Alpengeist, rough? - CoasterBuzz

I just rode Alpengeist the other day for the first time and I couldn't believe how rough it was. I was expecting it to be smooth even though it was huge for an inverted and also because it was B&M. Anyone else notice this? -Mike

Sometimes on the inverteds, they are rougher in the back seat. It could have been where you sat.
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Nitro: The Most Explosive Coaster on the Planet explodes at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2001.

Alpengeist was a little shaky, but definitely not rough. In the back seat, the Cobra Roll was a little brutal, but other than that, I didn't notice much of anything.

I've been on Alpengiest about one hundred times and I think it matters who the ride operator is. Sometimes it's faster and a little bit shaky (I prefer this) or slow, boring, and predictable. But its not nearly as rough as some other rides.

I also agree with Nitroexplodes about the back seat.

What do ride ops have to do with how smooth a ride is?

I found it to be smooth last weekend, and frankly I was so indifferent about the ride after Talon the day before. If you sit in the front, the visuals on the ride can't be beat. It's a simply amazing ride. Any other seat, and the elements are so far apart or so huge that you really don't feel much of any sensation.

All that aside, they have the worst crew I've ever seen. When they do get around to checking your restraint, they're in no hurry, they're more interested in talking to each other than getting you loaded and they do stupid things like trying to do a parent swap after you've sat down. It's mind boggling that a ride that long can stack three trains all of the time. Someone from Apollo's team needs to get in there and kick some people in the unit.

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duh, Jeff! The ride-ops have a lever which controls the roughness of the ride. LOL!
Older B&M's appear to be getting a little rougher. I'd like to only blame the trains, but some of the track could be resonsible. I noticed Top Gun at PGA is a little rougher than when it first opened, but it also seems to go a little faster than before as well. Still, the wheels aren't constantly losing contact with the rails like on old Arrows.

Vortex at PGA is still smooth though, after 10 years that's not bad. Arrow and Vekoma coasters seem to go through bigger changes in short lengths of time. Viper at SFMM is a whole lot rougher than when it first opened, it's the one I noticed the greatest changes in. I only went on Drachen Fire before they reprofiled it and I remember thinking it was kind of rough as well.

In Arrow's defense, about 6 years ago I was tall enough not to be bothered by the roughness as much, as I don't bang my head into the OTSR's anymore. Other OTSR's tend to be huge.

-djansi

*** This post was edited by djansi on 8/29/2001. ***

Alpie rough? I isn't rough it is smooth as glass in the back there is some headbanging during that whip into the mids, but not as bad as Raptors whip. The stacking is bad but I have seen worse on Batman: Knight Flight, they could stack one train.

Its rough in row 7 & 8. The crew is bad, they close the gates which is bad for single riders
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HurricaneGeauga- Just in case

Alpengeist is not a rough ride ,and as far as aging B&M 's go the oldest is Iron Wolf ,the oldest inverted Batman @SFGA .I was on bolth yesterday...Batman may have roughend up a little but the the thing is still fast smooth and thrilling .Iron Wolf with the new restraints is as good if not better than ever before. The verdict #1 Alpengeist=smooth #B&M= ageing gracefully

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I found it extremly rough, that's why I don't prefer B&M. I mean AC would be just as good even if another company built it!
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Ricochet: Bouncing to you in 2002, Only at King's Dominion!

I found it extremely smooth. My head grazed the OTSR in the Cobra Roll once, and that was it.
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Parks for 2001: SFEG, Lakeside,Funtown USA, Palace Playland, HP,BGW,PKD,Alton Towers.

For some reason my mind is hazy about the details about the coasters at BGW even though I was last there in 1999. I convinced my party to ride in the back of Alpie. They and I thought it was a bit rough back there but the front was awesome. I found it more to fit my taste in an inverted. It is big and had some nice forces. Raptor is a good ride, but the helix is especially great.

I also believe that at the bottom of the first drop the trains are shaking probably from the speed and wind resistence I heard..

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Kennywood Park Unlimited
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I rode Alpengeist in rows 1, 2, and 3 and found Alpengeist the roughest of all B&M's that I have ridden and found the Cobra Roll to be incredibly rough. Not quite Togo rough or Vekoma rough, but still rough. My least favorite B&M inverted.
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I thought Alpengeist was pretty smooth, i rode it in the front, and back, and it still felt smooth.

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"Thank you for challenging the Raging Bull. We hope you enjoy the rest of you're day, here at Six Flags Great America."

In the back seat it gets a littlr rough, but in the front it is awsome.
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Montu, God Of Coasters

I have always found Alpengeist to be smooth. I almost always ride in the front because I like to see where I am going, and I have never experienced any roughness. Alpie is a monster of a ride as far as size and the sense of speed you get. You have to give it that.

The crew is pretty bad. Everytime I have ridden, I have just wanted to smack them. They need to stay off the phones and show a little energy and interest in what they are doing. They are operating one of the greatest coasters around.....it is a shame they are "representing" it. But even through that, Alpie is one heck of a ride, and for me, a smooth one.

djansi said:

Vortex at PGA is still smooth though, after 10 years that's not bad.

Are you kidding me? The times that I've been on Vortex, my ears were nearly bruised. Maybe it's a matter of opinion, but I certainly feel that Vortex is the roughest ride in the park.

Davis said:
djansi said:
Vortex at PGA is still smooth though, after 10 years that's not bad.
Are you kidding me? The times that I've been on Vortex, my ears were nearly bruised. Maybe it's a matter of opinion, but I certainly feel that Vortex is the roughest ride in the park.

hmm... I think it's a smooth ride, although it does quite a bit of lateral tossing, especially between the loop and the corkscrew. It always did that, but I don't think it starts shaking a whole bunch, like Demon(Arrow Looper) does.

-djansi

Alpengeist is my least favorite of the B&M inverts. Nothing personal, just not up to my standards. I think the pacing is what destroys the ride, not its roughness, although there is quite a bit of that too. I don't think it is fair to compare it with Raptor, but given the tightness of the aforementioned ride, I would take it in trade anyday over Alpengeist. Sorry BGW...
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