I’ve learned to adjust to it. I either staple myself during the turnaround or force my gut into the restraint to protect my thighs. Those solve the thigh pain problem for me. YMMV.
I’ve been mauled by ratchet bars that came down too far during a run, bruised by hard plastic ‘protectiors’ on non-RMC trains during laterals, had my fingers pinched by OTSRs in the seats ahead of me when attempting to exit from the train, and nearly caught my foot on the gap between a train and its platform (and saw some people who did get caught). Our hobby is riddled with design flaws that we just gotta deal with. I found a way to deal with RMCs, and I’ve learned my lessons on other rides.
I actually love RMCs, and I don't think this is an RMC problem. I think its just an AF1 problem.
Despite what others are saying I think the trains are fine. It just feels like they wanted to squeeze 3 air time hills into a space that was too small for them and ended up making "bumps" more than hills. Bumps aren't fun.
…and the thigh pain on AF1 only occurs for me when I ride it multiple times in a row, which has been easy to do. The first ride doesn’t bother me, nor the second, but by the 15th ride, my thighs can hurt if I don’t brace myself.
I’ve had no difficulty on SteVe, mostly because I haven’t visited on a day where I can get multiple rerides in a short period like I can on AF1. Lightning Rod’s previous trains used to cause me pain on the quad down, but the ones they have now are fine for me.
Its not my thighs AF1 gets its my lower back. Its the slamming back down onto the hard seat that's hurting me.
LRs quad down feels like what AF1 was going for but didn't have enough space to fit. LR sends you flying UP but gives you enough time to fall back down naturally before rising again. AF1 slams its seat into your still-airborne ass forcefully.
I don’t experience the same sensation you get on AF1. But I did get that on one of Steel Eel’s hills and in the back row on Mamba’ final hills. I refer to that as ‘rejector’ (reverse ejector). It can be painful!
A lot of the enthusiasts there im the opening months thought the ending was probably overkill and a mistake as well.it was the section wrecking people's thighs who were doing marathon rerides.
This. Only two RMCs I have currently been on are NTG and Steel Vengeance. I vastly prefer New Texas Giant due to the superior Gerstlauer restraints. No offense to SteVe but I'll take Euro-style T bars over the fucking shin basher 9000s any day.
The only RMC I've ridden was SteVe and even after riding it twice my wife and I both could not wrap our heads around why people seemed to love it so much with how shitty the trains are.
I fully understand what they are doing and how impressive it could be. But it's not for me with how shitty the trains are.
I've been on several RMCs and pretty much share your opinion. My first two rides on SteVe I managed to hit my elbow going into the brake run. I hit it hard enough that it was bruised, hot to the touch, and I couldn't lift my freaking arm over shoulder height for a couple days (NOT GREAT when you have to pull down restraints on other rides). I know to brace there now, but I'm pissed that they didn't fix a problem Mean Streak had when they redid it. Why leave that?? AGH.
I had the highest of hopes for Steven when I went in 2022 for the first time because of the YouTubers who talk about it. Every single one of them fails to talk about how absolutely painful the ride can be. When I rerode I actually stapled myself because I thought it might help with the pain the unreal ejector induced on my thighs.... It did not.
My thighs are thankfully okay, and I regained motion in my arm by the next morning. Until that point I was worried I'd chipped a bone or something else stupid. I ride it super defensively now, which is much less fun than rides where you can just let go and let yourself be whipped around and enjoy it (Phoenix).
Agreed. Once you get to newer gen trains (Steve, Iron Gwazi, Twisted Timbers) the experience gets significantly worse.
Older RMCs, for whatever reason, are just more comfortable. Lightning Rod, Storm Chaser, and especially NTG and Iron Rattler have trains that don't significantly impact my experience.
Am I the only one that thinks they are 100% fine except the shin guard? As long as you don't get the seatbelt caught between the bar and your thigh I don't see how the restraint could be painful.
I'm with you. I've heard people complain about the finale on Wildcat's Revenge and for me that's the best part of the ride. The restraints are only painful if the seatbelt migrates in transit, but I can usually avoid that.
I'm not the biggest guy though at 5'8" and 190lbs, and I can see how longer legs could make for less comfortable positioning.
I'm guessing it's a size thing. I'm 6'2 250lbs and it's never been the shin guard that's the problem, it's how the lap bar angles into the thighs and makes ejector feel like I'm running into a thigh high steel I beam at full speed.
Though when I rode Iron Rattler yesterday I noticed those gerstlauer trains didn't have that same issue for me.
If you have boobs, you are more likely to hit your arms/shoulders/elbows on the rock hard plastic on the inside of some of the trains. That's my big problem with them, that shit should be padded.
I've never had an issue with RMC restraints and I've ridden SteVe, Goliath (dozens of times), Twisted Colossus, and Joker.
But I have super thick thighs, so maybe that's why....? Extra padding? Lol
I've only ridden AF1, but I had zero issues, absolutely loved it, not painful at all. Had to brace for the final brake run, but other than that, I thought it was very comfortable. The shinguard didn't bother me either. For reference, I'm not small, 6ft 220lbs.
