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I don't "get" standups


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Those of you paying attention probably remember me starting a thread a couple weeks ago about me not 'getting' TTD and Kingda Ka and why their layout is so short. You all did a great job explaining this to me and I now fully understand why they were designed the way they are.

 

So now, the next task for you fine folks is to explain to me the appeal of stand up coasters. I'll admit that Mantis is the only one I've ever ridden. It was by far the most painful amusement park experience I've ever had and about as much fun as going to the dentist. Both the head banging and leg pain were torture. Maybe other stand ups aren't this bad. Thinking about Mantis got me thinking, whoever thought that riding a roller coaster while standing up would be a good idea? Seems like a silly gimmick to me. I can understand the appeal of just about every other style of roller coaster I've ever seen, but riding a coaster standing up? The only word that pops into my head is "Why?" Just because it's a different experience?

 

Once again, I also want to comment on how much I love this site. So much information and the discussion here is great. Keep up the great work.

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^ I agree with all this... but... I'd rather have another Stand Up than a Wingrider.

 

At least the Standups (both B&M and the Intamin ones) had forces, interesting layouts, etc. I mean, Georgia Scorcher, Riddler's Revenge, Chang/Green Lantern, and yes, even Mantis, were all GREAT rides when they came out.

 

I would have much rather seen a Georgia Scorcher clone instead of X-Flight, Wild Eagle, or X-Raptor.

 

But that's just me...

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The age of the stand up coaster is long gone. It was only created as a gimmick. Plain and simple. When you show a coaster to an average person of the GP, then explain how you ride it standing up, they instantly think it's ten times cooler.

 

Yup. When I was a little kid, I couldn't wait to be tall enough to ride Iron Wolf. "Ermagerd you ride that standing up?!?!" I shouted (probably). Only got a handful of rides on it, it was fun when I was a kid but as I got older I couldn't do it anymore. I got my Riddler, Mantis, Shockwave, and Vortex (Carowinds) credits just for the sake of getting the credit. I hate standups. I can't take the pain in my feet. The GP still love them though. Especially to people who haven't ridden them yet, they're just "SOOO cool".

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I've ridden a few stand ups and luckily, I didn't have to wait long for any of them (Most were done w/ TPR, ERT baby!) so I thought they were quite fun. Great layouts, forces... some to the point where my legs actually hurt! But I can definitely see, if you waited say... an hour for Mantis, then my opinion could change a bit. Standing up on a ride, after standing in line for an hour or more, would suck!

 

You could *almost* say the same with Floorless coasters, they're almost never built, because it's just another gimmick. Wing-rider, flying... they'll all fade away sooner or later.

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I hate standup coasters, never thought they were enjoyable in the least. but from a GP standpoint the idea of standing up on a roller coasters is pretty cool. I remember when they announced Green Lantern at SFGAdv My friends marveled at the idea of a stand up coaster. its a neat gimmick but I cant stand the rides they manage to give me the worst pains in my legs.

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I have only ridden Green Lantern and like the coaster. The first few times I rode the coaster it really hurt my legs but after I got used to the ride it hasn't been a problem and it's a weird feeling to be standing and riding a coaster. Maybe it's because it is the newest coaster at the park but Green Lantern is very popular at Great Adventure and can have one of the longer waits in the park (they usually have 4 people checking restraints so dispatches aren't too bad).

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I can understand the appeal of just about every other style of roller coaster I've ever seen, but riding a coaster standing up? The only word that pops into my head is "Why?" Just because it's a different experience?

 

The fact that there are so few should tell you the appeal is not huge.

With that said I'm still a big fan of Riddler's Revenge and Georgia Scorcher (and even Green Lantern on occasion).

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^I think the fact there is so few has more to do with how fast the industry evolved more so than their popularity. TOGO introduced the first stand up trains in 1982 and B&M built Georgia Scorcher in 1999. That's a pretty good run for a roller coaster concept. But preferences shifted from gimmicks (floorless, stand up, inversions) to taller, faster, and steeper, to the concept just faded away.

