Cedar Point is working on Gatekeeper's restraints

I don't know about the other winged coasters, but GK takes the first inversion off the top of the lift very slowly, so as you flip over the restraints are actively holding you in (especially towards the front). That maneuver probably wouldn't be as comfortable with B&M's standard OTSRs.

I'm not sure about the Overseas models. But, X-Flight at SFGAm also has the wingover element.

Like most coasters, there's usually a way to defeat the problems. With GateKeeper, all you need to do is hold the vest away from your chest the whole ride. It's not very difficult, and it made the ride more fun and free of any discomfort.

Still, I'm happy that CP is the first park to address this. You should never need a technique to enjoy a ride. I think these these vests are particularly problematic for people who are claustrophobic and easily panic. I was stuck on the GateKeeper brake run for about 15-20 minutes, a lady panicked that she couldn't breathe, and they called an ambulance. All they needed to do was unlock her, which they did immediately.

By the way birdman, that was a great observation about Maverick that I just read for the first time in that other thread. Many have been talking about how CP/Intamin need to change Maverick's restraints...well, they clearly already did! After seeing your pictures, I remember the two different strap designs now. Still, while I've always had a discomfort-free ride technique for Maverick, I'm not sure if the new design really solved the problem for most.

Break Trims said:

The comparison to Maverick is somewhat apt. By the end of that ride, the lapbar has usually tightened on me considerably, and the additional minutes added by bad stacking are really unwelcome. For Gatekeeper, if the shoulder restraints locked upon leaving the station and didn't move one way or the other from that point on, I'd be fine with it.

My sentiments exactly.

I don't enjoy the banging around on Maverick, but the bigger issue on that ride is the lap portion of the bar is usually super tight by the end of the ride (repeat for Cheetah Hunt, I305 and Skyrush). It covers such a small area that all of the force is directed into that one spot on your legs and it's less than enjoyable. They tried to rectify that problem on Skyrush with a larger surface area padding, but ended up failing because it still only has a small surface area where contact with your legs occurs. Conversely, it seems that very few people are complaining thigh pain with the lap bars on Gatekeeper because it covers a larger surface area.

It would seem that there would be at least two possible solutions for Gatekeeper's vest issue - either fix the position of the vest once it leaves the station or allow the vest to remain pliable throughout the ride like it is before the ride leaves the station. It seems to make more sense to allow the vest to continue to flex through the ride so the safety people are happy (the restraint is always automatically looking for the lowest possible position as it is currently) and the riders are happy (more room if you need it by flexing it out). It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

I'm 6' 1" 145 pounds, so I have very defined collar bones. I rode 4 times on Media Day, and by the end of the fourth ride my collar bones were actually bruised. After riding on opening day, I found that if you kind of pull the vest outward, so its more so on your shoulders it is a lot more comfortable.

I have pretty defined collar bones too, and found that holding the vest portion of the restraint away from me helps to keep my collar bones more comfortable during the ride. The problem with this technique is I end up with tired out arms by the end of the ride. Lol. On top of that, I feel a little conflicted when holding the vest away because internally I feel I'm breaking a rule by creating a gap of space between myself and the restraint (I've always thought this sort of riding is a no-no).

Bakeman31092 said:

... GK takes the first inversion off the top of the lift very slowly, so as you flip over the restraints are actively holding you in (especially towards the front). That maneuver probably wouldn't be as comfortable with B&M's standard OTSRs.

I don't think that the standard B&M over the shoulder would be any less comfortable in this case. Hydra's "jo-jo roll" has been slowly inverting riders fairly comfortably for years.

^^ I too, pulled the vest outwards to my shoulders by the end of media day and it was indeed more comfortable. But I found it very hard to hold it in that position over the full length of the ride.

While I certainly notice that the restraint is tighter at the end of the ride, I've never found it to be outright uncomfortable. Maybe I'm also less sensitive to it. Ditto for Wild Eagle.

I won't pretend to be a B&M engineer or human factors expert, but I would assume that the primary point of restraint is the bar down on your lap.

I would agree with that. If everything else was gone it would still hold you in. But over the head grab bars are also included and they're far away from the riders upper body. The flexible vest was designed, I'd guess, to keep the rider's upper from flopping around during the execution of maneuvers and banging against the grab bars during things like slow rolls, as Bakeman notes. It also keeps the rider in his place and allows for seats with virtually no sides to the seat backs.

While its true that a standard B&M restraint would probably do the trick, like on Hydra, this is a next generation restraint. I'd also venture a guess that the idea behind the vest was to offer the most comfortable ride but also be accommodating to riders of varying size and heights. What I don't have to guess at is that it's kind of a fail. At least for me.

You'd think with 70+ coasters, B&M would know by now how to design a decent restraint system....

Considering their safety record, I would say that they do.

Their B&M hyper restraints are very comfortable. The inverted restraints aren't bad. Floorless, stand up, and sitting aren't good at all. Then, their flying restraints are great, and their wing rider restraints are ok. I think they've done great at restraints. They've certainly done better than Intamin, Arrow, and Vekoma.

Vekoma's new restraints aren't bad.

I will greatly hope that this fixing of the restraint does not lead to a closed Gate Keeper. I am going a week from Thursday, and I will be greatly pissed if it is closed. A million riders, and now they find something wrong with it?

I also have heard people complaining about the restraint on Maverick, and Superman at SFGAM. I have been on both coasters, and did not notice any problem at all. I think the worst possible restraint is on Mantis. There is too much hard material around your head. And, I always get a headache after riding it. So, don't ride it often. Fix that first.

And while you are at it Cedar Point. Why not skip the restraints on Gate Keeper, and do something with that full body wreckage you have in the back of the park, known as Mean Streak.

I imagine that if the restraints are changed, they could just work on one train at a time.

Or overnight.

Or Maverick.

With all seriousness, running with two trains wouldn't affect Gatekeeper's short lines very much. They are very good at loading it fast.

Also with seriousness, I'd actually enjoy Maverick if it didn't feel like I was being punched in the neck repeatedly.

^Ow Maverick!