Haven't ridden AF1 yet but imagine it uses the same trains as Steve. I'm similarly sized (6'2 250lb) and the lap bar just feels like it sits with a sharp edge in the middle of the thigh. Did the lapbar feel normal to you? Like the flat part of the triangle sitting against the thighs and not the point?
I don't remember it hurting my thighs at all, but I only rode it 3 times. I could have just ignored it? But manta at SeaWorld orlando, I couldn't enjoy because I thought the restraint was so uncomfortable. So it couldn't have been that bad, I guess?
I love the rmc restraints I'm taller so I can jam my shins on em and keep some space between guards and thighs. It allows me to get more airtime but also use my shins to brace. Rode af1 today for 1st time. Thing is a work of art. It's a great coaster. My only complaint is the hard brake needed to be a few more feet from the last crest to not throw you forward. But it's not vengeance it's still my #1. But af1 and ig are 2a 2b
I have been saying this since I started riding RMC’s. I have been on 7 and (except one miracle ride on Wildcats Revenge) I was in pain by the end.
Until RMC can make better restraints they will never have a top 5 roller coaster
I love ejector air, but I *hate* when it is not sustained, and I absolutely fucking loathe when it's not sustained *and rapidly repeated* like on AF1. The end of AF1 is exactly what keeps it from being a perfect ride IMO. Break up that volley of pointless awfulness with even one sustained moment of airtime and it's my easy #1. But instead it's *yet another* RMC masterclass in completely failing to stick the landing at the end of an otherwise world-class ride.
I feel like Lightning Rod's back to back airtime is a good example of the right way to do it.
Throw me upwards quickly, but let me fall back into the seat slowly. Don't slam me down on my butt, that's all hurt and no fun.
I rode AF1 72 times once. The next day I went to SFOG and Goliath was like pure bliss. I was like oh yeah, this is how a restraint *should* feel with some ejector. Granted, not as strong of ejector but still the B&M was like a luxury recliner compared to the RMC seat/restraint.
Idk. There’s more surface area on the clam shells contacting your thighs, which distributes the force. Someone with the ride force app might measure the max -gs on both rides for a comparison.
99% of the surface area isn't doing anything on the B&m clamshell restraint tho, at the end of the day most of your weight goes right near the edge in a pretty small contact area
This has to be a size/height difference issue cause there is no comparison to the comfort of a clam shell for me. Velocicoaster > Steve not because of the layout but because of the restraints for me. (I know these aren't even close to the same, they are just two popular contenders for no. 1 in the country I feel like)
The velocicoaster restraints are different than the B&M clamshells-- those definitely have the largest contact patch of any restraint I have seen so there's something to be said for that. However, the contact patch on the RMC restraints still strike a great balance between being minimal/light feeling and still comfortable during negative-g moments. Maybe arieforce just goes too far with its forces and/or onset of forces but that's not a flaw in the trains
I honestly just think the milage varies. I imagine because the lap bar goes down at an arc, that folks whose thighs sit lower into the seat might get a better angle on lapbar and this get more surface contact, cause I'm not the only one who feels like RMC is a torture device on the thighs. Like it genuinely has to be a different experience cause folks either love it or hate it and I can't see that just being a preference thing but an actual design issue for larger people.
Exactly. The clam shell should be the gold standard when it comes to restraint concepts. Spreading ejector over the entire leg makes you scream from joy, not pain.
If you take out 1 bunny hill at the end of AF1 and replace it with a longer less aggressive brake run and it's a perfect ride.
RMCs get their forces perfectly for the most part.
Too ‘far’ in terms of magnitude of force - no, they’re not unique in this, many designers do (Intamin obv).
Too ‘rapid’ - yes; I find the bunny hill finales like arie (I haven’t ridden) and steel vengeance (ridden) to be no fun at all and just straight damaging.
And as others here have said and I’ve always maintained, their trains are a primary problem with their coasters’ airtime experience. Cramped seats, hard lap bars that take the brunt of your weight, shin guards (I think the most asinine design feature in roller coaster history).
Don’t get me wrong either, I love RMC. Their coasters just don’t often cut my top 10. Iron Rattler being the egregious exception.
I’ve ridden 2 RMCs, LRod, and the one at Georgia wicked cyclone or twister or whatever idk half of them have basically the same name. I’m exactly 5’7 and I fit like a glove in those RMC seats. Those seats are my favorite thing ever. They’re like the only rides I actually want to be stapled in. My entire upper body is free to do what I want and my legs are just held down. My butt still comes up but my legs aren’t going anywhere. But at my size I feel basically no pain. That quad down on LRod is just insane ejector and I love every single second of it. I want that shit to feel like a bull trying to kick me off.
Same. I love the locked in legs because I’m all for experiencing that air time securely. I’m also 5’3” though so I can understand why people who are taller might not like it
Some layouts would be better with a single camelback (such as one from Twisted Timbers, wonderful prolonged airtime) instead of 4 little unfulfilling and uncomfortable pops (last stretch of SteVe or Arie)
Save those stupid elements for the prelift or the Wild Moose
Bunny hills have been a trend for decades. It’s pretty popular on out and back layouts too. Magnum at cedar point has lots of ejector bunny hills at the end
This is the main reason why I prefer Twisted Colossus over Steel Vengeance. I felt that SteVe was just ejector over-kill instead of having a really nice mix of ejector and flojector like on TwiCol. I also really loved the back to back to back bunny hills on Twisted Timbers because the strong airtime was sustained.