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Stand-ups were pretty much created during the 80's when gimmicky rides were what parks needed to draw attention. It was the age of the mega multi-looper, suspended coaster, Ultra Twister and Space Diver. If we didn't have the stand up coaster now it would have eventually been created.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the stand-up but I would take a stand up coaster over a flyer anyday. My favorite is Georgia Scorcher and I'd like to see more rides like it if more are built.

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the big question is this: should B&M and Intamin standups get sit down trains?

 

I believe it's been said, it isn't as easy as just new trains. The physics are completely different. I think I read that the tolerances for stand ups and Floorless roller coasters are very similar. I may be wrong.

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At least the Standups (both B&M and the Intamin ones) had forces, interesting layouts, etc. I mean, Georgia Scorcher, Riddler's Revenge, Chang/Green Lantern, and yes, even Mantis, were all GREAT rides when they came out.

 

I would have much rather seen a Georgia Scorcher clone instead of X-Flight, Wild Eagle, or X-Raptor.

 

But that's just me...

Definitely agree. They might not be the most comfortable coaster experience but all the ones I've been to (they were all B&Ms) felt forceful, with cool layouts and, really, parks market wing riders as providing totally different ride experiences when, in reality, the ones made by B&M feel no different from floorless models except for the small fact that they are pretty boring and never feature intense and forceful layouts like the latter. You do get different views and possibilities of nice head/foot chopper elements but if you close your eyes you could be forgiven to think you were riding a forceless and slow-paced floorless.

On the other hand, stand ups DO provide a different ride experience that, in my experience, has only been affected by the fact that they were all fairly rough. Honestly, if B&M could come up with smooth ones (and, in this particular case, I think using the new vest restraints would help) I would actually like to see some getting built as they truly provide a different type of ride.

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I agree with what everyone else is saying and that they are only a gimmick. Honestly, I've always thought the idea of stand up coasters were pretty cool, until I had the chance to ride one. The first one I rode was Green Lantern at SFGAdv and man did I dislike it. A few months later I rode Mantis and Riddlers Revenge and while i thought they were a little better, I still wasn't a huge fan of them.

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I went on my first stand up this year and thought it was okay. It was Green Lantern at SFGA and thought that it had to much force on my ankles. The inversions were neat though and I loved the drop and giant loop! I feel that they have potential but they need tweaking. Maybe a stand up hyper coaster would be fun with huge airtime hills and a loop or two but no crazy twists or corcscrews.

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I've been on all the standup coasters in North America except Apocalypse and Georgia Scorcher. Aside from Riddler's Revenge, there isn't a single one I'd wait more than 15 minutes to ride again. Riddler's Revenge is outstanding, but most of the other B&M Stand Ups are decent but give an uncomfortable ride, and the CGA Vortex is unpleasant. Standup coasters are my least favorite type of B&M, though I have yet to ride a Wing Coaster (which look like a lot of fun but get terrible reception from enthusiasts). As for other manufacturers, Togo can actually build a decent standup (SkyRider is easily my favorite Togo coaster), but their rides still have the issue of roughness all Togo coasters seem to have. Finally, the only Intamin standup coaster I've been on (Cobra at La Ronde) was downright terrible and is not only my least favorite standup of all manufacturers, but one of my least favorite major coasters in general.

 

As for the appeal of standup coasters, it is mainly the fact that you ride in an atypical position. The ride experience is a little different, so I don't think they are as much of a gimmick as some other types (like a floorless coaster). The big issue with standup coasters is that the restraints must be adjusted properly or you can receive a very unpleasant ride, and depending on the coaster and rider adjusting the restraints may be easy or difficult. As for the suggestion of converting the coasters to a sitdown ride, I'm guessing this could be done on the B&M's using floorless trains (or using standard looping trains on the Togos) but for the most part this type of investment probably wouldn't pay off.

