Are rough woodies bad?
Wolf said:
There's a difference between 'violence' and 'roughness'.
Well said! The best wooden coasters are violent coasters, but still not necessarily *rough* coasters.
Hercules, Mean Streak, and RWB, for example, are rough coasters. They bounce along the track, hurting kidneys, heads, necks, tailbones...
CI Cyclone, Villain, Thunderhawk on a good day, Legend, etc. are nice and violent. They don't jar your body for the sake of having square wheels, but DO toss you around and let you know who's in charge. There's a WORLD of difference.
Yes, I realize people still like the former. Heck, I'll still get on most of them. But a LOT of people equate the former with the latter, without stopping to consider WHY the one still hurts when you get off and the other doesn't (usually ;) )...
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--Greg
http://www.pobox.com/~gregleg/
*** This post was edited by GregLeg on 7/29/2001. ***
Maybe it all starts when someone just decides to say a ride is rough for whatever reason, and then it spreads. Maybe people hold on too tight or worry about it too much. Maybe some kids think they're cool by liking rough rides and call them rough, I don't know. I never get off a wooden without people going on and on about how rough it was, roughest coaster they've ever been on and so forth. Not saying that some rides aren't mean, IMO for MS to really be rough, it would have to have some speed, which it doesn't now, but if you find your local coaster is too rough, go down and ride it in the rain. You may never call it a bad name again.
There's always some GP woman that acts appalled that the rough woodie she just got off of is allowed to operate, shows how much people know. It gets old, I don't think we want to gradually see our rides known as rough, everyday I look here, I see another coaster added to the rough list and three people agreeing with it.
Wood is more flexible a ride than steel, therefore you should feel something out there, I like wood loud, but as far as being painful, I've only had three pain inducing rides; one real painful, and two that sucked, they were all three steel coasters.
There's always some GP woman that acts appalled that the rough woodie she just got off of is allowed to operate, shows how much people know. It gets old, I don't think we want to gradually see our rides known as rough, everyday I look here, I see another coaster added to the rough list and three people agreeing with it.
Wood is more flexible a ride than steel, therefore you should feel something out there, I like wood loud, but as far as being painful, I've only had three pain inducing rides; one real painful, and two that sucked, they were all three steel coasters.
Roar (SFA) tosses you arounce at bit and is certainly rougher than the very smooth woodies such as Lightning Racers, but it is not objectionably rough like some poorly maintained woodies are.
ROAR said:
"Is Roar considered rough??"
I like Roar very much. If you can, ride it in the rain when it really picks up. Otherwise, come to the Zombie Invasion in October when it will be have the tracks really lubed up good.
Depends on the nature of the ride. I find the "roughness" of SOB to be part of the excitement of the ride. On a ride such as Wolverine Wildcat, however, the roughness detracts from the excitement level of the ride, almost to the point that it is unenjoyable. I won't say that it is thoroughly unenjoyable, because it is a coaster, and is enjoyable for that fact alone.
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I don't like your tone, chris...
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I don't like your tone, chris...
Roughness differs with the rider.
For instance, I have heard people say that Hersheypark's Wildcat is rough. I personally do not think so. You get bounced around a bit, but it not painful (in my opinion).
Dorney Park's Hercules is another story. I can't remember a comment about this coaster that was did not include the word "rough". And rightfully so. I rode this for the first time this past friday and it was not only rough, I considered it brutal. My back and ribs took the worst beating from it.
So, should they be rough? They are wood coasters, and the nature of the beast is taht it will be rougher than steel. Wildcat falls in the "rough, but not too rough" or "rough as expected". Hercules falls into the category of "senslessly rough," and "painfully rough".
Again though, it is all a matter of opinion and tolerance.
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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."
For instance, I have heard people say that Hersheypark's Wildcat is rough. I personally do not think so. You get bounced around a bit, but it not painful (in my opinion).
Dorney Park's Hercules is another story. I can't remember a comment about this coaster that was did not include the word "rough". And rightfully so. I rode this for the first time this past friday and it was not only rough, I considered it brutal. My back and ribs took the worst beating from it.
So, should they be rough? They are wood coasters, and the nature of the beast is taht it will be rougher than steel. Wildcat falls in the "rough, but not too rough" or "rough as expected". Hercules falls into the category of "senslessly rough," and "painfully rough".