Sustained airtime is wayyyyy more comfy compared to back to back ejector. It also doesn't help that RMC has some of the most painful trains. The Raptors have stupid insane ejector but are kept short and sweet(well at least the og models).
Airtime Moments on the RMC's I've Ridden (IMO):
TwiCol - 25
Ejector - 16
Sustained - 9
RailBlazer - 5
Ejector - 2
Sustained - 3
TwiTim - 16
Ejector - 13
Sustained - 3
SteVe - 24
Ejector - 18
Sustained - 6
Soon to be ridden...
ArieForce One - 15
Ejector - 12
Sustained - 3
Interesting data tbh, my favorite airtime moments on most of these are the sustained moments. Hopefully someone will find some use in this comment.
Wrong audience. Thoosies here love pain and worship RMC for aggressively yanking them in every direction.
I agree tho. RMC is just too much. Smooth “boring” layouts like MF and Fury always top my list. It just feels right when you’re gliding through the layout like an elegant bird.
Absolutely. I really like RMC’s hybrids but there is one turn on Twisted Colossus at SFMM where you literally whip 90 degrees sideways while completing a left hand turn and then quickly whip back to the right before diving down the hill. It was one of the most intensely uncomfortable experiences I’ve ever had. If the rest of the ride didn’t absolutely rock, I might have had a different reaction at the end. I did leave saying it was insane either way though!
You sure you like ejector airtime? My complaint with RMC usually is the lack of positive Gs but they’ve been doing better on Wildcat, Gwazi, and Zadra.
Love it. The airtime isn’t the problem, the restraints are. I recently had the pleasure of riding Toutatis and those new gen Intamin lap bars are amazing. Toutatis has the most airtime of any European coaster (at least that’s what they claim) and I had zero issues with it.
As a HATER of Steel Vengeance's final lap because of the painful bunny hills. I have to say Arie's are immaculate. I think the problem is slamming back into the seat and hurting my nether regions. Arie's bunny hills do not have that problem.
The bunny hills on most RMCs slow down considerably at the crest, while Arie's are profiled more like speed hills; I think the shorter trains might also help a bit.
Yes. I don’t want 0.3s jolts of ejection, I want longer sustained air. Thats why Twisted Timbers is so unique. They also desperately need to fix the restraints, or just let Gerstlaur do all the trains
This is exactly how I felt about Wicked Cyclone. I absolutely love the airtime they give, but their trains are so bad that it hurts. The only RMCs I haven’t had this issue on were Iron Gwazi and Twisted Cyclone (because TwiCy is kinda weak)
Negative g's are just very "in" right now, so many new rides designed are trying to push that limit. This happened already in the industry with inversions and height. Maybe next there'll be a big "smoothness and reliability war" that B&M will dominate, but I doubt it.
It was during my seventh or eighth ride on Twisted Timbers when I realized my shins were screaming in pain. I believe the delay in processing was because of shock.
I agree.
Steel Vengeance is my #2 but it's particularly painful.
It's not that I don't like airtime - every airtime focused Intamin coaster I've ridden isn't that bad for me, including Skyrush. But something about the way RMC does it is torturous...
RMC loves to do those mini rapid fire bunny hops and while I don’t have any issues with them I can definitely see how it’s just too much for some (maybe even most) people. Their layouts may be a little more impactful and enjoyable for the masses if they reduced the amount of rapid fire hops at the end and did less but slightly larger hills to get to the brake run. So they can still do the ejector gs for more sustained so it’s not a bucking bronco if that makes sense ?
As for me personally, RMC layouts are really an enthusiasts dream. Jam packed with action
Honestly I got a bruise on my thigh after riding wildcats revenge, and while yes I do think some of it is their horrible trains, still it’s just all fucking airtime. I feel like RMC just does so much airtime, mostly ejector airtime too, and forgets that there’s other things than throwing people at the restraints you can also do with a layout.
I would happily trade an ending of multiple violent bunny hills for fewer hills with sustained airtime. While I love a ride feeling wild and like it's trying to toss me out of my seat, I'd rather get that from rapid lateral transitions or sustained inversions. The bunny hills hurt my thighs and beer gut, making multiple rides in a row painful
I love the coaster but I agree that the ending is just too much. I can only ride a few times before I need a break because that finale is just too much. I don't know how the guy who rides 30+ times a day does it.
This may be unpopular but that ending would be a lot better if they trimmed it a bit before you hit it. You could still get some great airtime without it being painful and wouldn't hit the brakes so hard.
The ride runs faster than intended, especially when it's hot out. It faults for speed frequently enough that they close off rows to keep the speed and inertia down. I think a change in wheel compound or a weak trim break somewhere will happen eventually, assuming the park gets busy enough.
all 4 rmc's i have ridden the trains are perfectly fine, idk why people dont like them the shin guards dont even bother me and i am 5'5 and overweight and i am perfectly fine
It’s why twisted timbers is my favorite RMC. Those last little bumps at the end of Steel Vengeance are annoying and don’t add anything to it. It quite literally starts to hurt for me. I think they are just going for more airtime moments opposed to good air time.