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I do think they are a gimmick, but I have to admit I really like some. I think I've ridden five:

 

Chang - great

Georgia Scorcher - great

Shockwave - terrible

Sky RIder - terrible

Vortex - Worse than the Togos.

 

I find it kind of funny how they just stopped making them when they finally got around to making them right. Riddler's Revenge looks like a great ride. I hear it is smoother than Chang/Green Lantern but just as big. It's certainly on my "to do list" but way down the list compared to the Intamin Pre-fabs, mega coasters, RMC Coasters, old school B&Ms, etc.

 

Also, remember the dreaded "GP" which are 99% of park guests still like them if you ask me. I don't know how many times I get off Shockwave at KD and the train is so full of excitement and joy and all I want to do is get off that awful contraption!

 

Remember, Six Flags has relocated two 15 plus year old stand ups in recent memory. I think that says something that they are still marketable to an extent.

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The ones I've ridden (Iron Wolf and Mantis), were both terrible, and my both beat up my head and my legs. The GP loves them, though, which explains why I had to wait 45 minutes for Mantis. However, there are some stand ups that don't appeal to the GP, like Iron Wolf wasn't a big draw, if I remember correctly. Now, I will only ride a stand up if I only have to wait less than 15 minutes, or if I need the credit.

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As many others previously, they were created as a gimmick. Back then, most people were used to the good ol' sit-down roller coasters, and to ride a roller coaster where you're in any position other than sitting (in this case standing up) seemed crazy to the people back then, which was why stand-up coasters were so appealing. I know what you mean because I know a lot of people, mostly non-enthusiasts, who are completely confused with why the heck someone would ride a coaster standing up.

 

Personally I don't mind stand-up coasters. If I came up with the idea I would have scrapped it personally but I don't mind riding stand-up coasters. In fact I really like Mantis at Cedar Point and Shockwave at King's Dominion a lot. I do wish B&M would open a stand-up coaster sometime soon, hopefully with a zero-g roll

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Well, I've only been on 3 stand ups: Mantis, Green Lantern and Riddler's Revenge.

 

Mantis is meh

Green Lantern is kind of sucky

Riddler's was pretty sweet.

 

What's weird is I can't really put my finger on why, though many others had the same opinion of them so I don't feel alone at least!

Anyway, what makes a "gimmick"? Aren't most new things (Im talking in life here) a gimmick? Floorless totally was, there was zero difference in those rides and I never personally got any different feeling. Standers certainly give a unique sensation These wing riders seem gimmicky to me, what is ones innovation is another's gimmick.

 

Aaaaaanyway, I don't really think there's much to get or not. The unique riding position can make it pretty rough, yet the rides also can be kind of bland. I'll say it was a fun experiment, (gimmick if you want) but just a terribly good idea. There's probably a reason we havn't seen one in ages!

I did like Riddler's though, was pretty smooth and actually had force : O and I've heard Georgia Scorcher was pretty awesome too.

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I don't remember the last time I rode Mantis and the trim was on... Granted, I only ride it a few times a year and it may have been cold those days.

 

Mantis has its good/bad days... Most of the time its just fine. I really enjoyed Green Lantern at SFGAdv, probably my favorite standup. Georgia Scorcher is great as well. Riddler's Revenge is somewhere in the middle for me (it ran terrible the only time I rode it).

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^Mantis's trim break on the first drop has been tuned down a lot to where it barely grabs at all. It used to grab pretty hard, and that's when it rode terribly. I hated it back then, but after visiting CP this past season I actually enjoyed my rides on Mantis a little bit.

 

Other than Mantis, I've done Georgia Scorcher, Vortex at Carowinds, and Chang (now Green Lantern). Of all of those, Scorcher is definitely the best. Stand-ups have never really bothered me once I learned how to ride them (standing straight, legs slightly bent, and supporting your weight on your feet, NOT your crotch. That's what causes the leg pain). However, they can get pretty rough. In my eyes, they are nothing more than an experimental gimmick, and they shouldn't be built again.

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