Chang and Mantis - CoasterBuzz

I didn't ride either of them in their inaugaral season(s) but judging by the rides I have actually ridden, I would say both are aging just fine. Stand-up coasters are just flat out rough on a body in the first place (IMO) but they are indeed very much fun. I personally prefer Chang to Mantis for it's back-half ending. There was a rumor not so long ago that Chang was to be repainted as well this off-season. I drove by there the other day and she's still as purple and yellow as ever so who knows.
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God please let SFKK get something in 2002. ANYTHING!!

And speaking of smoothness, just compare Chang *or* Mantis to SFGAm's Iron Wolf and then you'll understand why I say the two newer ones are smooth by comparison :-)

Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy all 3 but wow, the Wolf boxes you around like Sugar Ray :-)
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* The Legend @ HW
* Superman: Ride of Steel @ SFNE
* Mondial Top Scan

Do we actually have people here saying a B&M hasn't aged well? I never thought I'd see the day! I can't help but smile. :)

I rode Mantis in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2000. I never understood why they added the trim on the drop. I also never understood the guys who complain about the "pain" cause by the ride. I also don't think the ride has gotten that much more rough, although I haven't been on it in a year and a half so it very well may have.

That's all I have to add...

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www.coasterimage.com

Personally I believe the trim on Mantis' first drop helps make the ride more rough than it should be. Though if you rode it like Jeff suggested a few years ago (feet flat on floor and all the way back and you lean your chest into the restraint) you get a much smoother and better ride. Because of Jeff's suggestion, I was able to ride Mantis more this year than year's past and have come to fully enjoy the coaster again.

If you ever get to experience Millennium Mania, Mantis is running like it did when it first opened since they turn the trim on the first drop off and you fly through all the elements. Just beware of the mid course before the flat spin. Go too fast and you slammed into the harness when slowing down.

I only rode Chang twice when I visited what was then Kentucky Kingdom when it first opened in 1997 and enjoyed it.

X Factor
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SFWoA: An Unofficial Guide
http://sfohio.tripod.com

*** This post was edited by X Factor on 12/30/2001. ***

Sadly, no more MM, but you still can ride it trimless at HalloWeekends. The day I went, all the rides were trimless. When Gemini doesn't have its last trim on before the helix, watch out! That thing trows you around...I had a great day. :)

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Mayday - Memorial Day Weekend - Nonpoint, Nickelback, Oleander, Staind
Ozzfest - June 8 - Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Black Sabbath
Awake Tour- June 15 - Darwin's Waiting Room, Puddle of Mudd, Deftones, Godsmack

I'm still holding out hope that there will be MM in '02. I guess I'm just the ultimate hard-head.
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God please let SFKK get something in 2002. ANYTHING!!

I don't think Mantis is rough... I actually think that it's quite smooth... but it's the design and g-forces of the ride that makes it "feel" like you've been thrown around.

I've ridden Mantis both with and without the trim on the first hill. I remember my first ride on it years ago I was quite woozy afterwords. I wasn't sure if it was me or the ride. After riding it again, I was sure it was the ride.

This summer when I was there I was surprised to see the trim on the first hill, but not shocked. I was at least more prepared when I rode it this time, but only rode it once (and that was more because they were only running two trains and the wait was kinda long). The trims seemed to help cause I wasn't as woozy when I got off.

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www.TiggerMan.com -- Men are like parking spaces... the good ones are all taken and the rest are handicapped or too far away.

I rode Mantis this year and I thought it was smooth, but then again I compared it to Iron Wolf.
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Every B&M coaster I've been on seems to have aged wonderfully.
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SDMF's everywhere, Unite!

When I rode mantis last year it was very smooth. I did hurt my head a little near the brakes before the corkscrews.
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???

I always ride Mantis several times when I go to Cedar Point I love the first dive and loop its fun, fast and very smooth ride. B&M hasnt dissapointed me yet.
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Inverted going to take flight for Valleyfair!

CoasterDude316 said:
I rode Mantis this year and I thought it was smooth, but then again I compared it to Iron Wolf.
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But compared to The Riddler's Revenge, Mantis is another Iron Wolf.

Joey Stewart said:
There was a rumor not so long ago that Chang was to be repainted as well this off-season. I drove by there the other day and she's still as purple and yellow as ever so who knows.

But Chang isn't yellow and purple anymore...it was painted green and purple after its first season. :-)
I much prefer Chang to Mantis; like I've always said, Chang is everything Mantis wants to be. It's smooth, fast, disorienting, and the extra flatspin is great. Mantis, on the other hand, is slower (due to the trim), and *much* rougher in the second half. It's not really all that bumpy, it just jerks you around a whole lot. Kinda' like Iron Wolf which, by the way, I still find fantastic.
-Nate

*** This post was edited by coasterdude318 on 1/1/2002. ***