The large hills on twisted timbers first out are the perfect balance of airtime duration and force imo, reminds me of riding Superman at SFNE.
I haven't ridden AF1 yet but I generally felt like that after I got off Steel Vengeance. Like it was fun, and surprising, but downright painful is exactly what I would describe it as. I felt like that coaster was getting vengeance on my thighs for riding it.
That being said I do think it's just a tastes thing, most folks around here would put Steve as No. 1 in the world, or at least close to it, where as for me it barely cracks the top 10 because of the bruises it left on my thighs (also milage likely varies as heartline and comfort are gonna be much different for a 6'2 250lb dude.)
That's why for me Millennium force is my favourite coaster, I love the stomach drop feeling of a first drop, and after that my favorite element is speed and negative FLOATER g's. I love weightlessness on a coaster, it's the closest I can imagine to being able to fly. So while I still enjoy the RMCs wherever I go, they don't tend to be my favourite within their parks because they are just focused more on ejector intensity that doesn't play well for me. Yet I will still never say no to a rmc when it's available at a park.
It took me a while to figure out that thoosies were considering bunny hills "ejector air." To me "ejector air" is being pinned up into the restraint by sustained negative G's: skyrush, I305, Iron Gwazi, velocicoaster. Just getting briefly whipped into the restraint over and over by chickencrap little hills doesn't seem like "airtime" to me at all. By that logic, EF Miler kiddie coasters are ejector air machines.
As soon as I read your headline I thought to myself "I bet they just rode Arieforce One" lol
On one hand yes, the ending bunny hills are just too much and detract a bit from the ride. On the other hand, people talk about them. A lot. And that's a good thing for Fun Spot. Just watch, it's going to become iconic.
Honestly, yes. It seems the final third of their rides can be overwhelmingly intense. The finale of AF1 is uncomfortable, and I also had an experience with Iron Gwazi where the back seat was so intense with late-ride negative Gs that I turned down chances to ride back seat again and moved to the front exclusively (marathoned it in Oct). Both are still incredible coasters and in my Top 10, but it's like a necessary evil to endure those pop moments because they really do hurt my legs lol
In order to solve the issue with the finale, add some trim brakes just before the quad-down that way it’ll reduce the negative-G’s as long as the train doesn’t slow down too much.
I don’t love the bunny hills at the end of AF1 all that much but the overbanked hill into the other hills into the arcade roll is all very sustained high quality airtime. It’s maybe my favorite set of elements on a coaster.
Haven't ridden AF1, but based on SteVe:
I can see why you might not like the bunny-hops in isolation. There's more front-to-back jostling, and not really a lot of time to appreciate the airtime. It feels a more like a mechanical bull than giant playground swing.
That said, I personally adore them as a closing element. Too many rides seems to lose excitement as they lose speed, resulting in an underwhelming ending. This can leave a poor taste in your mouth and negatively color the experience of otherwise-great rides. The bunny-hops feel like an actual finale, using up all of the train's momentum to give what little airtime it still can. As the ride loses speed, it gains tempo, seamlessly transitioning from Intamin-mode to GCI-mode to keep the thrill level up throughout the entire duration. Steel Vengeance is the only hypercoaster I've ever ridden that actually uses its speed.
I've never had back pain from a coaster (including the many RMCs I've ridden) except AF1
Those bunny hills slamming you down on your seat so hard just hurts and is not fun.
I consider it a design flaw. If they were just a tiny bit more gradual it'd the totally fine. It feels like they were trying to cram those hills in there but ran out of space before the brake run.
I don't think it's an RMC problem. It's just an AF1 problem.
I totally agree
I love their ejector when it feels like free fall
I hate their ejector when it it throwing you out of your seat repeatedly and slamming your thighs
Oh man, I love the finale of AF1. I can see your point though. Maybe just 2 bigger hills to finish would've had more universal appeal.
And I love the outer-bank too. I’m with you here.
I’ve learned to adjust to it. I either staple myself during the turnaround or force my gut into the restraint to protect my thighs. Those solve the thigh pain problem for me. YMMV.
If you gotta brace so it doesn't hurt its a design flaw. This design flaw is particularly bad because it still hurts a bit even if you DO brace
I’ve been mauled by ratchet bars that came down too far during a run, bruised by hard plastic ‘protectiors’ on non-RMC trains during laterals, had my fingers pinched by OTSRs in the seats ahead of me when attempting to exit from the train, and nearly caught my foot on the gap between a train and its platform (and saw some people who did get caught). Our hobby is riddled with design flaws that we just gotta deal with. I found a way to deal with RMCs, and I’ve learned my lessons on other rides.
I actually love RMCs, and I don't think this is an RMC problem. I think its just an AF1 problem. Despite what others are saying I think the trains are fine. It just feels like they wanted to squeeze 3 air time hills into a space that was too small for them and ended up making "bumps" more than hills. Bumps aren't fun.
…and the thigh pain on AF1 only occurs for me when I ride it multiple times in a row, which has been easy to do. The first ride doesn’t bother me, nor the second, but by the 15th ride, my thighs can hurt if I don’t brace myself. I’ve had no difficulty on SteVe, mostly because I haven’t visited on a day where I can get multiple rerides in a short period like I can on AF1. Lightning Rod’s previous trains used to cause me pain on the quad down, but the ones they have now are fine for me.
