Trim Brake on Mantis

I'm probably in the minority on this, but when Mantis first opened to me it rivaled Raptor. A close second for my favorite ride in the park. My legs felt a little strained coming off, but I loved the layout. Then they added the trim, and it lost all its punch. Sigh.

In getting psyched up for my first trip to Cedar Point in 5 years (moving back to Ohio from Los Angeles), I was checking out some of the POVs on CP's website. Raptor... Mmmmmmmm good times. Mantis... Mmmmmmmm... wait, what happened to the trim brake on the first hill? Did they take it out or is that just an older video?

Try pointbuzz.com.

The trim is definitely still there. I'm not sure if its weather related like Magnum, but sometimes it is shut off.

It's an old video.

I think if you watch the other videos, you will see MS without trims as well. They were shot during each rides opening year(I believe).

I think the trims are 'speed related' based on the speed of the previous train, or from two points along the track prior to the trim. This is why it would change throughout the day or at different times within the season.

---

macho nachos said:
The trim is definitely still there.

---

Dang it.

---

Gemini said:
It's an old video.

---

Son of a !!!

Oh well. It's still a fun ride. Thanks for the input.

I havnt seen it on in my last five or six visits to CP this year and last.

I've only made 3 trips this season (early on) and the trim was off on Mantis. That doesn't mean it's always off, as I agree with SVLFever that it's speed related somehow.

I was there 3 days earlier this summer and never saw/heard the trim hit any of the passing trains. Personally, I like the ride a lot better when the trim does hit, otherwise it just hurts my legs.

If you want to have a similar experience without the trim on the first drop, try Chang at SFKK. I know it's not exactly the same, but it is the closest think to Mantis out there.

I like every ride at CP. The Tilt-a-Whirl and Merry-go-Round, to Millennium Force and Raptor, but Mantis is the only one I just don't like to ride very often. In fact I haven't been on it since 2004, six trips later and I'm still not missing it.

I think the trim brakes were added to Mantis to slow the train down, to allow three train operation. But, I also heard that it was added to cut down on G-forces. I think it's a combination of both.

I rode Mantis this first year it opened, and the coaster was much faster without the trim. But, It only seems to affect the ride slightly. The General public wouldnot notice the difference or care.

Could someone explain to me what a trim is?

I first rode it in 1999 and it was one of my favorites in the park. Now, it is just too rough and uncomfortable for my liking, although I would probably ride it more often if it were open on Friday Halloweekends nights which is primarily when I go. The trim is definitely still there and operational, but I think its installation had more to do with reducing wear and tear on the track than reducing G-forces on the rider. It is my understanding that stand-up coasters eventually get rough because of much greater wear and tear on the track than other coasters, and perhaps CP was trying to reduce this.

---

VF--New-coaster07 said:
Could someone explain to me what a trim is?

---

A brake somewhere along the course of a ride with the sole purpose of reducing the train's speed.

The trim on Mantis' first drop:

Close up and right under the front of the train

I have wondered for a while now why they had a trim on the first hill because i thought they could defenetely do without it.

Thanks gonch. Trims suck!

Enjoyed Mantis a lot last summer at the point, especially the the front and rear rows. I got several rides with the trim definitely on and several where the trim felt and sounded like it was not being used. These rides seemed a bit more intense, but not a night and day difference. The ride actually is better with a full train (as is Hulk) because the "jiggle" is not there.

Interestingly enough, I heard them grab last Friday night as I was walking by. Also interesting was that the cars from the third train were moved about and uncovered beside the transfer track.

Yeah, the trim hit my train last week, you could feel it. I didn't really like Mantis all that much. It is a fun ride and has a great layout and everything, it just beat my ears up pretty bad. I was standing on the right wing, 4th row. The worst thing about the ride though was once we got back to the brakes before the station. A girl passed out in the restraints and we were stuck on the brakes for 15 minutes. Wasn't all that bad, the ride ops. came out and told us what was up and security/medics were there in minutes.