Mantis?

[steel]

And can someone explain what exactly it means to black out. I know you like can't see for awhile, but is it just like temporarily passing out, and why does it happen? I'm asuming it's from to much G's. Is hard to comprehend of you've never felt it I guess. Sound's scary.

I believe that blood starts to leave your brain when there are too many positive g's (the same way that blood rushes to your head when you hang upside-down). This causes your eyesight to get blurry. Your eyes feel really heavy. I know that's hard to imagine, but bear with me. The world starts to get darker, and if the g's continue, you can't see, hence "blacking out." I don't have a huge g tolerance, so I start to black out at about 3.9 g's (rough estimate). It's not fun. At all. Ever.

[verticalzero]

I rode it in 2000 and it was so "smooth", i'm sure it is just as good today as 7 years ago and it is a B&M

[carolinacaniac]

As someone said before, one of the best times to ride is at night, most of the line is gone by then so you won't wait so long. If the trims are on, you get some fun hangtime in the loop and dive loop since it goes through it lower.

 

They took the third train off after they added the seat belts. Interval was impossible with three trains because of them, so they took it off as a spare.

[Cyber.Fiber]

The only stand-up I have ever been on is Skyrider at PCW. (well acctually CW now ) If you stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet resting on the trains fiberglass body it actually is one of the better rides in the park! As I am going to Cedar Point this summer for two days I am going to try Mantis. I think I will like it alot though because it is something different from anything else that I have been on! What would you recommend being your first B&M? Raptor or Mantis?

 

Joseph_

[ECZenith]

I haven't ridden Mantis since 04 and it was pretty comfortable then, can't speak for 2007 though...

[matteocrepaldi]

I rode it in 2005 and it was really painful; I'm going to ride it again this summer to see if I can find a more confortable position.

[haiderodes]

If your legs are bent that requires you to use more effort yourself.

 

Ideally you want to just stand straight up with legs locked. With the joints locked the forces will be better taken through your legs and you wont feel much.

 

I would NOT recommend riding with legs locked, I find it most stressful on the legs that way -- and is also damaging to knee caps (having your knee caps absorb bursts of G-forces up to 4.0 is NOT a good thing).

 

To thoroughly enjoy stand-up coasters, the first step is to ride them in the best stance.

 

This is what I do: I straddle the bicycle seat with both feet supporting my entire body weight standing on the floor of the train (not just touching, but actually holding my entire weight, not the little seat). The little bicycle seat isn't up against my crotch either, but is barely touching, I'll explain why I do this. I do that so I have enough space to stand up fully, yet also enough space to bend my knees slightly through heavy-G turns. I stand with my back straight, shoulders back, head up -- legs and feet planted slightly behind where my shoulders are and have my knees just slightly bent, NEVER LOCKED RIGID. At the bottom of every inversion or drop where the G-force load is heaviest, bend the knees with a little flex of the legs and have the muscles in your thighs and calves absorb the force, not the cartilage in your knee! Then at the top of the inversions or any ascent, relax them. But don't make it a chore, as it should come naturally.

 

I find it that I have never experienced sore legs or had ANY painful rides on ANY stand-up coaster so far by riding like this.

 

If you just happen to have very weak knees and legs, then this approach might not be the best for you though.

 

That's helpful advice, but of course they never tell you that while you are waiting in line and I don't recall ever seeing that on a sign. haha.

 

The one and ONLY time I rode Riddler I was in pain, not in the legs, but rather the crotch. I think it had something to do with nervousness and not wanting to make a scene in front of a station full of people by fumbling with the restraints and what not, but I had the hardest time getting the seat down enough so I could jump on the little bicycle seat. So that meant it rode pretty high, all wedged up in my crotch. On the bottom of the first drop/loop I knew I was in for some trouble.

 

That said, if I was to ride it again I would definately take my time, but the memory of that first ride still haunts me when I look at the thing. I just wonder how these little kids make it through when their feet are barely touching the floor. That has got to be excrutiating.

[MisterP]

one word answer: YES

 

 

 

 

 

 

especially if you got a twig and two berries!

[JamesMC]

I am heading to Cedar Point next week, but if memory serves me well, the only painful part of the ride (Mantis) was the unusually long load/ unload process.

 

Even my home park of Six Flags Great America cannot quite get the trains not to stack on Iron Wolf.

 

I don't blame the operators necessarily, because there is always that kid (or an adult acting like one) in another row who decides to ride in an unapproved manner, that the operators have to unlock the restraints and start over.

 

You'd think by now people would have figured out how to get on the ride so that you could actually just ride it, but no, sadly, not the case.

[gk]

I didn't enjoy Mantis. Extreme headbanging overshadowed any redeeming qualities it may have had.

[DATman]

Mantis is really strange in that it is glass smooth in the front, and then it just gets crazy bad by the time you reach the back. Having ridden both the front and the back within 5 minutes of each other, I can say that the best idea is to ride in the front, where it is actually a really fun ride.

[ginzo]

Haven't tried Mantis in the front, but it beat me up so badly last time I doubt it will get another chance.