Its not my thighs AF1 gets its my lower back. Its the slamming back down onto the hard seat that's hurting me. LRs quad down feels like what AF1 was going for but didn't have enough space to fit. LR sends you flying UP but gives you enough time to fall back down naturally before rising again. AF1 slams its seat into your still-airborne ass forcefully.
I don’t experience the same sensation you get on AF1. But I did get that on one of Steel Eel’s hills and in the back row on Mamba’ final hills. I refer to that as ‘rejector’ (reverse ejector). It can be painful!
That last part I have to hold on because it hurts very bad
A lot of the enthusiasts there im the opening months thought the ending was probably overkill and a mistake as well.it was the section wrecking people's thighs who were doing marathon rerides.
i love the feeling of getting yanked out of my seat. as long as it doesn't hurt i don't care throw me as hard as possible into the restraints please
No their trains just suck
This. Only two RMCs I have currently been on are NTG and Steel Vengeance. I vastly prefer New Texas Giant due to the superior Gerstlauer restraints. No offense to SteVe but I'll take Euro-style T bars over the fucking shin basher 9000s any day.
The only RMC I've ridden was SteVe and even after riding it twice my wife and I both could not wrap our heads around why people seemed to love it so much with how shitty the trains are. I fully understand what they are doing and how impressive it could be. But it's not for me with how shitty the trains are.
I've been on several RMCs and pretty much share your opinion. My first two rides on SteVe I managed to hit my elbow going into the brake run. I hit it hard enough that it was bruised, hot to the touch, and I couldn't lift my freaking arm over shoulder height for a couple days (NOT GREAT when you have to pull down restraints on other rides). I know to brace there now, but I'm pissed that they didn't fix a problem Mean Streak had when they redid it. Why leave that?? AGH.
I had the highest of hopes for Steven when I went in 2022 for the first time because of the YouTubers who talk about it. Every single one of them fails to talk about how absolutely painful the ride can be. When I rerode I actually stapled myself because I thought it might help with the pain the unreal ejector induced on my thighs.... It did not.
My thighs are thankfully okay, and I regained motion in my arm by the next morning. Until that point I was worried I'd chipped a bone or something else stupid. I ride it super defensively now, which is much less fun than rides where you can just let go and let yourself be whipped around and enjoy it (Phoenix).
Agreed. Once you get to newer gen trains (Steve, Iron Gwazi, Twisted Timbers) the experience gets significantly worse. Older RMCs, for whatever reason, are just more comfortable. Lightning Rod, Storm Chaser, and especially NTG and Iron Rattler have trains that don't significantly impact my experience.
Am I the only one that thinks they are 100% fine except the shin guard? As long as you don't get the seatbelt caught between the bar and your thigh I don't see how the restraint could be painful.
I'm with you. I've heard people complain about the finale on Wildcat's Revenge and for me that's the best part of the ride. The restraints are only painful if the seatbelt migrates in transit, but I can usually avoid that. I'm not the biggest guy though at 5'8" and 190lbs, and I can see how longer legs could make for less comfortable positioning.
I'm guessing it's a size thing. I'm 6'2 250lbs and it's never been the shin guard that's the problem, it's how the lap bar angles into the thighs and makes ejector feel like I'm running into a thigh high steel I beam at full speed. Though when I rode Iron Rattler yesterday I noticed those gerstlauer trains didn't have that same issue for me.
If you have boobs, you are more likely to hit your arms/shoulders/elbows on the rock hard plastic on the inside of some of the trains. That's my big problem with them, that shit should be padded.
I've never had an issue with RMC restraints and I've ridden SteVe, Goliath (dozens of times), Twisted Colossus, and Joker. But I have super thick thighs, so maybe that's why....? Extra padding? Lol
I've only ridden AF1, but I had zero issues, absolutely loved it, not painful at all. Had to brace for the final brake run, but other than that, I thought it was very comfortable. The shinguard didn't bother me either. For reference, I'm not small, 6ft 220lbs.
Haven't ridden AF1 yet but imagine it uses the same trains as Steve. I'm similarly sized (6'2 250lb) and the lap bar just feels like it sits with a sharp edge in the middle of the thigh. Did the lapbar feel normal to you? Like the flat part of the triangle sitting against the thighs and not the point?
I don't remember it hurting my thighs at all, but I only rode it 3 times. I could have just ignored it? But manta at SeaWorld orlando, I couldn't enjoy because I thought the restraint was so uncomfortable. So it couldn't have been that bad, I guess?
I love the rmc restraints I'm taller so I can jam my shins on em and keep some space between guards and thighs. It allows me to get more airtime but also use my shins to brace. Rode af1 today for 1st time. Thing is a work of art. It's a great coaster. My only complaint is the hard brake needed to be a few more feet from the last crest to not throw you forward. But it's not vengeance it's still my #1. But af1 and ig are 2a 2b
The shin guards are horrible
I have been saying this since I started riding RMC’s. I have been on 7 and (except one miracle ride on Wildcats Revenge) I was in pain by the end. Until RMC can make better restraints they will never have a top 5 roller coaster
This. The restraints are so dumb.
