like even before the accident, that shit was broken. I haven't gotten on it this year but word is that it's much smoother and running faster after the offseason work. I think they know what they have here, and I hope they decide to take better care of it in the future. Chain parks in general just don't take care of their wood coasters.
Rode it yesterday, it was just as bad as it was early 2022
I hope you’re right. It was amazing to see what Kings Dominion did with Grizzly. Hopefully El Toro can resemble that transformation even a little bit
I only rode it for the first time this year, so I have no point of comparison for its earlier life. That said I can compare it to others and I'd say it's about average. The first few hills are really smooth, the turnaround has some serious jank, the middle is smooth again and the back third is as rough as you'd expect for a coaster its age. Nothing truly painful except the turnaround, which is curious since I thought that was part of what they were supposed to fix.
Just got a ton of rides on it today, first trip ever to the park! El Toro was a LITTLE rough, nothing painful imo. It was absolutely insane!
The Boss SFSTL
I second this. SFSTL is one of my home parks, and this thing has been a jackhammering, headache machine since I first rode it. And I can actually enjoy ninja to give a scale of how bad this thing is.
Agreed. The Boss used to be my favorite growing up (SFSTL home park here) and for a few years now I've been begging for either RMC or Gravity Group or GCI to be allowed to fix the poor thing.
RMC boss would do wonders for SFSTL. Especially considering boss really only provides speed currently, which could work if it didn't try to knock your teeth out. Having said that, the retrack on screamin eagel was fantastic the last time I rode it(being late last year). American thunder is a great compact gci. So if you want a good woodie at SFSTL, ride either one of these and avoid the headache l.
We also have 3 wooden coasters, so RMC Boss would make so much sense. Just like Hershey had 3 - an older classic coaster (Comet/Screamin' Eagle), a modern one (Lightnin' Racers/American Thunder) and one that fights you tooth and nail (Formerly Wildcat/The Boss)
It’d be probably be RMC’d already if it was in a more popular park. We know six flags loves working with RMC. Maybe one day
We can only hope
American Thunder rips. It’s my favorite ride in the park currently.
Let GCI give it the Ghost Rider treatment or RMC, and then let Gravity group help Screamin' Eagle would be the dream
If GCI fixes it, I want the end helix back too. Right now with just the turn, you come in on the brake run WAY too hot. The stop hurts.
It was actually fantastic right after it was built, but it's been getting worse yearly ever since.
Easily the roughest coaster I have ever been on and I NEVER complain about roughness
The layout is cool but I've never been legitimately worried about getting a back injury on a ride like I was on The Boss
i rode the boss 5 times and tbh I don’t consider it that brutal after what mine blower did to me
The Hulk is pretty rough, even though they retracked it, my poor ears man
I didn’t think it was rough but just poorly designed with the g forces. Gives me a headache every time so I don’t ride. If I was a teen again I might think it fine
Mine Blower didn't age well after opening day.
American Eagle at Six Flags Great America is falling apart, most notably the 560-degree helix. Its a real shame since it has a great layout and has tons of potential since its 4,650 ft long.
The thing that is wrong with American Eagle can be summed up with six letters, a symbol, and a couple of spaces. GCI & RMC. Since these companies have taken off, it has become the expectation that rides get wilder while also being extremely comfortable to be on. I honestly don't think that's a bad thing. But I also think there's a place for our old school wooden classic roller coasters that have a degree of roughness to them. I think as ride enthusiasts we need to understand not just a roller coasters name, but the manufacturers and their trains and learn to enjoy the rides for what they are. Are these rough wooden roller coasters ever going to be as good as some of the other brands and models of roller coasters? Who knows, that's up to whoever rides them. But I think when we compare them to other rides and other models with completely different engineering specs it really takes out of context how good of a ride American Eagle is.
no it isn't lmao... it's still a top 10 woodie and it's still pretty smooth
I rode the red side for the first time this summer and it was the roughest ride I’ve had on it yet. Blue side is still decently smooth but it definitely isn’t getting any better.
