How do you ride?

[EricGarbo]

I really only hold on when I'm in PTC trains. My lower back really starts to hurt after a couple rides with my hands up. Holding on supports my lower back just enough that I can continue riding all day. On Maverick I hold on only because I don't want my forearms getting bashed up.

[RCjunkie]

As long as it is not Mean Streak or my very first time on a ride then hands up.

[coasterbill]

It depends on the coaster.

 

If it's a smooth steel coaster with lap bars I almost always ride with my hands up (unless it's something like a mine train or wild mouse where I'd look ridiculous).

 

If it's a wood coaster I rarely ride with my hands up unless I know the coaster and I know that it's smooth without aggressive laterals. Rides like Phoenix, Thunderbolt at SFNE and El Toro I always ride with my hands up on but on most wood coasters I don't. Rides like Twister at Knoebels I really enjoy, but it's not a "hands up" kind of ride for me because of the laterals.

 

If it's a steel coaster with over the shoulder restraints I never ride with my hands up with the exception of Kingda Ka on the way down the drop because come on... how could anyone not?

 

If the ride is rough I never ride with my hands up except for Magnum at Cedar Point because no amount of bracing or defensive riding is going to help anyway so I just give up and put my arms up. It's just as painful either way.

[coasterchitchat]

Hands up and scream unless it's a horrible ride.

[CoasterCrazyBoy1]

Hands up on any rodes where I can put them up but on coasters with little clearance I have them at chest height along with on rides you can film on.

[timetrial3141592]

Personally, I do either hands-up or just relaxed.

[YoshiCraft2011]

It really depends. On a smooth and simple coaster like Pony Express, I like to keep my hands up. However, on a more rough and sucky ride like Boomerang, I just hold on to the restraints.

[MagnumFreak25]

Either Hands up or One hand up and the other keeping something from flying out of my pocket.

[tatsu_dude]

Generally hands up on lap bar rides and a few really smooth B&Ms, and holding on for OTSRs and some really rough woodies (cough cough GhostRider).

[StuckInSD]

I'm a sucker, so I white-knuckle it. Unless its a rickety old woodie, then I throw my hands in the air.

[MrSum1_55]

Usually, I prefer hands down, but not holding on. Mainly, because I am too lazy to raise my hands, and I would rather just sit back and enjoy a ride instead of straining my muscles to hold my hands up on a high positive G coaster. While going over airtime hills, I am hands up all the way, but on most other elements I simply prefer to rest my hands on my knees.

[tooooobbe]

Depends. Hands up if it isnt a rough coaster or if it's not otsr. Hands upp with otsr feels like elbowing the people next to me.

[mike541x]

When I first started to ride roller coasters, I used to be the white-knuckled kid. Then eventually I would raise my hands on certain parts of rides like going up hills. Now I try to put my hands up on every ride, including ones with OTSR.

[A.J.]

On most coasters I have my arms down and throw them up when going over airtime hills. On floorless and inverted coasters I keep my hands down all the time but I extend my legs out.

[rcjp]

It depends on the ride and how many times I've ridden it, but mostly it's hands up. If it is a crazy intense fast ride (like kingda ka or skyrush) I always have my hands up no matter how much I ride them (the fact that they're also short helps) while on a ride like a B&M floorless I will no longer have them up after a few rides (except on one or two "special" moments).

[DoinItForTheFame]

It depends on the coaster, but for the most part, its just hands down but not holding on. There are a few exceptions like first drop, and airtime hills. However if the coaster has OTSR then its arms down just due to being more comfortable.

[cwgator]

Hands up of course!

[rolercstrluvr]

I go hands up all the time wether it be my first time on the ride or not.

[Superbatboy]

Hands up unless I'm riding something really rough, then I white knuckle

[Midgetman82]

Most coasters have gotten smooth to the point you can't consider them white knuckle thrills (unless they're just so uncomfortable). For me, hands-up, unless it's a gentle ride or a ride with lots of straight/gentle bits (kiddie credit, Hurler at KD, etc...), then i just keep my hands down.

[MagnumFreak25]

If you want a rough coaster check out Magnum. lol

[HAZE]

Depends on the ride. On drop towers I tend to white knuckle, for example.

[laqueefa]

Would you ride like this?

 

[rcdude]

How I ride depends quite a bit on the ride, but in general the following hold true...

 

Steel Coasters: For Intamins, B&Ms, RMCs, and Lightning Run, hands up all the way around. On Morgans, Arrows, Macks, and Schwarzkopfs I'll usually put my hands up if it is a lapbar restraint and hold on for a shoulder harness. I don't white knuckle the ride, just hold the handles firmly. I generally don't put my hands up on other steel coasters except for airtime/hangtime moments on Premiers and SFMM's Goliath. There is one exception to the above: On X2 I loop my arms through the harness and hold my pockets as that is the one ride I worry about losing something (even with buttoned pockets I don't trust that ride).

 

Wood Coasters: For my first ride on a wood coaster, I usually hold on (excluding Intamin and Rocky Mountain woodies). If the ride is smooth, I'll go hands up on successive rides. If not, I'll hold on. In general, Intamin, Rocky Mountain, GCI, CCI and some Gravity Group coasters are smooth enough to go hands up all the way around, while most others are either hands up for airtime moments or hold on. For out and back rides with slow turns, I usually will rest my arms around the turns even if it is smooth.

 

Non-Coaster Rides: Generally I'll just let my hands sit in my lap on these, although I will do hands up on drop towers and flume ride drops (with a brace at the bottom). I do hold on for inverting flat rides or particularly forceful ones.

[Diamondbacker27]

I usually only hold on if we are going into a tunnel (Yes, I don't like my hands that close.)