The Big "Bad" Wooden Coaster Club

It isn't big, but it sure is BAD... the Williamsgrove Cyclone.

Only a small out and back, it is one of the roughest coasters I have ever encountered... even rougher than Hercules. Bench seats and single position lap bars... it will really rearange your internal organs. (and if you are a guy... well.. hmmm... let's just say you will be able to hit those high notes on the national anthem reeeeeaaal good after riding that termite trap).

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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."

Mean streak is great if you dont take front seat....that seat beats the hell out of you. it has great airtime and is an awesome coaster. my mom got whiplash on it the first year it came out, and she went on it again last year and didnt feel much, so it has been tamed with the trims (sometimes theyre a good thing i guess)

Blue Streak at Cedar Point, also great, lots of airtime, all around great coaster. not at all rough, awesome ride.

Comet at Hersheypark, same story as blue streak, not at all rough, lots of airtime.

A few words on SFMM's Colossus: its not designed to be a coaster that is fast throughout its course. It has and will always be a coaster that is fast on the drops and slow on the flat turns. They're slow to build anticipation for the drops that follow. Sure, the slow chain speed and the Morgan trains don't help much but even when it ran the heavier PTC and IAD trains they were always slow on the turns. Colossus still has great moments of airtime on the first and second drops and on the drop off the second turn. It will never be a Legend or a Boss or a Ghostrider but judged on its own merits I think its a good, fun coaster.

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2002 - the year of IB's LoCoSuMo!!

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TrBiggar said:
As of this year, you can take American Eagle off the list. In recent years past, it has steadily been getting better, and this year, blue side has become better than Viper (I think, I only got one ride on each last time I was there.)

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When did American Eagle get more airtime than Viper?

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I agree, but now the question is how will Blue run with the train in its normal position?

About Mean Streak. People are overreacting about this one. It's not as bad as people make it out to be.

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Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society-Chicago Chapter

*** This post was edited by Ozzyhead on 5/14/2002. ***

Anyone NOT think Hercules is a purely evil coaster? I really do like the looks of the coaster and I wish it was much much better than it was in both ride and smoothness. I really hope it isn't beyond help like rollergator says. Has it even been a good coaster?

Dorney themselves must know this is a pretty bad ride. The queue line can barely fit 100 people in it by the looks. It's just a staircase pretty much. Ever a long line?

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Danny

*** This post was edited by Koaster King on 5/14/2002. ***

I will add that i like hercules, i always am the one to defend it. its rough, yes, weve all come to that same fair conclusion. however, if u like it rough, you cant lie and say the first 157 ft drop and fan turn over the lake isnt incredible, i think its great. time hasnt aged herc well. when it first opened,,,,,,,,well, you all know the story. its been stated many times before referring to all summers/dinns rides. hercules actually put dorney on the map holding the record for longest drop on a wooden coaster anywhere. as of today, the ride lost some touches ,just the second half of the ride. after the two trims were added and the second hill height reduced, it affected the coasters performance. The coaster was designed as a speed coaster. its as simple as that. just as mean streak. the path follows a large drop and small hills and turnarounds thereafter. when you trim the ride to death, you are defeating the coasters main design concept. and also to add to your queue line part,,,,,,,that is not the queue line that you are referring to. that is the end of the queue line where a wooden staircase leads to the platform. there is a maze of queue line following the stairs. and also yes the queue still gets filled on busy days. go figure,,,,,,,,,,, I havent seen the queue for that ride completely filled since the first few years it opened. lines used to be huge. I think people are still riding herc because the ride looks so imposing. all you see is this huge wooden structure to the left side of the park. the hill looks humungous. i think most people are let down after they ride it. i still like it, just for that 1st drop.

*** This post was edited by DorneyDante on 6/16/2002. ***

I still love to ride Collosus. But there pretty much never race it any more and that kills part of the experience. I would just kill to ride it with the double down and no brakes. Oh well. As for Pysclone the first ride I had was ok. The layout is great, and though I do like rough woodies, this just hur too much. No I just skip it. I think it's still great to look at, like CP's regulars think of Mean Streak.

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"Excitement, Adventure. A Jedi Craves Not These Things."

Ahh, Raging Wolf Bobs. A coaster that beats the crap out of you. I love it. good headchoppers, fun turns (hell with the single lapbar I'm almost afraid to lean on the last turn it's so over banked and close to supports). Always short lines, front and back seats both have completely different attitudes. I love the Bobs. I think everyone who bashes it is just spoiled by it's neighbors Batman and Villain.

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Off with the trims!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
Woodencoaster.com

Sonny is only rough because of the speed and height. Its fine my legs fit perfect in there and they bang around a bit but its not really a problem for me.

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Can we change the name of Top Gun to your mom so no one wants to ride your mom?

The only problem Ive ever had on Pysclone was the sides of the cars. The ride itself is a pretty good ride but the way the cars are designed for some reason on one side I end up thrown into it. Colossus is actually pretty sweet at night. Its not the best but I do enjoy riding it, its not really a rough woodie. Grizzly holds a special place in my heart, well more like my hand years ago a friend of mine freaked out when we got stuck on the lift and left a lovly scar on my hand that is there to this day. My only real complaint with Grizzly is that half the time its down. I enjoy the ride for the most part.

