Why aren't inversions on shuttles counted twice?

[total13]

Why are shuttle coasters listed, on RCDB for instance, with only their designed inversions counted & not the number of inversions in the ride's circuit? A Schwarzkopf shuttle loop is listed as one inversion (probably because there is one loop in the design) but you experience two inversions (one forward & one backward). Same thing goes for Boomerang/Deja Vu type coasters: they're listed as three but you do each (loop & cobra roll) forward & backward. Is it just coz there is one physical loop and/or cobra roll? If that's the case, is the same logic applied to the length of shuttle coasters too (I've never measured a coaster)? I know it's a moot point but it's something I've always wondered, especially since I am a huge fan of shuttles - even the Vekoma's . Thanks!!

[Airtime&Gravity]

Well, here you get into a complicated issue such as, do racing coasters count as two rides and the like. I think with rcdb, it's just how the database was programed. I count the inversions on a shuttle coaster twice, but there are people who don't. It's just a matter of opinion and not a law.

[coastrfreak2000]

Some people count inversions according to the number of times the track flips, not the train. So if you use that 'method' of inversion counting, the boomerangs only have 3 inversions and the shuttle loops have 1. This is why Eejaniaka's record for 'most inversions' in the Guiness Book of World Records is very controversial, because the track doesn't invert 14 times, the seats do.

[Purplepills]

From RCDB, the definition of inversion is:

 

Inversions - the physical number of inversions on a roller coaster. This will be half the number traveled on a shuttle roller coaster with inversions. To counted as an inversion the element must turn rides a full 180° upside-down.*

 

I assume Guiness must count inversions as the number of times the rider goes upside down.

 

As has been said in the other posts, it really is a matter of personal opinion. For me, I would count a Boomerang as having 3 inversions not 6, solely as its the same three parts of track ridden through twice. On the point of racing coasters, I would count that as 2 different coasters, even though they are basically cloned.

 

*Edit: They do still appear to count inclined loops such as the one on Riddler's Revenge as inversions though, even if by their definition its technically not one.

[BamBam36]

It's all opinion, but I count a boomerang coaster as having 6 inversions.

[odene497]

Whenever I read something about any of the Superman:Ultimate Flight clones it says that they have 2 inversions, when really they have one. The barrel(sp?) role shoudn't count because you're in a laying down postion, your feet aren't up and over your head, so your really not upside down.

[Purplepills]

You might not be 'upside down', but you are still inverted, since you're 180 degrees out from the standard laying on your front position.

[the sound]

It's a simalir question to why X doesn't have more than 2 inversions.

[odene497]

You might not be 'upside down', but you are still inverted, since you're 180 degrees out from the standard laying on your front position.

 

Yeah I guess it technically it is an inversion, I just usually think of it as meaning upside down.

[Calvin]

I just call an inversion as whenever my body is upside-down. Boomerangs have six inversions because I go upside-down six times.

[XII]

I call an inversion a moment when the train goes upsidedown. So I count Boomerang as 6 Inversions, but X as 2.

[shock_bus]

I would think a boomerang say has 3 loops and 6 inversions. ie the track has 3 the train travels through 6. ?? inversion is being used to describe structure and motion.