For those of us over 40.

How has your park visiting habits change. Do you ride as much? I seem to ride as many rides but the list of rides I don't do anymore seems to be growing steadily. I do pretty good with motion sickness. maxair was a huge problem for me when I rode it, which is strange because I handle delirium just fine. I really which I liked maxair more. I do ok on coasters and enjoy them as much as ever. I am always paranoid with each passing year that something is going to happen to make me have to quit riding. I know that's silly but that's just the way I am. I go to the doctor regularly and things are fine but the paranoia always statrs to creep in.

Im not 40 or anywhere close (14) but my mom is 37 and both my grandmas are 60. They all go to Cedar Point every year. They all ride everything except the flats because they get dizzy but on the other hand so do I.

Yeah so if they can fit they ride.

I'm in my mid 40's and thought that I was done until I 1st rode Magnum in 2003. I'm hooked and don't plan on ever giving up riding unless it is unhealthy. There was a 78 year old man that rode TTD 250x a few years back. I have met and seen many regulars during Joe Cool early entry that are old enough to be my Dad, including the infamous "single rider" that runs to every ride. Keep riding and keep having fun! I ride everything, flats and the rest and plan to continue to do so. :)

Ride on...

Does the "single rider" that you speak of wear a neon yellow t-shirt?

Sounds like him. His name is Bob. He is a very nice gentleman. I saw him at the park several times during this past season. He was trying to get a mavi last rider ticket and I was sad to find that he was not able to secure one. I think he said he has a screen name on here so maybe he will pop up!

Peace, Mikey

I am close to 40 and I know that my ride habits have changed! I am happy that I can still ride the coasters! They are my favorite! But I can't do the spinning rides like I used to . My balance goes off which is wierd because when I was younger, I could spin around on the rides for hours and nothing would bother me!

Keep enjoying the Point, Tim! I'm 50, and, with the exception of some of the spinning rides and the rougher coasters (can you say Mantis), I enjoy the rides like the youngster I used to be.

Mid 40's here and I can still ride everything! (Thank God)

I thought Chaos might through me for a loop, but no problem at all!

I'm 42 and love the coasters more than ever. I can still ride all the flats with no problem at all. The only thing I notice now is that I really feel beat up after riding the wood coasters like The Beast and Son of Beast. I plan on riding for another 40 years...lol

i am going to be 40 in 10 days and my riding habits started changing a couple of years ago.

like Tim, i still get as many laps in as i can, but my list of rideable coasters has gone down. i just cant DO upside down anymore, so i try to save those for last.

one trip to SFGAm i rode SUF, then DV immediately after and i hade to leave for the day. just couldnt do it anymore. thank GOD that was a free trip!!

when it comes to CP, though, i will try to ride everything at least once and spend more quality time with Millie, Maggie, Draggie and Blue Streak.

between the age, the MS and the less-than-frequent riding i do, its a crap-shoot at this point. (havent been on a coaster since 2004)

I am not there yet (& not about to tell my age...a lady never tells ;)), but I can't ride what I once did. Spinning flats, & too many twists (Maverick, Raptor :() messes with my equilibrium & puts me out of commission for hours.

The G-force issue is a factor in considering how to proceed as you age in reference to rides. Blood flow to the brain is impeded with those kind of forces, so if you aren't healthy (not just a good weight, I mean heart & vessel healthy), it is not wise to not adjust your thrill ride available options. Stroke or other neurological damage could result if you push yourself beyond your body's ability to compensate.

I mean, we're talking astronaut/fighter pilot forces in some of these rides. I'm assuming that the "single rider" guy is in good shape, eats healthy, doesn't smoke & exercises on a regular basis to be 78 & still riding thrill rides without any problems.

Just an IMO from your resident PointBuzz nurse. :)

I remember 40! ;)

I fear too that one day I won't beable to ride like I do now. I have noticed that some of the spinning rides (MaxAir and Monster for example) makes me feel like I am going to hurl. Yet I have no problem riding Raptor all day long.

I will however admit going to a chiropractor for the 1st time ever last year and OMG my back and neck were a MESS! Doc asked me if I was sure I had never been in a car accident!
I blamed all the horse related falls over the last 20 years, but I am sure that all my coaster riding the past 10+ years certainly isn't helping!

