SFoG Goliath Construction Update

It's really interesting to see the different tastes that people have for coasters.
Some people like it glass smooth, floaty and forceless (B&M non-inverted) some people like it forceful but smooth (Intamin hypers) and some seem to like it rough and tough an appreciate a little nudge here and there (Magnum)
The next step down the line would be the die hard coaster bruise fanatics that can't get enough of New York, New York in Las Vegas.

I must admit that I have never been even close to Nitro, but judging from the videos and images I have seen of this coaster I think it could easily rank as Nr 2 or 3 on my favourite coasters list.

I wish I have had a chance to even get to ride Nitro so that I can comment on this. Sadly I can't, although it's still high on my wish list.

Mainly I wanted to chime in to tell Gonch that it's Nytol that help you get your Zzzz's, not Nyquil. ;)

Interesting enough, I did not expect to like Nitro because I am not a fan of Beemer hypers generally. But Nitro is something quite special in my book. It's smooth, and it's not as forceful negative g-wise as the Superman rides, but it's anything but forceless to me. For me forceless is Goliath/Titan minus the helices. But Nitro has wonderful floater air imo. And I do agree with with Gonchar That it is a new generation Magnum, minus the pain indusing trains. And it's all the better for it.

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rollergator said:
^ My feelings exactly...

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Say it ain't so Gator, say it ain't so. I can stand Gonchar and his shenanigans. But he also likes Steel Force and thinks Dorney has trees...so you can make inferences from that :)

Anyhow, since X has aged horribly, Nitro is my #1 again. Yeah superman is good...hooray...woot...yay! But there are two things that I can't get enough of; the third hill, and that helix.

*** Edited 2/5/2006 7:55:43 PM UTC by Antuan***

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Incidentalist said:
Mainly I wanted to chime in to tell Gonch that it's Nytol that help you get your Zzzz's, not Nyquil.

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Aww, crap! You're right. Nyquil, Nytol, Nitro - it;'s all the same. :)

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Superman said:
The next step down the line would be the die hard coaster bruise fanatics that can't get enough of New York, New York in Las Vegas.

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Find my steel poll ballot for Mitch's poll then find Manhattan Express. You'll be sickened. ;)

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Antuan said:
I can stand Gonchar and his shenanigans. But he also likes Steel Force and thinks Dorney has trees...

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SF is a perfect example of the difference. It is essentialy forceless in the same way as Nitro, but it is not that silly glass-smooth. It's floater air you can feel. I'd take 1 ride on SF over 5 on Nitro.

..and Dorney has plenty of trees. :)

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While I am not a Nitro fan per se, It may have just been bad timing. The first week-long multi-park trip I ever took was in 2002. We started at SFNE. S:ROS delivered. Day two was LC and Boulder Dash lived up to the hype. Day three saw the Coney Cyclone kicking ass and leaving us wanting more. Day four was Morey's and the piers, beach atmosphere and stacked up rides were everything I expected. Day 5 was my first trip to SFGAdv - Nitro was the big dog at the park and at the time the only coaster I anticipated as much as S:ROS. Would it deliver like the rest? Sadly, it was nothing like I expected. On paper I expected a bigger, faster Magnum or Steel Force. Nitro is not that. For many that's a good thing, for others it is not. Then again, riding it for the first time just 4 days after riding S:ROS for the first time...

...well, Nitro never had a chance.

Perhaps Nitro is just a victim of circumstance in ol' Gonch's eyes, but it's a history that cannot be changed. No matter how many times I ride it, I still get off of the ride thinking it could be so much more.

Of the 3 B&M hypers I've ridden (Nitro, AC, RB) it sits slightly below the others, but none of the three are anything to write home about in my eyes.

I think Nitro is one of the most overrated coasters out there. Acutally, the only ride I can think of that is more overrated is Millennium Force, in my opinion. I don't even think Nitro is the best B&M at SFGAdv. Compared to other B&M hypers, I feel that Apollo's Chariot is a much better ride. Maybe I'm just weird though, since Magnum is my #1 steel coaster!

yeah, you are weird ;)

Funny is all of those opinions and his sig are completely normal. :)

The more pictures I see of this ride, the more excited for it I am, and the more I think it fits its name. The way the first hill is up on that hill just makes it seem huge.

