Mantis at Cedar Point

most painful B&M I've ridden = Iron Wolf at SFGAm. I have a hard time bringing myself to wait more than 30 mins for it, even though I think it's a great ride. A little headbanging can make all the difference in riding a coaster or not (ie: Shockwave, SFGAm).

On the other hand, there are still rides I've always loved, and always will love, even though they've aged poorly (ie: Magnum)

Maybe because I'm tall, I have never had a problem with head-banging on Mantis. I love the ride and usually take several rides on it when I'm at the park. I also liked Iron Wolf when I rode it this spring.

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Keep your Arms Down, Head back, and Hold On!

Taller people definitely have less problems - all of the people I've taken on Mantis recently have been under 5'5" and they all hated it due to headbanging (part of the reason I rarely ride it anymore - no one to ride with!). I have found in the last two years that especially during Halloweekends when its cold and impacts hurt more, I notice more banging in the ending of the ride, but it really isn't that bad - I will always gauge headbanging off Steel Phantom - now that could be painful if ridden the wrong way!

And this whole "put floorless on" is pointless. You honestly think that floorless cars (which would require major capital investment due to the redesign of the station in addition to the purchase of new cars) would alleviate headbanging? Look at the elements of this ride that are geared towards standing up - the snap before the MCBR, the snap where an interlock would be and the final S curve. The entire ride beyond the incline would be torture in a floorless because you wouldn't have the fact that you're being whipped around at high speed while standing up to distract you from the fact that those quick transitions are throwing your head against the restraints.

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Formerly PittDesigner (graduating soon!)
Lifelong fan of all Impulses!
--Brett

The leg thing... Mantis messed with me one of the first times I rode, and I found that if you don't try to fight the Gs and let your legs bend, you won't have as many problems.

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Missing the Fallen:
King Cobra 1984-2001
The Bat 1981-1983

I disagree 100%. Bending your legs requires your muscles to work harder. Even on Raptor's helix you can get off with sore calves if you fight it.

Feet all the way back, knees locked, lean into the harness, let your bones support your weight. Works every time and I never have an uncomfortable ride.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED! What time does the water show start?

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rollergator said:

I'm hopeful Scorcher can hold out a little longer due to its simplified layout, but we'll see....it would have been a GREAT stnd-up to clone

I think the simplified, but still interesting (and intense in a couple places), layout is what makes Scorcher such a great ride, as well.

It's *so* much more fun to be able to enjoy the ride, and not have to fight through it.

Easily the best stand-up I've been on.

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I know that being a girl I have an option some might not, but whenever I ride a standing coaster I tend to make sure it locks up pretty high and then I just sort of ride it like it is a saddle. That way I don't hurt my legs.

Try it boys...you might like it...

Just stand normally. That's all you have to do.

Anyway, I think Mantis is pretty smooth. My home park, Great America, is home to Iron Wolf, but I like Iron Wolf too.

Spooooky......

I actually really liked Mantis. I didn't find any headbanging hardly and somewhere in the finish I got a pop of airtime which was great on a standup. The one thing I didn't like at all about Mantis is the fact they won't let you squat, because on Georgia Scorcher I was close to sitting and found a very comfortab;le ride and while Mantis didn't hurt me it was quite uncomfortable going up the lift hill.

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Top 3: 1. Top Thrill Dragster 2. Millennium Force 3. Magnum XL200

I've never had trouble with Mantis. On my last trip to Cedar Point in 2002 I was expecting a horrible ride, but I found that it is still as smooth and intense as ever. Yes, there is some headbanging, but nothing that would keep me from riding. It just reminds you that you are on a coaster, which apparently is a problem on some B&M's. Like Jeff said, as long as you ride it like you are supposed to ride it, Mantis shouldn't be a problem.

Has anyone noticed a difference in the ride now that it has been re-painted?

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Intelligence is a God given gift: Know how to use it.

I rode Mantis for the first time a couple days ago and though I didn't find it rough, my legs hurt for the rest of the day after I got off the ride. I think the only reason Mantis may be rough for some people is due to the finale of tight turns that whips your head from one side to the other very quickly. In my experience with B&M stand-ups I found that they have aged pretty well. I personally think that Mantis has one of the best finales of any Beemer, but it was hard for me to enjoy because my legs felt as though they were being squeezed during the whole ride.

None of you all can talk about Mantis being a rough standup. The world's roughest four-across stand up is B:TE. at SFAW. That by far is the worst. I just rode Mantis about a year ago, and Im telling you that that ride is as smooth as glass compared to Batman.