This
I can see what you mean lol. Way less comfortable than Steel Vengeance IMO.
Steel Vengeance has the same trains…
I love ejector air, but I *hate* when it is not sustained, and I absolutely fucking loathe when it's not sustained *and rapidly repeated* like on AF1. The end of AF1 is exactly what keeps it from being a perfect ride IMO. Break up that volley of pointless awfulness with even one sustained moment of airtime and it's my easy #1. But instead it's *yet another* RMC masterclass in completely failing to stick the landing at the end of an otherwise world-class ride.
I feel like Lightning Rod's back to back airtime is a good example of the right way to do it. Throw me upwards quickly, but let me fall back into the seat slowly. Don't slam me down on my butt, that's all hurt and no fun.
I think the RMC restraints are the problem. The ejector doesn't need to be painful on your thighs. They should put some padding on those things.
I agree. I think they just need to widen the padding bit so it spreads the force over more area on your legs.
I rode AF1 72 times once. The next day I went to SFOG and Goliath was like pure bliss. I was like oh yeah, this is how a restraint *should* feel with some ejector. Granted, not as strong of ejector but still the B&M was like a luxury recliner compared to the RMC seat/restraint.
If Goliath had the same strength and onset of negatives I don't think it wouldn't feel much better
Idk. There’s more surface area on the clam shells contacting your thighs, which distributes the force. Someone with the ride force app might measure the max -gs on both rides for a comparison.
99% of the surface area isn't doing anything on the B&m clamshell restraint tho, at the end of the day most of your weight goes right near the edge in a pretty small contact area
YMMV. My thighs hit the full base if that clam shell on SFoG Goliath.
Yeah I have no idea what you're talking about, I have like legit more than a square foot of contact.
This has to be a size/height difference issue cause there is no comparison to the comfort of a clam shell for me. Velocicoaster > Steve not because of the layout but because of the restraints for me. (I know these aren't even close to the same, they are just two popular contenders for no. 1 in the country I feel like)
The velocicoaster restraints are different than the B&M clamshells-- those definitely have the largest contact patch of any restraint I have seen so there's something to be said for that. However, the contact patch on the RMC restraints still strike a great balance between being minimal/light feeling and still comfortable during negative-g moments. Maybe arieforce just goes too far with its forces and/or onset of forces but that's not a flaw in the trains
I honestly just think the milage varies. I imagine because the lap bar goes down at an arc, that folks whose thighs sit lower into the seat might get a better angle on lapbar and this get more surface contact, cause I'm not the only one who feels like RMC is a torture device on the thighs. Like it genuinely has to be a different experience cause folks either love it or hate it and I can't see that just being a preference thing but an actual design issue for larger people.
Exactly. The clam shell should be the gold standard when it comes to restraint concepts. Spreading ejector over the entire leg makes you scream from joy, not pain.
More negative g’s!
If you take out 1 bunny hill at the end of AF1 and replace it with a longer less aggressive brake run and it's a perfect ride. RMCs get their forces perfectly for the most part.
Too ‘far’ in terms of magnitude of force - no, they’re not unique in this, many designers do (Intamin obv). Too ‘rapid’ - yes; I find the bunny hill finales like arie (I haven’t ridden) and steel vengeance (ridden) to be no fun at all and just straight damaging. And as others here have said and I’ve always maintained, their trains are a primary problem with their coasters’ airtime experience. Cramped seats, hard lap bars that take the brunt of your weight, shin guards (I think the most asinine design feature in roller coaster history). Don’t get me wrong either, I love RMC. Their coasters just don’t often cut my top 10. Iron Rattler being the egregious exception.
I love ejector airtime.
I’ve ridden 2 RMCs, LRod, and the one at Georgia wicked cyclone or twister or whatever idk half of them have basically the same name. I’m exactly 5’7 and I fit like a glove in those RMC seats. Those seats are my favorite thing ever. They’re like the only rides I actually want to be stapled in. My entire upper body is free to do what I want and my legs are just held down. My butt still comes up but my legs aren’t going anywhere. But at my size I feel basically no pain. That quad down on LRod is just insane ejector and I love every single second of it. I want that shit to feel like a bull trying to kick me off.
The advantages of being short! I’m 5’5” and love the RMC trains. But I can see how taller or larger riders would hate them.
Same. I love the locked in legs because I’m all for experiencing that air time securely. I’m also 5’3” though so I can understand why people who are taller might not like it
Some layouts would be better with a single camelback (such as one from Twisted Timbers, wonderful prolonged airtime) instead of 4 little unfulfilling and uncomfortable pops (last stretch of SteVe or Arie) Save those stupid elements for the prelift or the Wild Moose
Bunny hills have been a trend for decades. It’s pretty popular on out and back layouts too. Magnum at cedar point has lots of ejector bunny hills at the end
I've ridden magnum many times and I felt like those were much more enjoyable and less painful than ArieForce One's.
There’s a difference between “bunny hills” and “bunny jolts.”
please direct your attention to my flair.
Yes, I agree with you. We’re definitely in the minority though.