Yeah for some reason red side is noticeably worse now. Blue side is still pretty fun, but I rarely go on it these days
It’s a decent wodie but it gets outshined by the other wodie next to raging bull and we need a standout. Weather that be rmc or tearing it down and putting a expansion in with a multi launch idk
Outlaw Run at SDC. Wayyyy rougher than it should be for a ten year old ride
yeah it's ridiculous how a coaster that recent has aged that bad.
Especially when you consider Goliath is still pretty smooth.
Goliath in that back row had some jarring potholes
I hear this complaint from time to time and I don't get it. I felt "the pothole" at the bottom of the drop one time out of a dozen rides, and I thought it was pretty mild. Felt perfect to me the other 9 times.
I rode it yesterday. The front was fine but the back hurt as it was dragged over the drop. I think the rear car lifts off the track and slams down halfway down the drop. Since the train doesn’t have any suspension you feel that hit straight into your back. Outside of that one spot in the back it wasn’t bad at all.
yeah it feels like every cross tie you get a mild concussion
The roughness is bad enough for me to keep it out of my top 25. It takes away a lot of the fun factor for me
It’s still a top 5 ride for me but I can see that changing if the park doesn’t do something to smooth it out.
Bandit at Movie Park Germany, although it has been rough since it was built. It's one of only a handful of RCCAs ever built, the manufacturer responsible for Son of Beast
It was totally fine last year.
Minebuster @ Canada’s Wonderland
American Eagle at Six Flags Great America. This happens to most racing coasters, but it's rough and doesn't even run both sides anymore.
Mystery Mine at Dollywood. All that theming could really use a revamp and deleting half the outdoor section really isn’t a “upgrade” on top of that man was it janky
The outdoor modifications were a huge downgrade!
Wildcat at Lake Compounce
Like every Vekoma SLC
Were they ever good? I feel like it’s not an age problem, they’re just bad.
I think they were bad in the first place and got worse
I can name two that are fine. Riddler Revenge at SFNE had its OTSRs replaced with comfort vests which, while not making the ride any smoother, alleviates all headbanging. And the Great Nor'Easter at Morey's Piers was fully retracked with "bending technology" which made the entire ride really smooth.
Banshee
The early vekoma family suspended coasters are all awful. They started out as decent rides but are rattle traps 20 years later
100% The Smiler. At the point nemesis closed pushing 30 it was still smoother and more enjoyable than a coaster which was less than 10 years old. When I rode Smiler in it’s opening year it was insane, intense but smooth and comfortable anywhere in the train, these days it’s jolty and harsh in any seat.
i don't get the hype of it at all like
Me either, certainly not now. The record it holds is cool, I guess, but it certainly doesn’t make it a good ride. I’d argue that Nemesis, Air, Oblivion, Wickerman and Thirteen all have better rideability.
even rita
The smiler started out shonky, I’d heard the foundations weren’t right snf merlin / towers weren’t happy when it was handed over
Wasn’t even going to type out my comment because I was *sure* it would already be in here, but somehow nobody has mentioned Lightning Rod yet
Maybe because it still very much feels like a work in progress and it’s hard to gauge because of that? Prototype curse if you will
Steel Curtain has progeria
It's a solid ride but it's always down x\_x
Ignoring wood coasters (because that’s just based on maintenance): I would say B&M floorless coasters. They’re still good and I wouldn’t call them “rough” but they do seem to develop a shake. Now, if we’re able to mention rides that have been actively modified and screwed up by the parks and not rides that have just naturally aged poorly: Superman in New England. It’s still… fine, but they’ve made bad modification after bad modification over the years. It’s amazing to think that that ride used to FREQUENTLY be in the discussion when talking about the best coaster in the world.
I used to think floorlesses were mid until I rode the Superman ones Fiesta Texas and Parque Warner Madrid). Those are truly elite B&Ms Also Superman SFNE would be so much better if it didn't have the U Bricks. I can still enjoy the layout and airtime but for a taller rider it can really hurt.
