Does pain detract from a ride?

[AJ]

Pretzel Loops on flyers (Tatsu in particular) ruin the coaster for me. Not only do I feel like Im being sat on by a fat hoe, but the rest of the ride consists of me choking.

Also, WildCat at Lake Compounce..... Never have I felt so violently abused on a coaster in all my life.

 

[Youngster Joey]

Ironically no one has mentioned Storm Runner.
Anyone been on that?
I love it but it's kind of painful (not rough, painful!). Especially that one quick flick.

Intamin has a restraint issue....why can't they have B&M style?
They have that flat kind, if you know what I mean, so if something sudden/intense happens your neck and shoulders get pounded. I get bruises from Storm Runner if I don't hold on.
And Kingda Ka....it may be not as bad if the restraints were better but again they give me that shoulder/neck pain.

The ride is good but the flying snake dive and that last whipped transition kill me.

 

[Error]

Yes and no. It depends on the type of pain and the intensity.

 

[valleyfair!]

It definitely does, and a lot of time makes or breaks the ride for me. The first coaster that comes to mind is X2. Just about everyone seems to have loved it, and for me, beyond the first drop I was just too the point of discomfort that I couldn't call it a great ride. When it comes to woodies, I think we all expect a little jerkiness or roughness, and that just ruins the ability to re-ride many of them. Then there are steel coasters that are just crap like Iron Wolf, (Don't know how it is after relocation) but I thought my ears were bleeding on that thing.

 

[coast]

Hi, my name is Rolling Thunder. How may I murder your insides today?

Also, two words: Vekoma Boomerang. Although the new restraints make a hell of a difference, it's still a rough ride. I did like them on Nor'Easter though, but on a boomerang not so much.

 

[furie]

The US opened up an entirely new world of painfully rough woodies for me! Before the live the most rough woodie I had been on was probably Stampida. But Stampidas "roughness" isn't painful, it just adds to the fun and enhance the out of control feeling imo!

Some of the woodies in america tried to kill me for sure though! Both Wildcat (LC) and Hurler (KD) were headache inducing. And several others like the GCIs Roar (SFA) and Wildcat (HP), which had great layouts, were so rough that it was impossible to enjoy them for me :/

wow, that's really odd. I thought both the Wildcat's you mention were okay and Hurler was too.

They certainly had a bit of bashing around, but I enjoyed the coasters more than they gave me any pain - though I know I'm probably the only person in the world that enjoyed Hurler. I don't mind a bit (or even a lot) of laterals though, so maybe that's it?

The two Cyclones (Coney Island and SFNE) however were both disgusting. The amount of back battering pain they gave made Stampida look like a soft mattress.

For me, it's all about the pain/pleasure thing (I've been into this before a lot). At some point, the amount of pain you're in (or the anticipation of pain) lasts for longer than any pleasure you get from the coaster. At that point the ride fails.

Joey also mentions about the ability to re-ride and that's important too. I don't mind a rough ride that beats me up a little if there's a lot of fun to be had (the wooden wild mice rides say). However, you know if you re-ride them then the pain will get unbearable over time.

Again it's been mentioned that most people don't ride enough to learn how to "not get hurt", but you shouldn't have to learn to do that anyway. As enthusiasts though we also tend to spend so much time on coasters, we notice the pain more. Andrus will have noticed more pain in the coasters above because having spent days riding and re-riding hundreds of coaster circuits, you just become sensitive to it and your body just says "enough". It's why the public often like rides we'd avoid like the plague, because the amount of pain they've had inflicted on them by a coaster that year is so low that the pleasure they get from the adrenaline kick means they miss it. They may come off buzzing and going "never again", but they will have forgotten the pain by the time they ride again 12 months later (or there's a good chance they will).

Intamin has a restraint issue....why can't they have B&M style?