I have no plans on EVER stopping riding coasters, and look forward to the day I can proudly take my future Grandkids on their 1st coaster ride.

Jo
Lifetime Raptor flights: 1229 :)

I just hit forty a couple weeks ago. I feel like I'm going strong. Most coasters feel pretty much the same to me, and I'm usually able to re-ride as often as I did in my twenties. It seems like I don't quite have the same stamina for an open to close day like I once had, but it hasn't been a huge drop-off.

About six or seven years ago, my back was in agony. (I may have told this anecdote before.) Like a fool, I got on MS anyway, and received a rough, slapping, painful ride the whole way through.

Got off, and my back was perfectly pain-free...and remained that way the rest of the season.

Proof that MS is indeed useful for something! :)

Okay, I'll leave, and all you who are over the hill can continue talking. ;)

I don't recall what his name was Mikey, but he had grey hair and was probably in his late 50s and most likely in his 60s. He tagged along with another fellow who recently served in Iraq. Both were cool to talk to and were having a good time at the park. I ran into them the first weekend in October on Millenium.

My wife got me a 2008 platinum pass for my 41st birthday last month, and I plan to make full use of it!

There was a period of a couple years a while back where my vision was going out on coaster loops.. mostly on Corkscrew. Second time that happened I decided I was done with Corkscrew. I got it a little on MF but this past summer I was totally fine. I think it relates (for me at least) to 1) getting enough sleep 2) hydration 3) clear sinuses. The sinuses being important for sense of equilibrium/balance.

I've always be VERY prone to car-sickness, but never had a problem on coasters.

I don't really do the flats much anymore.. partly because I get dizzy, partly because I'd rather be on a coaster!

Hello... Long-time lurker, newly-registered, first post.

Just to share my experience about changed ride habits: Two years ago, at 49, I had an unexpected and unprovoked ruptured disc. It caused a vertebra to slam against, and pinch, the sciatic nerve. The pain was unbelievable and relentless.

I was in hospital for five days simply for pain management. (My Dad had triple bypass last year and was in for just three days.) I would have been whisked into surgery for spinal fusion if I was not a smoker. (This has turned out to be a blessing, though.) On the fifth day, I opted for a cortisone injection into the disc and was sent home.

It's been just over two years and I have had no problems with back pain or sciatica. I am *SO* glad that surgery was not performed as the vast majority of reports have said post-fusion patients experience no change or actually have more frequent problems.

Getting to ride habits: I rode rollercoasters since I was at least six years old. The track record was/is just over over 750. And that is where it's staying. I do not believe the possible recurrence of the pain to be worth any rollercoaster ride. I'm resigned to forceless rides (trains, ferris wheels, etc.) from here on out. I ride vicariously through DVDs and NoLimits creations.

So, enjoy the coasters while you can and for as long as you are able, health-wise. One never knows when something - anything - will happen to change your life.

Dave (The 51 year-old fogey on the Antique Cars who hopes nobody rams into the back of the vehicle.)

Shoe: you had better be extra careful. Vision loss can be a "gray out" that is associated with the blood vessels in your brain.

DaveDz: welcome! Why is it that some moron always rams the back of your car in spite of numerous warnings posted?

BlueStreak: get back to your play pen. ;)

I know that now that I am in my 30's,that I have been keeping myself in better shape and I love my coasters!This summer I had a season pass to Geauga Lake and I went 22 times and my kids and I rode the Dominator on a averag of 6 t imes a visit! I went to Cedarpoint in the fall and the Raptor was great! I hope I am like like my dad who just turned 80 this fall and he still rides the coasters!

The sinuses being important for sense of equilibrium/balance.

Could you elaborate on that just a bit? This might help explain a problem I had at the Point this year that I had never encountered before.

Im only 30, in great shape, weight, etc...but I had a slight sinus irritation due to allergies when we went on closing day, and after we rode Raptor I felt so...well..."out of whack". It usually subsides within a few minutes, but it persisted the rest of the day, along with some serious sinus pressure. Your comment just made me think. I had never considered the role of the sinuses in equilibrium, but it makes sense.