Can't wait for April.

I will say in Steel Force's defense that it wasn't QUITE as bad as I had previously remembered. The last visit, day after PPP, showed me that Steel Force does indeed have *some* force...it hits the tops of the hills with acceptable speed, then throws you up and out, until you hit lapbars or seats, all designed for the comfort of... who, again?

Same problem as the Arrows, trains weren't designed with riders in mind... ;)

It was by some magic of *Kenmistry* that the trains on PRev turned out SOOOO good.

Intamin has the trains, so does Giovanola...well, did. But Intamins has negative-g POWER unlike anything found on the Gios...and trains designed to maximize the FEEL of those forces, next best thing to Anton himself.

B&Ms hypers are family rides...not that there's anything WRONG with that.. ;) ;)

That super-smoothness...I think that SMOOTH ride is not ONLY the engineering, but the tightness with which the trains are controlled (the *exact opposite* of Arrows which allowed the train to SMACK the rails). I think they're be a LOT more thrill available even with the current design/layout, if they were *relaxed* to allow more "throw"...of course, the easier solution in terms of giving a somewhat more intense ride would be to set the trims a little looser...

:)

*** Edited 2/6/2006 6:43:00 AM UTC by rollergator***

I haven't shared an update with y'all recently, so I'll try to catch up.

http://sfog.parktrips.com/

The latest updates:

Feb. 18 - Today - Work has progressed through the second bunny hop. Only one bunny hop and the turn back into the station remains. The first photo on page 2 is pretty cool, you can see five of Goliath's hills in one shot. The large photo of the bottom of pg. 2, which is almost a dead-on shot of the bunny run, is faily cool too, considering the crappy skies.

Feb. 9 - The hill after the helix is shown completed, and work has been done up through the overbanked turn. I did not take these photos, a friend did.

- Joe

I thought Nitro was a stellar ride after I conquered it last year and consider it better than Apollo's Chariot but I still think Raging Bull is the best of the three B&M's by only the slightest of margins.

Since Steel Force was mentioned I guess I'm in the minority since I actually enjoyed it and that it went beyond my expectations. The mid-course sort of killed the momentum after the helix but I still got some pops of air depending on where I sat on the final stretch of bunny hops.

X Factor

Man that's looking GOOD. The sad thing is that Goliath will probably push Mind Bender out of my top 10 steel.

^ Blasphemy! ;)

Shockwave and Mindbender, I can see where others may come and impress...but for me those two are the very *definition* of Anton love...

Nonetheless, I'll be at Spring Fling...Goliath looks sweetly reminiscent of the airtime hills on Apollo...maybe we can even get the brakes turned WAY down... ;)

It almost looks like, it will be finished for Opening day. :-O Shocker.

I believe that the park is scheduled to complete steel erection near the end of February. Testing and state approval should happen during March and it should be ready for riders on April 1! Finally.... now we can go ride the thing already!

~josh

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Jophish said:
http://sfog.parktrips.com/

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Thanks for those pics!
What I find interesting is the dent that seems to be in the first drop after that diagonal support that is attached to it.
The drop seems to be designed to start rather flat, then enter a parabola-shaped section, but after that support, the track seems to drag downward even more which will probably result in an out-of-your-seat moment.

I have never seen this done on B&M coasters before - but maybe I should look at pics from other B&M hyper drops to verify.

Yeah rollergator come to think of it that was blasphemy! How dare me. Well we shall see in a few months.

I'm with Gator. Spring Fling will be my first visit to SFOG, after 15 years of being on my to-do list, and although I am excited for Goliath, I am more excited about finally getting to ride Mindbender and Georgia Cyclone, despite recent reviews. :)

http://sfog.parktrips.com/getupdates.cfm?m=2

Got some pictures of the completed GOLIATH :)

Glad to see construction complete for this coaster! I have a question about B&M first drops that I've been wondering about for a while........... Why do Raging bull have that retarded dip before the drop and Nitro and the new Goliaths have normal drops?