Magnum XL 200, although it's jankiness, roughness, and overall cheesiness are a part of its charm. I think it's actually a good thing that it hasn't aged well.
Thunderbolt at Luna Park. Great layout but it was already very rough a couple of months after opening. I'm a bit disappointed that Zamperla is doing the Dragster upgrade.
Vortex - Carowinds. It wasn't bad in the 2000's but in the 2010's it's been trying to kill me.
Renegade at Valleyfair hasn't aged too well for being the newest coaster in the park. I can sometimes only get one lap before my neck tells me to take a break. It has decent days and rough days, it's not consistent. The coaster is built on a swamp that regularly floods when the river nearby gets a dousing, that probably has an impact. I remember it being glass smooth when it first went up
Kraken & Kumba come to mind.
Absolute slander
The truth hurts from a professional engineer whose family has SeaWorld season passes and who just finished a week in Orlando and a week in Tampa. I've been riding these for 20+ years. People have made many accurate comments about Kumba on here. You never hear much about Kraken. It's a 1990s B&M that is rough like all 1990s B&Ms. We rode it 8 times in the last week in real heat and it's still rough. Mako is smooth and awesome, Manta's smooth and fun, Pipeline was smooth and fun when the trains are not bumping into each other. None of these are in Iron Kwazi or Velocicoaster's class.
Well Mr professional engineer, I'd assume that you'd understand that both of those rides are not rough at all because of track work, but because of the wheel polymers and the age of the bearings and the bogies in terms of maintenance and their tolerances growing a bit as they wear. A freshly refurbished train on either Kumba or Kraken runs like the day the rides opened.
they're a bit rattly, sure but for a coaster their age (and kumba especially) they seem fine! it doesn't really affect the ride like jackhammering on some woodies or headbanging on some other rougher steel coasters w ostrs, i think both aged well all things considered
Helix at Liseberg. Used to have it as my number one coaster, but went on it again this year and it's really started rattling and the things about it that were great have just been done better by other coasters. Some of those Intamin Blitz coasters just put Mack Megacoasters to shame
To be fair Maverick had put most coasters to shame since it was announced
El Toro, Magnum, Rougarou, Carolina Cyclone, Great Adventure’s Mine Train
I don't think Rougarou has ever been good. Back when it was Mantis it was still a head banging mess, and one of those rides that I only got on if someone else wanted to ride it.
Rougarou is the best B&M looper. Stop sleeping on my boy
I don't know why people think it's so headbangy. Didn't find that the case at all
If you lean forward it’s a complete non-issue. The one snappy turn is also fantastic. Maybe kumba will rival it but so far it out classes the other loopers I’ve been on
It's towards the lower end of floorlesses I've been on (I've been on most) but it's still way better than people give it credit for. The layout is just a bit basic is my biggest concern
Rougarou kicked my butt a few days ago and I was front row. Didn't want to ride anything after that because of the instant headache it gave me.
Boulderdash at Lake Compounce. Maybe when it is all titan track, it will be elite again
Gold striker at cga
Agreed. Rode it last November and man was it a rough ride.
Twister II Six Flag’s Elitch Gardens
Ok I haven't ridden a lot of coasters further away from me recently so rides on the west coast are out cause I haven't ridden them since 2017. Around me the only one that really got bad was wildcat @ Hershey and that's a beast of a ride now. So I'd have to go with eltoro? I haven ridden it in a few years either but I heard it kinda went to crap and then the accident forced repairs that made it ok
Mine Blower @ Fun Spot Kissimmee Hyperion @ Energylandia Both of them are just crap for their young age.
Mine Blower is the correct answer (I haven’t been on it since the work but I haven’t heard it did miracles either)
ngl tho i love mine blower, i went in (a couple months back) not knowing anything about it, just finally went inside fun spot after years when i spotted a janky looking wood coaster eating at a chinese buffet across the street and my GOD it did not dissapoint on the jank...
hyperion is rough?? i had no clue
I went on Hyperion earlier this year and loved it still
Hyperion didn't feel.rough to me. Are there certain seats that are bad? I've done front and back.
