Elements in a coaster

a dual question... how would you rank the importance of each element in a coaster, ie first drop trains, inversions and airtime

and how many inversions are too many? I cant get enough as long as they are intelligently spaced and are not repetitive, like looplooploopcorkscrewcorkscrew

as for those elements, i think that you have to have those trains workin, and the airtime and laterals got to be there too

It really depends on the coaster, I guess. My personal fave is airtime, but the other three are all important. Trains don't matter quite as much to me, I'll live with whatever train the coaster has if it's a good ride.

Right on with the inversions. If they are nicely spaced and creatively placed, there isn't really a maximum number.

Some other important elements are pacing and intensity, which kind of go together. A ride has to have good speed throughout, not a lot of dead track. As for intensity, I mean sort of the same thing, no dead track, no "letting up"

That's my take
-ED

Corkscrews are my favorite element. IF there was ever a coaster with loads of air time and smooth corkscrews I'd ride it all day long.

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Randy Hutchinson
You build it, I'll ride it

Corkscrews are public enemy number 1 for me! My favorite inversions are B+M Heartline rolls, and i also like Immlemans.
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Parks for 2000: CP, Great Escape, Great Adventure, SFA, Islands of Adventure, Kennywood

I think that the corkscrew is the roughest inversion out there. It isnt smooth and gradual like ur cobra rolls and boomerangs.

Anyway, i think the thunderbolt at kennywood has the best layout because there is no "dead" track. There are drops, twists, and turns from begining to end, it never lets up. Thats why i beileve it has held top honors for over 30 yrs.

And out of all the aroow loopers ive ridden the steel phantom seems the best. You have good transitions, except for the "dead" curved track between the boomerang and corkscrew, kennywood should have put a tunnel there or something. OH well, RIP steel phantom. Lets just hope that the phantoms revenge lives up to all the fame and glory that the steel phantom had all these years.

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Steel Phantom: A Decade of Thrills. (1991-2000)

Its funny, I always thought of the loop as being the rougher inversion in comparison to the corkscrew. Please also take into account that the only B&M I've been on is Batman: TR @ SFStL (BTW I loved it.) so i've never been on all those new confangled inversions ;)

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Randy Hutchinson
You build it, I'll ride it

I always liked the Cobra Roll on Raptor and Dive Loop on Mantis, they are both really cool inversions. But my favorite overall element has got to be the drop on a Hyper/Giga.

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Only A Few More Weeks To Go Full Force. At The One and Only Cedar Point.

I think restraints are BY FAR the most important part of a coaster. There is nothing worse than when the restraints on the Magnum decide to really hurt your legs, ot when the restraints on the Racer, Beast, AND Son of Beast decide to go down an extra notch at the bottom of the first hill and prevent you from any airtime or comfort(it happened to me twice, only once on the Son). Look at the Outer Limits rides, they are a little rough, but mostly because of their nasty head-swallowing harnesses. Then oyu can look at Intamin or B&M hyper lap bars, very nice and comfortable on the legs. I personally don't like any OTSR mainly because I haven't seen any that don't swallow my head and allow for comfortable airtime, Arrow's don't swallow your head, but hurt with Airtime. i like S&S's, but those are only for vertical movement. Well, anyways, I thin that this is most important to a coaster's ride.

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Coasters- a little slice of heaven

The first drop is important, but it is hard for a coaster to not have a good first drop. On some coasters, that is the only good part. So, I would say pacing is the most important aspect. Coasters should be fast and furious, all the way through, I hate "dead turnarounds" (Colossus & Psyclone @ SFMM) and large amounts of track where nothing happens.

How many is too many inversions? After 5, I start to feel "loopy." The 7 inversion B&M's are forgivable because they usually mix up the elements pretty well, and they are smooth. I am not interested in the "number-of-inversions" record being broken. At least not at a park near me.

Airtime is important too. All coasters should have at least one good out of your seat experience. I don't think that is asking for too much.

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Gotta ride 'em all!