[AmyUD06]

In a dream world, I would love to see B&M and CP replace the stand up trains with appropriately heightened floorless trains.

 

Yeah, because the world really needs more of these.

[FeelTheFORCE]

I agree that Mantis in the front is an awesome ride. Everywhere else it's below average.

[dandaman]

one word answer: YES

 

especially if you got a twig and two berries!

 

Basically you leave the ride with mulch and two bruised fruits...

 

I actually found SkyRider (see: Togo Death Machine) at Canada's Wonderland better than Mantis, and I couldn't even stand up straight in the restraints on it!

[raptorcrew2002]

I don't blame the operators necessarily, because there is always that kid (or an adult acting like one) in another row who decides to ride in an unapproved manner, that the operators have to unlock the restraints and start over.

 

You have NO idea.!! Won’t even get into that one. Grrr. Guests. I will say this, controls has it the worse in recheck, release, etc. My fingers are locking up just thinking about it.

 

As for smoother riding.

Rows 1-5, (center 2 seats for absolute smoothest). Closer to the front the better.

 

Riding, Simple. Stand up, just like normal, nothing tricky but think of it as standing against a wall. (This really seems to stump people

Keep you legs straight down from your body’s position. (Basically heels against the back board, legs forward and you will regret it with a slight slip) The seat support you will need to have fairly close or they will (should not) dispatch your train.

Don’t worry about privates, as long as you do not bend your legs, and keep your heels back the seat will not smash anything. If you think a low seat is that way to go your way off. Physics will win this round.

 

**One spot of suggestion, in the transition right before heading into the mid course (left/Right hill), tip toe the floater spot, otherwise the weightlessness and return can hurt a little for guys.

 

***If you do not hear the trim break on the first drop, make sure the seat is closer, you really do not want to give a little in your legs and accelerate your weight into the seat. Without trims this ride is night and day, while smoother throughout it pulls MUCH more G’s in that first vertical.

 

Bring on the pain suggestions:

*Row 8, only way to a ride a B&M. (8-4 all the way)

*Once you leave the mid course block get ready to brace your weight against one side of the harness and get ready to rattle your fillings out.

 

Still my favorite ride too operated. More fun and many more ways to get back at annoying guests.

[FeelTheFORCE]

At least the Mantis crew cares about riders being in the proper position, unlike the Riddler's Revenge crew (at least when I was there in the summer of 2006 they didn't, hopefully it has changed by now).

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^It wasn't any different in 2007 when I was up there, but you can't blame the operator ENTIRELY for two reasons:

 

1. Six Flags has Operator vs. Attendant. There is about an 80% chance the person checking your seat at any given coaster is not a certified operator for that ride, just given a briefing on how to check seats.

 

2. When running three trains we get nailed for letting the third train stop in the safety brakes. We were told to just get trains out as soon as possible.

 

As for Mantis, I can honestly say that Mantis is by a longshot the worst B&M I have ever ridden.

[TheBannedKid]

Mantis was nothing compared to Iron Wolf at SFGA.

 

Absolute hell.

[JamesMC]

Just got back from Cedar Point, where I rode Mantis again for the first time in like 6 or 7 years. (The last time I was at C.P 5 years ago, we didn't have a chance to ride it).

 

I followed someone's suggestion and rode near the front of the train- car #3 on the left hand side- and although my head bobbled a bit, it really was not that bad at all. Certainly less of a head-smasher than Iron Wolf (which I always ride at SFGAM, but usually just once to say that I did). I did prepare for the heavy-G elements and flexed my legs as best I could.

But the downside was that I was so concerned with how I should be riding that I didn't really get to enjoy the ride either. Oh well. Maybe this should have been a sit down coaster.

[krakenman13]

I think im the only one reading this topic that actually likes Iron Wolf

[southpuddle]

Of the stand-ups I've been on: Riddler, Mantis, Scorcher, Iron Wolf, Vortex Carowinds, Vortex CGA and Shockwave, Mantis is my second favorite after Riddler. I absolutely love the first half of the ride pre-MCBR. It's so intense and smooth - it's that second half of the ride that people complain about roughness, plus the second half is just plain boring. If you're lucky enough to catch a ride where the trim on the first drop is off, the intensity of the ride will blow your mind - especially in the incline loop - WOW!

[Rollerman87]

OK. This is kinda getting weirdly annoying with all the talk about Mantis and how much it hurts. I went last year to CP and rode Mantis. I personally hated the ride, but that was because my head is kinda lumpy in the back, and the head rest bulges out, so I couldn't keep my head back against the headrest because it hurt too much. This caused my neck and head to hurt as I had to fight the restraints from slamming my head around like a pinball. At that point, I just wanted oof. I mean, I was to the point of crying, but because of my own personal problems, not the ride. Heck, I love its brother coaster out here in California (Riddler's Revenge).

 

Everyone's body reacts to coasters differently. For example, a lot of people black out or get tunnel vision on Goliath (also at SFMM). For most of my rides on it, I didn't, but the more recent rides have had me getting tunnel vision. My friend, however, never even feels disoriented after riding Goliath, and he's twice my age.