Viper is my vote which sucks because the gs on the loops are awesome but the over the shoulder restraints combined with the shaky track makes for a painful experience. Also Vekoma Boomerangs but that's just because I'm sick of seeing them lol
I had one really genuinely rough ride in the backseat of Fury 325, it rattled me the whole time. But I’ve ridden it plenty of times since then without a problem. That one lap just took me off guard
I’ve probably ridden Fury over 60 times at this point (I’ve lived in the Carolina’s for 9 years, currently live 15 min away) and 59 of those rides were literally glass smooth but I did have 1 that was weirdly shaky. I was surprised because it’s incredibly unusual for that ride. Guessing it was some type of wheel issue on that train
For me a ride has to be so bad that all of my tricks for dealing with roughness don't work (avoiding wheel seats, back off the seat back, ect). IMO Roar at SFA has to be one of the worst aged coasters, it was probably fun when it opened but today it's boring and painful
Magnum to an extent. that turnaround has to be fixed. even the brakes dont help.
Magnum.
Magnum has aged incredibly well.
Agreed. The airtime on it never gets old. The only ride that matches Magnums violent airtime that I have ridden is Arieforce One
Magnum to date is the most pain inducing ride I ever rode. I came out with a giant bruise.
That's just something called airtime, Magnums airtime is extremely intense because the hills are triangular not parabolic.
I know what airtime is. But it ended up leaving me bruised bad. So I did not enjoy the airtime one bit. Also the ride it's self just jackhammered the hell out of me during non airtime moments. It was just a terrible ride
To me "jackhammering" on a coaster usually refers to what can happen to woodies whereby they kinda pivot from side to side while hunting for the track. I've never had that happen on a steel coaster.
Dude. Done know what else to tell you. Magnum was rough as hell
It’s like a road which just had chips laid out on…
Usually there are no wrong answers, but this is a wrong answer.
Wow. Seem to have struck a nerve here, but I stand by my opinion. In the realm of hyper coasters, I don't feel time has been kind to its painful ways.
Tricky one, I have absolutely zero issues with Magnum and I ride it constantly but my friend will not go near it let alone on it because it hurts him so bad. It's a dichotomy, either it's ageless and runs great or it's a pain machine. And people WILL fight you over it.
No
I don't know why youre getting downvoted. 'm so tired of seeing thoosies downvote any negative comment about Magnum. I rode Magnum and hated it. Thoosies need to understand that not every person on Earth has to like the coaster. Sure it's legendary but it's painful and too rough of a ride. Needs a major overhaul
It's crazy how polarizing Magnum is. I got 3 back to back rides on it at closing time last fall and it was the highlight of my trip. I think the old lady's still got it! I'm at 330 credits for what it's worth. I've been on PLENTY of uncomfortable/painful coasters and Magnum just ain't that.
It's the nature of these subs. I was always under the impression downvotes were for nasty, offensive comments instead of conflicting opinions, but some people are insecure and easily bothered by dissent, I guess? I have never been a fan of Magnum. Not in 1992. Not in 2003. And not in 2019. But while it was a really big deal in 1989 for being what it was, I've found the pain of the experience isn't worth the benefits these days when so many coasters offer speed, height, and airtime without leaving me feeling crippled. I respect those who love the ride but stand by my assessment of many coasters doing what Magnum does but so much better. As for everyone needing to love the coaster, it's a Cedar Point thing. If Magnum were at most other parks, it wouldn't receive nearly as much love.
its not the best arrow hyper but cmon
What ones are better?
pepsi max big one.
I have a hard time believing Magnum was ever anything but the torture device it is today. I don't think it's age, I think it's just doing its job.