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On the seventh day, God created coasters!

While nothing was as bad as the steel phantom in the head banging regard, Mantis definatley competes. Quite painful.

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The Millenium Force ride Ops: Squishing you where it counts since 2000.
Track Record: 62 coasters at 17 parks.

I think that an overhaul of the OTSR's needs to happen. There has to be a better way of supporting the upper torsoe than OTSR's. That is my only complaint. Other than that I think Mantis is very intense and has a killer ending!
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Blue People fly sideways when it rains...

I meant to let gravity push you as it would, Jeff. Not to actively bend. But, to steal a catchphrase from one of the worst instructors I've ever had, "We can agree to disagree." There shouldn't be much bending anyway, if you are standing correctly.

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Missing the Fallen:
King Cobra 1984-2001
The Bat 1981-1983

Ahhhh. The Mantis debate. Is it rough? Isn't it rough? There are almost as many opinions as people.I personally think it is rough at times, and a lot of that depends on how you ride it.

I have pretty much gotten to the point where I can ride it mostly pain free, because of the way I stand and hold my head. The only part I find rough still is that last twist just before the on-ride picture.

However, just from people I know and go to CP with, there are many different opinions on it. My wife won't ride it anymore, but my brother thinks it's great. Just my last trip, three of us guys wanted to ride it, and the one girl with us wanted no part of it (even though she ended up riding it with us). For one of my friends, it was his favorite ride there, and he was pretty tall.

The strange thing is, most of the girls I know don't like the ride, and most of the guys do. You'd think it would be the other way around, given the seat situation. ;) It's just one of those debated things I guess.

It's funny the idea about the Floorless trains being put on came up, as I was just talking about that last time I was there and we were talking about the "roughness" of the ride. I think it would be a great ride with the Floorless trains, and there would probably be less roughness. However, if CP was to get a Floorless, I would like for it to have more than 4 inversions, as that's less then I think all of the current Floorless models have. That'd be my one beef with that idea, even if it was possible to do. I'm not sure if it would be or not.

At any rate, that's just my take and observations on the whole Mantis debate. Take care and God bless!

I hadn't been to Cedar Point in *ages* until August of last year. For the first few trips, I avoided Mantis like the plague since "everyone" said it sucked. Then I finally rode it, in GTTP-approved fashion. Heels all the way back, leaning forward. Grinnin-n-bearin.

Two words: loved it.

Great intensity, fun layout, keeps you entertained from start to finish. Last time I listen to "everyone" when they tell me a ride sucks. Except for Mean Streak. They're right about that one--not so much that it's rough, but it's boring.

FWIW: I think Superman Krypton Coaster at SFFT has exactly four inversions: loop, funky-corkscrew-loop-thingy, and two interlocked screws, unless I'm forgetting one.

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http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~bnoble/

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coasterdude318 said:
Iron Wolf is fantastic. I have *never* had to brace for anything on that ride, and there are only *two* spots where I hit my head (and that was only slightly). I just don't understand complaints about that ride. At all. Perhaps people have just gotten too used to the forceless, floaty, fluffy B&M rides we've been seeing since 1999.

-Nate

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This has to be quoted. :)

I haven't met a B&M ride that I could honestly say gave me a painful ride. There hasn't been such a thing. People attack Vortex, Wolf, and Mantis constantly, and without reason. Can't take a little force?

And I do have to add- Front row rides on a B&M standup are nothing short of amazing, I find it hard to believe that this is overlooked by just about every enthusiast. I've never smiled as much on a coaster than on closing day at Great America last November, when I got a few re-rides on Wolf, on an empty train. I'm really looking forward to Last Blast again.

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

Krypton coaster has 6 inversions loop, zero g, cobra roll (2 inversions), interlocking corkscrews (2). That makes six I do however think there is one floorless that has four inversions its smaller than B:DK I read it in one of the ACE magazines. I think they should keep it a stand-up, because the majority of the ride is made intense because of it being a stand-up.

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Top 3: 1. Top Thrill Dragster 2. Millennium Force 3. Magnum XL200

Force is one thing BullGuy, a bleeding ear which I did experience on Wolf and no I don't have an earring is another.

Out of 162 coasters Wolf comes in second to last, surpassed only by Viper at GADV. I ride Wolf everytime I go to GAM because i say to myself "It can't be that bad."

No other stand up has ever given me problems, Vortex, Mantis, Chang, etc, yet Wolf just pummels me to death.
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If given the choice I'd choose a hamburger over a hotdog anyday of the week.