Why do Wooden Coasters generally run rougher?

The misses and I go to Knotts several times a year. The last time we rode Ghostrider was during 2010 Haunt. It about killed us. We swore off of it then and haven't been back on it since. It has CCI itis and I don't think that anything short of taking it down and starting over can fix it. As long as the GP keep riding it it's not going to change much tho.

Huh...shame. Always wanted a ride on that.

GhostRider was great last time I rode it... in 2002. A top 10 woody by far. However so was Villain in its heyday and we all know how that ended. CCI coasters ruled the early 2000's but aside from Raven and Legend I can't think of any that are still running like they did in their prime.
Speaking of CCI's how is Boulder Dash running? I have not been on it since 2005 and it was amazing at the time.

^Even better on my last rides in 2010.

But, Boulderdash received a re-track and some re-profiling by GCI. I think that's what brought it to the state it's in now.

Boulderdash was amazing.

I havn't been here for a couple of weeks, but as far as this discussion, wouldn't the wheels on the trains become out of round? just curioous. I know not to sit over a wheel seat, but I rode Hoosier Hurricane at Hawg Wild last Saturday and it was bad. Shuffled under the bridge and hammered it's way to the helix. I love wood coasters, but some of them seem to be just going to the dogs lately.

Maybe a good deal of it has to do with actual design. It feels like in the 90s parks were going for taller, faster, and steeper everything. Some endured, while others were these monstrous wooden heaps that were just too much trouble in the long run. I think on the steel and wooden side of things, folks are realizing that it doesn't need to be the tallest, fastest, and steepest to be the best. More work has gone into rider experience even before the first concrete footers are poured.

Now that's not to say that wooden roller coasters won't be rough going forward. A lot of enthusiasts will argue that the "out of control" feeling is the main appeal of woodies. But I think the days of getting off a woodie and having bruises are over.

I feel that one of the charms of wooden coasters is that out of control and rough feeling. It may be that it's created on purpose.

Tekwardo said:

Hurricane Category 5

My world was a better place before this thread reminded me of that coaster, even with the knowledge that this ride hasn't hurt anyone in 6 years now. It was fitting that the G-trains on SOB came from this one.

Watch this POV from 1:15 onward. The sights and sounds from that moment on are what I would imagine crash landing a plane is like.

I never thought Hurricane was as bad as it was made out to be. It wasn't good but it wasn't terrible when I rode it. Even on its last day.

There's definitely an ideal size for wood coasters. Despite all the advances in amusement ride technology, there's really not much you can do with wood coasters. It's still steel wheels on steel track covering layered wood, and gravity remains a constant. The wood coasters that remain good on a yearly basis are the ones that aren't very demanding, and at parks that understand that's still no excuse not to maintain them.

Rolling Thunder has the potential to be a good ride, but even back in the day, it was no thriller. One look at it and you'll see it comes from the same side of the Bill Cobb tree that gave us out-and-backs like Judge Roy Scream and the Circus World/Magic Springs ride. Lots of long, rampy hills and a turnaround wide enough that it probably wouldn't fit inside Waldameer. If Great Adventure kept the thing maintained, it would be a nice ride to counter El Toro's intensity.