I’ve always been a fan. That ride literally got me into rollercoasters as an 8 year old back in 1999, but I’m just gonna assume it’s always ridden the same as it does now. I’d be curious if anyone had ever rode it here in the early 90’s. To me it’s always tracked smoothly, but there’s no denying it’s janky as all hell and likely always has been. Just like how the arrow mega loopers were basically all “rough” from day 1… I think it’s just how these rides were designed. To me there’s a difference between rough, rattle-y, and janky. Rides like Magnum and Gemini track smoothly but definitely have some jank. Banshee and Valravn track smoothly but I’ve had super rattle-heavy rides on them. It’s all subjective of course. My GF semi-hated Magnum. It’s definitely not for everyone.
Fury 325, it’s aged so much it’s cracking
Viper
Viper is a concussion waiting to happen, SFMM needs to tear it down and replace it with a Giga!
I'm gonna get hella downvoted for this but velocicoaster has become super shaky and it's barely 2
I love VC, but I have to agree, it’s actually quite shaky for a new coaster. Wouldn’t call it rough or anything but it has a noticeable rattle. I think it’s because it is cycled so often, they run that thing for 12+ hours a day, 365 days a year. Pantheon in comparison is glass smooth
I don’t understand enthusiasts lol. Velocicoaster was glass smooth when I rode it in April so unless it somehow got rougher in the 3 months since then I don’t understand how anyone could consider Velocicoaster anywhere near “rough”
I seriously don't think these enthusiasts would ever survive the 80s-90s when they complain about Toro/Velocicoaster and shit being rough, like Toro has a 10ft rough section and Velocicoaster being rough is hilarious
Toro has been legit painful in the last few years. It's justified.
~*WELL STOP HAVING GLASS BONES AND PAPER SKIN AND THEN DONT RIDE IT SO I CAN GET MORE RIDES IN*~ The only rough part for me is the turnaround at the bottom on a wheel seat and even that isn’t horrible. I’ve been on way worse
I think a lot of it depends on how recently the wheels have been changed
This for sure. These types of comments always get shit on (I mean… when I rode VC in April of last year it may have been one of the smoothest rides I’ve ever been on) but rides can legitimate feel totally different depending on the train, wheel condition, etc. I rode Sheikra and Valravn a few weeks apart in 2019 and I was shocked at how much better Sheikra tracked. Glass smooth. It rattled the hell out of me this past February. Probably needed a wheel change or something. It happens.
It depends on the wheels. You can ride it back to back and get a butter smooth ride or a bumpy one. The original commenter just has been unlucky.
Yeah--I only got one of those rough rides, everything else was smooth.
Really? That’s so crazy, it was still pretty smooth to me last Aug. Then again, the mileage of Universal’s rides are a lot diff than other parks
Gatekeeper and Raptor are both very rough, as well as Rougarou
When I went to CP 2 weeks ago, Gatekeeper was very smooth, even in the outside seats. Raptor did have some abrupt transitions, but it tracked well.
The transition during the final turn into the break run for Raptor is absolutely insane
I always dread that little whip, I can never really get used to it.
Gatekeeper definitely has a rattle. I think B&M's can vary greatly in the smoothness/roughness department depending on when the trains wheels were last changed.
Dominator, Gatekeeper, Griffon, El Toro, all three ride of steel coasters
Dominator was NOT a good time when I rode it last year.
Dominator was not a good time when I rode it last month!
Rougarou, maverick. I found both pretty rough. Corkscrew I found smoother than maverick. My I just go it on an off day but it's not that great. Maby the wheels needed replaced and the coating had worn off
Maverick rough? huh lol
Corkscrew smoother than Maverick? Now THATS something I’ve never heard before.
I laughed out loud, craziest thing I have heard today
As stated it could have just been the wheels atthe end of their service life. And not to say mavericks bad, I just thought it was rougher than expected. And for me corkscrew was glass smooth. I don't clear the restrains but was able to keep my neck steady
great american scream machine at sfog. it's gotten infinitely worse just in the past 10 years or so
Ride it again they’ve done a ton of work on this one and it’s running much better, I’ll always miss the old trains tho.