Because the forces Intamin put you through are much more forceful than on a B&M. I couldn't say for sure, but I suspect that if you put a B&M clamshell on an Intamin coaster, there's a good chance you'd be out of that coaster. B&M have a very deliberate "low upwards force" on their coasters - hence why you don't see clamshells on their Inverts, Floorless, etc. They also grip at a much lower point that the Intamin. the clamshells grip lower thigh so you get a lot of movement, the Intamin lapbars (and nasty OTSR) grab at around the crotch/upper thigh.

That ride with anything resembling Clamshells might just be one of the best rides in the world tbh.

Look at Etnaland then

Seriously, the Mack restraints feel like a B&M Clamshell and can offer hangtime. They might also be able to offer restraint for ejector... They are 100% the most comfortable seat/restraints I've ever had for an inverting coaster.

 

[dominoes]

I think it does.
I love Colossus at Thorpe Park's layout. However, the pain of riding it makes the experience alot less enjoyable. Same with Gouderix...

 

[caffeine_demon]

I liked wildcat at LC as well, and all the woodies at hershey. Cyclone at SFNE had topper track on it, so the ride was actually pretty nice, and gave some airtime!

Mean streak on the other hand.... possibly worse than bandit at movie park! Rattles it's way around with no airtime or lats to speak of!

 

[andrus]

wow, that's really odd. I thought both the Wildcat's you mention were okay and Hurler was too.

They certainly had a bit of bashing around, but I enjoyed the coasters more than they gave me any pain - though I know I'm probably the only person in the world that enjoyed Hurler. I don't mind a bit (or even a lot) of laterals though, so maybe that's it?

WildCat at Lake Compounce was vile! Probably the worst coaster I've ever been on. Hurler actually had a couple of good moments with decent airtime, but it was very rough. And the first turn after the drop was shockingly bad. In the queueline you could see the heads of the riders passing by shaking, they almost looked like rag dolls!

The two Cyclones (Coney Island and SFNE) however were both disgusting. The amount of back battering pain they gave made Stampida look like a soft mattress.

For me it was the reverse. I actually enjoyed Cyclone at SFNE But I assumed it must have been a lot worse before they put on the topper track caffeine_demon mentioned?

As enthusiasts though we also tend to spend so much time on coasters, we notice the pain more. Andrus will have noticed more pain in the coasters above because having spent days riding and re-riding hundreds of coaster circuits, you just become sensitive to it and your body just says "enough".

That definitely explain some aspects. Like eg that I thought every ride (appart from Verbolten that was different) on Busch Gardens Europe was mediocre. I still know they're good rides, it's just that after riding so many coasters you don't easily get impressed! And that somewhat explains why you get a bit more sensitive with roughness. But it doesn't explain the fact that WildCat at Lake Compounce was horribly rough even though it was the very first day of the live we rode it!

 

[furie]

I liked wildcat at LC as well, and all the woodies at hershey. Cyclone at SFNE had topper track on it, so the ride was actually pretty nice, and gave some airtime!

Maybe the topper track helps then? It was three year's ago I went so it must have been after that. I just remember it was one of those "spine compression" things you get, where the train just jolts on completely hard (or non-existent) suspension and tries to ram your coccyx through your chest.

Odd that you enjoyed Wildcat at LC though when everyone else hated it :lol: It was just a really bland, infinitely forgettable coaster when I rode it.

WildCat at Lake Compounce was vile! Probably the worst coaster I've ever been on. Hurler actually had a couple of good moments with decent airtime, but it was very rough. And the first turn after the drop was shockingly bad. In the queueline you could see the heads of the riders passing by shaking, they almost looked like rag dolls!

I didn't like Hurler for the airtime, I just liked the speed and the idea of just getting you moving really fast and then twisting you around all over the place. As I say, I don't mind laterals and I'm okay with shaking - as long as my chest isn't being raped by my arse, I'm generally okay

That definitely explain some aspects. Like eg that I thought every ride (appart from Verbolten that was different) on Busch Gardens Europe was mediocre. I still know they're good rides, it's just that after riding so many coasters you don't easily get impressed! And that somewhat explains why you get a bit more sensitive with roughness. But it doesn't explain the fact that WildCat at Lake Compounce was horribly rough even though it was the very first day of the live we rode it!