Anyone ever ridden the Giant Dipper at Mission Beach San Diego?

Koaster King, Herc was an awsome ride it's first few years. It would fly around the track (those trims probably added an extra 30 seconds to the ride). When Herc makes it final turn before the station you can feel the cars trying to tip off the track because the banking is much greater than what it need to be for it's speed now. I used to love Hercules back in the early 90's.

I think alot to do with Herc are the trains. The hard rubber back rests pound your back. When your in the station look at the cars when they do the turnaround and are going past the station. They look as if they hop along the track as if the wheels have flat spots or somthing.

I did find one way to combat the back pounding though, lean forward away from the back rest.

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Knoebels visits in 2002. 4

Mean Streak at Cedar Point. The ride is incredibly rough and there is a trimb brake on the drop. Enough said...

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Adam Black | adam@mouseinfo.com
www.americacoasters.com | www.mouseinfo.com

I just dont think there is a good big woodie. I have been on Sonny, Mean Streak, and Hercules. Knowing that Mean Streak use to be wild back in the day. That gives me a little hope for when I get on Texas Giant next year. Every coaster has their fans, at least some people can get joy out of these, and I am happy that some people do.

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Holiday World, it's impossible not to have a good time

On SOB the only time its rough is when I ride alone.

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There seems to be some confusion about Me. I am not a 17 year old male. I am a 21 year old male. Steve Wilkerson.
GAAP opens june 6th! err now its the 7th. ^_^
Visit this classic park!

HEY! Wildcat isnt painful! Its such a great ride, and although it is rough, it doesnt take away from the ride. The roughness is actually the good kind if you ask me.. I hope they dont put Millennium Flyers on it, it would just make it too smooth.

Rolling Thunder can actually give a pretty good ride in the first 2 cars on each side. Its pretty smooth and gives some airtime, but definately not a top 10 ride.

When I went to PKI, SOB was very smooth on its big drop and loop. The rest was rough, but those parts made the ride worth it.

Mean Streak is great to look at.

Psyclone can be brutal, it is the ONLY wooden that I will not ride with my arms raised. That should tell you something. I ride it every so often, and there is good ejector air on the first drop, and sometimes air on one or two of the camelbacks. I like the trains because they are roomy and only have a lapbar. Much like Mean Streak, this coaster used to be much better, I remember 90 minute waits for this the first few years of its operation.

Rattler has a fabulous beginning and a good ending. The triple helix (which looks like it should kick serious butt) is just pain and agony. All in all I give Rattler a thumbs up, but not by much.

Mean Streak, in order to keep my reviews on the positave side, I will abstain from comment on MS.

About Wildcat, I agree with Blitzjade, Wildcat rocks. I rode front seat and it was not rough in the least bit, and very enjoyable.

B&M_Lover: if you are impressed with the airtime on Comet & Blue Streak, you really need to ride Phoenix. Just a suggestion, because Phoenix will teach you what airtime is.

L. Chris Allen: Texas Giant is NOT (IMO) anything like Mean Streak. They may share designers and roughness, but The Giant FLYS through its course. At least it did on the days I was at SFOT. Awesome!

Fate: Belmont Giant Dipper is really good. I think it would be much higher rated if it were in a larger park. It may not be a "top 10" but it is far from the bottom.

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Nothing... NOTHING... can prepare you for... the Fourth Dimension!

Psyclone isn't rough anymore, it's just plain sweet. Yeah that first turn after the drop might be a little brutal, but that's what makes it fun, slammin into the person sitting next to you.

The only really "bad" one my list is Rolling Thunder.

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LONG LIVE ARROW DYNAMICS!!

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L. Kris Allen said:
I just dont think there is a good big woodie. I have been on Sonny, Mean Streak, and Hercules. Knowing that Mean Streak use to be wild back in the day. That gives me a little hope for when I get on Texas Giant next year. Every coaster has their fans, at least some people can get joy out of these, and I am happy that some people do.

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Holiday World, it's impossible not to have a good time

If you want a good big woodie then try Regina and White Cyclone. Those two rides are garunteed to top out your list.

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Blitzjade said:

HEY! Wildcat isnt painful! Its such a great ride, and although it is rough, it doesnt take away from the ride. The roughness is actually the good kind if you ask me.. I hope they dont put Millennium Flyers on it, it would just make it too smooth.

Rolling Thunder can actually give a pretty good ride in the first 2 cars on each side. Its pretty smooth and gives some airtime, but definately not a top 10 ride.

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Millenium flyers wont make it too smooth, even Roar has roughness with Millenium Flyers, but grant it that Millenium Flyers will make the ride twice as good.

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

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Ride Mean Streak FIRST THING in the morning. I was lucky (once) and got first ride one day. That thing is smooth then! Wolverine Wildcat (not mentioned) WAS another one of the "Big Bad Wooden Coaster Club", although some don't count it as a good coaster. It was very "shaky" durring the past few years. It has become noticably smoother though....

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Who can go a whole day at MiA riding Timbers ONCE? Repeat after me: "I hate parent chaperones"