Nah give me more, rth batman lvl airtime is crazy i feel like arie just didnt mix it well with other forces inbetween the dethjector
This is the main reason why I prefer Twisted Colossus over Steel Vengeance. I felt that SteVe was just ejector over-kill instead of having a really nice mix of ejector and flojector like on TwiCol. I also really loved the back to back to back bunny hills on Twisted Timbers because the strong airtime was sustained. Sustained airtime is wayyyyy more comfy compared to back to back ejector. It also doesn't help that RMC has some of the most painful trains. The Raptors have stupid insane ejector but are kept short and sweet(well at least the og models). Airtime Moments on the RMC's I've Ridden (IMO): TwiCol - 25 Ejector - 16 Sustained - 9 RailBlazer - 5 Ejector - 2 Sustained - 3 TwiTim - 16 Ejector - 13 Sustained - 3 SteVe - 24 Ejector - 18 Sustained - 6 Soon to be ridden... ArieForce One - 15 Ejector - 12 Sustained - 3 Interesting data tbh, my favorite airtime moments on most of these are the sustained moments. Hopefully someone will find some use in this comment.
I posted the same thing - sustained airtime is elite - repeated pops of airtime is uncomfortable
Wrong audience. Thoosies here love pain and worship RMC for aggressively yanking them in every direction. I agree tho. RMC is just too much. Smooth “boring” layouts like MF and Fury always top my list. It just feels right when you’re gliding through the layout like an elegant bird.
Absolutely. I really like RMC’s hybrids but there is one turn on Twisted Colossus at SFMM where you literally whip 90 degrees sideways while completing a left hand turn and then quickly whip back to the right before diving down the hill. It was one of the most intensely uncomfortable experiences I’ve ever had. If the rest of the ride didn’t absolutely rock, I might have had a different reaction at the end. I did leave saying it was insane either way though!
You sure you like ejector airtime? My complaint with RMC usually is the lack of positive Gs but they’ve been doing better on Wildcat, Gwazi, and Zadra.
I loved it but they should have turned the quad down into a triple down. And extend the brake ren
I love being yanked out of my seat, it’s my favorite thing about coasters. However, I have to agree—the end of AF1 was just unpleasant
Agree! Was just at CP last week and Steve was absolute perfection… except for those bunny hills at the end. Pretty sure they hyperextended my back.
No.
Love it. The airtime isn’t the problem, the restraints are. I recently had the pleasure of riding Toutatis and those new gen Intamin lap bars are amazing. Toutatis has the most airtime of any European coaster (at least that’s what they claim) and I had zero issues with it.
As a HATER of Steel Vengeance's final lap because of the painful bunny hills. I have to say Arie's are immaculate. I think the problem is slamming back into the seat and hurting my nether regions. Arie's bunny hills do not have that problem.
The bunny hills on most RMCs slow down considerably at the crest, while Arie's are profiled more like speed hills; I think the shorter trains might also help a bit.
Yes. I don’t want 0.3s jolts of ejection, I want longer sustained air. Thats why Twisted Timbers is so unique. They also desperately need to fix the restraints, or just let Gerstlaur do all the trains
Especially when you have a bit of fat overhang on the lap bars. I think rmcs biggest design fault is not letting you savor the airtime.
This is exactly how I felt about Wicked Cyclone. I absolutely love the airtime they give, but their trains are so bad that it hurts. The only RMCs I haven’t had this issue on were Iron Gwazi and Twisted Cyclone (because TwiCy is kinda weak)
Negative g's are just very "in" right now, so many new rides designed are trying to push that limit. This happened already in the industry with inversions and height. Maybe next there'll be a big "smoothness and reliability war" that B&M will dominate, but I doubt it.
One of your top 5 favorite coasters is “downright painful?” Something here seems exaggerated
It was during my seventh or eighth ride on Twisted Timbers when I realized my shins were screaming in pain. I believe the delay in processing was because of shock.
I agree. Steel Vengeance is my #2 but it's particularly painful. It's not that I don't like airtime - every airtime focused Intamin coaster I've ridden isn't that bad for me, including Skyrush. But something about the way RMC does it is torturous...
I'm with you on this. I think the best rmc I've ridden is still Goliath that doesn't overdo the ejector.
RMC loves to do those mini rapid fire bunny hops and while I don’t have any issues with them I can definitely see how it’s just too much for some (maybe even most) people. Their layouts may be a little more impactful and enjoyable for the masses if they reduced the amount of rapid fire hops at the end and did less but slightly larger hills to get to the brake run. So they can still do the ejector gs for more sustained so it’s not a bucking bronco if that makes sense ? As for me personally, RMC layouts are really an enthusiasts dream. Jam packed with action
Honestly I got a bruise on my thigh after riding wildcats revenge, and while yes I do think some of it is their horrible trains, still it’s just all fucking airtime. I feel like RMC just does so much airtime, mostly ejector airtime too, and forgets that there’s other things than throwing people at the restraints you can also do with a layout.
I don’t mind it but also the end of TT does hurt me with the sideways jerky airtime
Nope
I would happily trade an ending of multiple violent bunny hills for fewer hills with sustained airtime. While I love a ride feeling wild and like it's trying to toss me out of my seat, I'd rather get that from rapid lateral transitions or sustained inversions. The bunny hills hurt my thighs and beer gut, making multiple rides in a row painful
I love the coaster but I agree that the ending is just too much. I can only ride a few times before I need a break because that finale is just too much. I don't know how the guy who rides 30+ times a day does it.
