How do you Ride?

Ride Mantis in the back and raise your feet going over the frist drop. That's a pretty cool sensation.

Edit: Just make sure to put them down before the bottom of the drop, otherwise you'll hurt a lot, especially if you're a guy. *** Edited 7/8/2004 7:02:53 AM UTC by Ralph Wiggum***

i put my hands up first ride on any coaster...except of course the ones that wont allow you too. But thats IMO is the best way to ride.

I no longer go on Mantis... Unless I'm with a group of people who have never been on it before. I just can't seem to get the seat at the proper height.

I started out riding in terror of my life, with lap bars locked all the way down and strapped so tight I couldn't breathe. Last Friday it was pretty much the other way around. I had slack in the lap bars, and the belts were snug, but not squishy tight. I was getting massive hands-up airtime on the Magnum's first hill, and the Gemini helix pretty much tossed me around the car like a cork. I was locked down in the Corkscrew, but my lower body was floating in the nose of the car like I was riding the Vomit Comet.

I paid for it the next day, big time. All of a sudden I had a huge bruised lump on my right leg, the size of a softball. Came out of nowhere, and it's still there, and going down slowly. Those lap bars pounded my leg, especially on the bunny hills over the course of 11 total trips on the Magnum, and the pretzel on those untrimmed runs. My left leg has a sore spot, but no bruising. So, next time I go, I will be cinching down my belt, and locking my lap bar to prevent further physiological damage. It was fun, but I guess I need to reduce my exposure to high-G acceleration changes on a constant basis. :(

I usually ride hands up, although it usually depends on my mood, sometimes I feel like it, sometimes I don't. Hands up on Timbers is the best, especially during the return because they have some awesome head-choppers on there which are just perfectly placed. Of course, I'm riding hands up while my fiancee is next to me with a white-knuckle and her eyes closed, and we were in only the second car.

I love the "no-control" feeling from having my hands up its tons o fun.

John