Anybody Ride "The Gauntlet" Yet? (New Vekoma SLC)

I heard that The Gauntlet just opened at Magic Springs & Crystal Falls over in Arkansas on April 10th.

The Gauntlet may just be yet another cookie-cutter Vekoma SLC, but I read that it's the first Vekoma SLC to feature a redesigned wheel assembly designed to give a more comfortable ride, probably akin to how Intamin and B&M have been doing their trains all-along.

Has anybody had a chance to ride it yet, and if so... does it compare to a much more pleasant experience than the typical coined phrase "hang & bang"?

If it rolls over successfully where-as there are little problems, do you think that Vekoma or the parks will purchase the new assemblies for their current SLC's to smoothen the ride & lessen the headaches, or is it not economically feesible?

[Edit: my bad geography... AR = Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama & Alaska to me. I'm not near any "A" states! :)] *** Edited 4/19/2004 6:02:08 PM UTC by DawgByte II***

I've heard that the trains are no different or at least there isn't any noticable difference in the way they ride.

SLC's normally start smooth anyway, don't they? Plus I thought Fantasy Island's inverted had newly designed trains with new wheelsets and that is a peice of utter crap.

I've heard many times that Vekoma have 'new track bending techniques' or 'new trains' or 'new wheels', and many of those coasters have ended up rough as sin. Space Mountain at DLP for example.

This isn't a generic Vekoma-bashing, by the way. I think they've done some excellent rides.

Well, it was listed on RCDM.Com that this was the first official Vekoma SLC with the new wheel assemblies, and considering it just opened up this month, I'll dismiss any other claims that new restraints or trains really helped any of the other SLC's ride experience.

As far as I know, this should run smoother, despite the trains/restraints looking identical, we'll see if it really makes a difference.

I personally think that the people maintaining the ride have a lot to do with it. Rockin' Rollercoaster at Dis-MGM is insanely smooth if you ask me. PKI's Face-Off isn't bad either.

Boomerang @ World's of Fun is also smooth.

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Marcus Sheen said:
I've heard many times that Vekoma have 'new track bending techniques' or 'new trains' or 'new wheels', and many of those coasters have ended up rough as sin. Space Mountain at DLP for example.

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Eh? I rode it on Saturday and it was fine. What are you complaining about?
-R

I agree...I was at DLP about a month ago and thought all the rides were fine. I loved Space Mountain.

-Nate

Maybe they've made some headway in replacing the trains. Everything but the shell on train 5 was replaced I understand as a trial. I am not someone who says rides are rough for the sake of it, but last year it was unbearable.