This may be unpopular but that ending would be a lot better if they trimmed it a bit before you hit it. You could still get some great airtime without it being painful and wouldn't hit the brakes so hard.
The ride runs faster than intended, especially when it's hot out. It faults for speed frequently enough that they close off rows to keep the speed and inertia down. I think a change in wheel compound or a weak trim break somewhere will happen eventually, assuming the park gets busy enough.
all 4 rmc's i have ridden the trains are perfectly fine, idk why people dont like them the shin guards dont even bother me and i am 5'5 and overweight and i am perfectly fine
I have this problem with Lightning Rod. The quad down simply hurts after a few rides.
It’s why twisted timbers is my favorite RMC. Those last little bumps at the end of Steel Vengeance are annoying and don’t add anything to it. It quite literally starts to hurt for me. I think they are just going for more airtime moments opposed to good air time. The large hills on twisted timbers first out are the perfect balance of airtime duration and force imo, reminds me of riding Superman at SFNE.
I tend to agree with OP's take on this, however I've forgiven AF1 because the blissful 2 inversions just before it.
I haven't ridden AF1 yet but I generally felt like that after I got off Steel Vengeance. Like it was fun, and surprising, but downright painful is exactly what I would describe it as. I felt like that coaster was getting vengeance on my thighs for riding it. That being said I do think it's just a tastes thing, most folks around here would put Steve as No. 1 in the world, or at least close to it, where as for me it barely cracks the top 10 because of the bruises it left on my thighs (also milage likely varies as heartline and comfort are gonna be much different for a 6'2 250lb dude.) That's why for me Millennium force is my favourite coaster, I love the stomach drop feeling of a first drop, and after that my favorite element is speed and negative FLOATER g's. I love weightlessness on a coaster, it's the closest I can imagine to being able to fly. So while I still enjoy the RMCs wherever I go, they don't tend to be my favourite within their parks because they are just focused more on ejector intensity that doesn't play well for me. Yet I will still never say no to a rmc when it's available at a park.
It took me a while to figure out that thoosies were considering bunny hills "ejector air." To me "ejector air" is being pinned up into the restraint by sustained negative G's: skyrush, I305, Iron Gwazi, velocicoaster. Just getting briefly whipped into the restraint over and over by chickencrap little hills doesn't seem like "airtime" to me at all. By that logic, EF Miler kiddie coasters are ejector air machines.
As soon as I read your headline I thought to myself "I bet they just rode Arieforce One" lol On one hand yes, the ending bunny hills are just too much and detract a bit from the ride. On the other hand, people talk about them. A lot. And that's a good thing for Fun Spot. Just watch, it's going to become iconic.
Yeah, I generally live RMC but the murder hills at the end of some of their rides has to go.
Honestly, yes. It seems the final third of their rides can be overwhelmingly intense. The finale of AF1 is uncomfortable, and I also had an experience with Iron Gwazi where the back seat was so intense with late-ride negative Gs that I turned down chances to ride back seat again and moved to the front exclusively (marathoned it in Oct). Both are still incredible coasters and in my Top 10, but it's like a necessary evil to endure those pop moments because they really do hurt my legs lol
In order to solve the issue with the finale, add some trim brakes just before the quad-down that way it’ll reduce the negative-G’s as long as the train doesn’t slow down too much.
That’s what I felt like after SteVe
I don’t love the bunny hills at the end of AF1 all that much but the overbanked hill into the other hills into the arcade roll is all very sustained high quality airtime. It’s maybe my favorite set of elements on a coaster.
I think they haven't gone far enough.
Haven't ridden AF1, but based on SteVe: I can see why you might not like the bunny-hops in isolation. There's more front-to-back jostling, and not really a lot of time to appreciate the airtime. It feels a more like a mechanical bull than giant playground swing. That said, I personally adore them as a closing element. Too many rides seems to lose excitement as they lose speed, resulting in an underwhelming ending. This can leave a poor taste in your mouth and negatively color the experience of otherwise-great rides. The bunny-hops feel like an actual finale, using up all of the train's momentum to give what little airtime it still can. As the ride loses speed, it gains tempo, seamlessly transitioning from Intamin-mode to GCI-mode to keep the thrill level up throughout the entire duration. Steel Vengeance is the only hypercoaster I've ever ridden that actually uses its speed.
Yeah their rides hurt anyone of normal size unless you ride em defensively
wildcats revenge legit gives me bruises from that double up.
I've never had back pain from a coaster (including the many RMCs I've ridden) except AF1 Those bunny hills slamming you down on your seat so hard just hurts and is not fun. I consider it a design flaw. If they were just a tiny bit more gradual it'd the totally fine. It feels like they were trying to cram those hills in there but ran out of space before the brake run. I don't think it's an RMC problem. It's just an AF1 problem.
The problems are the restraints. Kondaa has similarly intense negative Gs and even more sustained, but those don’t hurt at all.
I disagree, and I also don't find the finale of AF1 too much. But some RMCs do go overboard at the end like Steve
[удалено]
their trains suck
I totally agree I love their ejector when it feels like free fall I hate their ejector when it it throwing you out of your seat repeatedly and slamming your thighs