I was probably similar by the time we reach BGW too, but I really enjoyed Alpengeist and it was the only "solid" Invert on the trip for me. I also enjoyed Griffon, but not as much as I expected. Minor_Furie adored Griffon though, I think sometimes it is just personal

WildCat just sounds like it's turned into a dog then. I do have to wonder if maybe they've got some maintenance issues or something at LC?

 

[andrus]

WildCat just sounds like it's turned into a dog then. I do have to wonder if maybe they've got some maintenance issues or something at LC?

Maybe. ECG told us Boulder Dash never had been running that bad in the past as well. So there might be some issues?

..as long as my chest isn't being raped by my arse, I'm generally okay

Haha, you're funny! :lol:

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re WildCat at Lake Compounce, and ALL woodies with 6 seater cars...

Those who sat atop the wheels, in front or back of the car, will have had an awful ride. Those who sat in the middle will have been fine.

My ride on WildCat at Lake Compounce was "this is a crap ride because it doesn't do anything". Not any real complaints about pain. I can't remember what seat I was in, John might though? If he thought it was awful it's safe to say he was over the wheels and I wasn't.

It's the same with all of them... A stand out example would be GASM at SFoG. That varies from a pretty incredible ride with a little pain in the middle seats to unbearable spine crushing slamming over the wheels. In fact, I'm amazed this coaster isn't more talked about. The airtime on that thing is mental and the pain should be legendary.

Whilst on the subject of SFOG... That other woodie there... Georgia Cyclone. Oh my god that's the worst woodie I've been on in terms of brutality. I try and forget it ever happened.

Hurler at KD wasn't as bad as I remembered when I rode it the other day. Still nothing good. It's a funny one because all the whilst it's bobbing over airtimeless hills it's not bad, but the second it turns (which it spends a lot of time doing) oh my god what's even happening. It's not even roughness coupled with insanity, which is usually what causes pain, it's just nothingless and roughness. I wouldn't say it's that painful, the ride just has no redeeming features past the hilarity of shunting.

 

[IntaminToWin]

I think certain rides are okay if they are rough and painful, like some woodies, but if it is a steel coaster with OTSR and it is rough, it will suck. It seems to depend on the restraint type also- Maverick gave me a couple whacks, but it was fine. I didn't ride Corkscrew (@CP) because Arrow loopers (namely, GASM @ SFGA was the worst) kill my head every time. They can be rough if they have lapbar restraints, like Magnum XL-200.
I loved that ride, even though it hurt my legs a little (so, apparently I will not be bothered by Skyrush).

 

[nealbie]

In a word: yes. El Condor <////3

But that's the only ride that has ever caused me physical pain (unless I count that Big Apple in France..... but that was more being freakishly tall and over-ambitious sitting with Will xD). For the most part, enthusiasts seem to be really quite delicate when it comes to their hobby .

 

[kimahri]

It depends. I've only been on one ride where it actually hurts. I can take being bumped around like the woodies in Kings Dominion and a couple of smacks to the face like on Apocalypse as SF America, ugh and being utterly mauled to a bloody pulp on The Ultimate but there is one single ride, that puts me in a unique and horrifyingly unrelenting amounts of pain that makes me hate it, and that is Velocity at FL.

I don't know what it is and apparently no one else gets it but it's this sharp near unbearable stapping pain exactly where the red dot on this medical thingy I picked up and plonked the dot on.

I just don't understand what it is, it's always that spot in any seat. I'm not like Ben or even Ciall , I have some padding there but it's like a bolt cover is on the verge or murdering me.

And now you know why I hate Velocity so much.