Again though, it is all a matter of opinion and tolerance.
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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."
For me, there's a very fine line between "good rough" and "bad rough". I did not enjoy the Boss at all-- too rough and very unpleasant. We rode it once and went back to riding other more enjoyable rides at SFStLo. But the Williams Grove Cyclone-- at times painfully rough-- I love. The one day I was at Williams Grove I rode it over and over again. I guess if a ride offers enough 'plusses'-- great turns, or exciting hills, or whatever -- it can overcome the negatives.
That's right woodies are rough, they were intened to be that way and I love them. Maybe some people prefer the smooth jet-like feeling of steel, but I love the wooden coasters the best. I remember when mean streak debuted and people tolded me how rough it was. I rode it six times at my first visit after its opening and I still love it, with the exception of those brakes on the drop, it totally wastes the 165 ft drop, but still the Son of Beast is taller, faster, and every bit as good. I have never been on a woodie that was too rough and I havn't been on one that I didn't like. I am shocked that more people don't wait in line for the Blue Steak at Cedat Point. Do most people just pass this coaster by when they visit or what? They are all a sad bunch of losers waiting for hours just to ride the Millenium Force and Raptor and they don't bother walking 40 more feet to get to the only coaster that even remotely connects Cedar P0int to its wonderful and long history.
First off, let me say that I love good rough woodies, however, there is rough and there is ROUGH. The last woodie I rode was SGoG's Georgia Cyclone and was in pain when I got off it. Don't get me wrong, I loved the circuit, but my body was thrown around in ways that it wasn't meant to. I don't think I'll ride that one again in the near future. Going again on Sunday, so we'll see...
To me it all depends on a few factors. What type of rough is it? If it throws me around, I usually love it. If it is that bone-jarring vibrating type rough, I may or may not like it. It all comes down to the ratio between pleasure and pain. I don't mind the pain as long as I can still enjoy the ride and/or the ride is enjoyable. Some good airtime is a great redeeming factor for me.
I've been on a couple woodies that I thought were less than exciting (too slow, no airtime, etc...) and bone-jarring rough. In that case, I didn't like them. Just because I don't like them doesn't mean that I hate them or that I'll never go on them again. In the case of woodies like Rolling Thunder at SFGAdv, Cyclone at Williams Grove, and Thunderhawk at Dorney I found to be fun and/or exciting even though they are/can be rough.
I am going to ride (keeping my fingers crossed) the CI Cyclone Saturday. Does anyone have any tips? I will have a ride all day pass so cost isn't really an issue. I won't have the opportunity to ride at night.
One more thing, in the grand scheme of rollercoasters, I have liked/loved more wooden coasters than steel (rough or not). Its easier for me to like a rough woodie than a rough steel (especially if it has OTSR's). You see I'm short and my head never gets above the restraint so if its rough, I usually get some head banging. I've learned to ride defensively but on some rides it doesn't matter what I do like GASM at SFGAdv. *** This post was edited by Lisa Marie on 8/1/2001. ***
I've been on a couple woodies that I thought were less than exciting (too slow, no airtime, etc...) and bone-jarring rough. In that case, I didn't like them. Just because I don't like them doesn't mean that I hate them or that I'll never go on them again. In the case of woodies like Rolling Thunder at SFGAdv, Cyclone at Williams Grove, and Thunderhawk at Dorney I found to be fun and/or exciting even though they are/can be rough.
I am going to ride (keeping my fingers crossed) the CI Cyclone Saturday. Does anyone have any tips? I will have a ride all day pass so cost isn't really an issue. I won't have the opportunity to ride at night.
One more thing, in the grand scheme of rollercoasters, I have liked/loved more wooden coasters than steel (rough or not). Its easier for me to like a rough woodie than a rough steel (especially if it has OTSR's). You see I'm short and my head never gets above the restraint so if its rough, I usually get some head banging. I've learned to ride defensively but on some rides it doesn't matter what I do like GASM at SFGAdv. *** This post was edited by Lisa Marie on 8/1/2001. ***
It's not just you, it's the whole conversation around the subject matter taken with another context. Now, to put it into context, imagine you were'nt a roller coaster fan and didn't understand the term "woodie" as we do. Now go back and read over the responses.
*** This post was edited by Snoopy on 8/2/2001. ***
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