Mean Streak- Redone

Sorry, would like the behemoth Mean Streak torn down because say that it's almost always walk on which means no one really rides and its very very painful front is painful back is painful middle is tolerable but still painful and it just you have to admit: wood is dead. I'll say it again: Wood is dead. Face it.

^ which is why RMC is a thing, which would revamp it. Or GCI to do something similar to what they're doing with Ghostrider.

cpworshiper said:

Sorry, would like the behemoth Mean Streak torn down because say that it's almost always walk on which means no one really rides and its very very painful front is painful back is painful middle is tolerable but still painful and it just you have to admit: wood is dead. I'll say it again: Wood is dead. Face it.

If you honestly think "wood is dead" (insert jokes here) then you haven't been on a good wooden coaster. There are still many fantastic wooden coasters out there, both old and new, that give a fantastic ride and are well maintained. White Lightning here in Orlando is a perfect example of a new wooden coaster that, despite its compact size, gives a brilliantly fun ride. And until this year, Holiday World has literally made a business out of wooden roller coasters.

Certain rides definitely have benefited from getting the RMC treatment, but I would be sad if that became the norm.

Just because Mean Streak sucks and Blue Streak is mediocre doesn't mean wooden coasters are dead.

There will always be some form of a market for wooden coasters, and they are far from dead. MS however, is one that should be, at least in it's current form.

I am just not sure I am bought on the whole GCI thing. A coaster this big is really one that I believe would benefit better from a RMC redo. I believe that RMC just makes much more exciting rides.

Wood is not dead, it's just not for wimps. If you don't like wood coasters don't ride them. Problem solved.

I realize I'm in the minority, but I can ride MS in the front, the middle, and the back (in fact most always choose the back of the train) with zero discomfort. I enjoy the ride and always have. Is it as good as it was on my honeymoon (opening year)? No. But it's still fun for me. Even though there is no exact science to this (or maybe there is), I've always been so curious as to how one ride can feel so different to so many people. It's got to be a combination of the ride, the speed, the person's position, the person's physical make up. I personally get a rougher ride on CCMR than I do MS. Go figure.

Regardless, MS is absolutely beautiful and I would hate to see it go away. Perhaps the park and those who can't tolerate the ride would benefit from a "makeover".

Wooden coasters are not dead, as evidence of the multiple installations we see world wide every season. However, large behemoth wooden coasters like Mean Streak as traditional wooden coasters are. Topper track and Iron Horse track can and have saved these rides, but I doubt we'll ever see a traditional wooden coaster the size of MS again.

Maybe some people can tolerate the jostling around better than others. I love wooden coasters. When I ride I just go with the flow and dont try to battle or ride defensively. Maybe just relax and the woodies will be more comfortable for you.

The Beast is still a great wood coaster. I found it to be enjoyable and not rough at all.

Go Intamin said:

^ which is why RMC is a thing, which would revamp it. Or GCI to do something similar to what they're doing with Ghostrider.

But when RMC is done it really isn't even a wood coaster anymore now is it?

Saying that wooden coasters are dead is perhaps one of the most uninspired, ridiculous statements a person can make. It is a statement made by someone that has no appreciation for the past, and no vision for the future. Look at the rides that have been inspired by wooden coasters from the past, both still in operation, and defunct. All the Cyclone clones. Hell, Gemini was a modern (in 1978) version of the classic racing coaster. The beauty of wooden coasters is that there is indeed a limit as to what can be accomplished. Which leads to far more vision, ingenuity, and inspiration. Instead of simply going higher, or faster, you have to try and be better than the last guy. Better use of terrain/geography. Better use of the allotted space, etc.As far as I see things, wooden roller coasters are merely in a lull in the U.S. Cycles occur with everything, including roller coasters. But the woodies that are being built are original, unique, and pushing new boundaries. I would love to expound on this further, but I have to go to work.

^ Well buddy I think you're on a roll. As far as wooden roller coasters go, they're not dead, you just have to travel to find the best ones. For example, Kings Island has the best wooden roller coaster(IMO) ever built. If you go the next state over, you have 2 out of 3 wooden roller coasters that are Awesome! I liked all three of them, but they need to give Legend some love because that was brutal last year. I actually thought Mean Streak was more tolerable than Legend. Before I close this post, I'm willing to bet Ghost rider will be a test and then they'll switch over to Cedar Point and work on Mean Streak.

Also we are seeing a huge push in wooden coaster technology. From topper track, which sits on a bed of wood like traditional track to a new shuttle coaster from Gravity Group in Texas. More inversions, better train design, etc. I think the trick, in my opinion to a good wooden coaster isn't height or speed but good solid elements and pacing. I would replace a huge ride like MS for a ride like Phoenix (Knoebels), the Big Dipper, or anything at Kennywood any day. To me when wooden coasters tend to be taller then 120ft give or take that's when they start to beat the crap out of themselves and in turn the rider.

Halfpint said:

I've always been so curious as to how one ride can feel so different to so many people.

Different people just have (sometimes greatly) different tastes. I have a friend who's an absolute foodie -- except she hates recognizable tomatoes (if they're pulped up in a sauce, she's good; if they're sitting there in slices on a sandwich, no thanks). Five people riding Mean Streak at the same time will have five different opinions about how good/bad/great/awful it is.

Well played, Kevinj, well played :-)

Halfpint said:

I've always been so curious as to how one ride can feel so different to so many people. It's got to be a combination of the ride, the speed, the person's position, the person's physical make up. I personally get a rougher ride on CCMR than I do MS. Go figure.

Physics is what it is, regardless of a "person's physical make up". You're just more willing to tolerate the rough ride. Which is fine, different strokes and all that. Though I call BS on CCMR being "rougher" than MS. More jerky (as in sudden or jarring transitions), sure. But rougher (as in shaking or vibrating the hell out of you)? Not even close.

And let's not kid ourselves - MS has never been a particularly inspired ride. It was an ego build, designed to the tallest, at the apparent expense of most other redeeming qualities. It's no accident that aside from The Voyage (which is a hybrid), all taller wood coasters use either topper or prefab track.

Regardless, MS is absolutely beautiful and I would hate to see it go away. Perhaps the park and those who can't tolerate the ride would benefit from a "makeover".

While I agree that MS does look beautiful, that shouldn't be among the most redeeming qualities of a roller coaster. And yet that seems to be the most common compliment I hear paid to MS.

I was on a roll, and I had so much more to say. Then I realized that time had slipped away, and I had to go put in my 12. Now I'm home after another long night, I'm tired, and I want to finish my beer, and go get some sleep. I hate when I have to cut short my ramblings, but maybe I will feel inspired to finish tonight before work.

djDaemon said:

Physics is what it is, regardless of a "person's physical make up". You're just more willing to tolerate the rough ride. Which is fine, different strokes and all that. Though I call BS on CCMR being "rougher" than MS. More jerky (as in sudden or jarring transitions), sure. But rougher (as in shaking or vibrating the hell out of you)? Not even close.

As has been pointed out, different strokes. You can call BS on that comment all you'd like. I stand by my comment that I do have a "rougher" ride on CCMR than on MS. I'm not saying that CCMR is uncomfortable or not enjoyable. I'm simply stating that, for some reason, CCMR likes to jostle me around much more than MS.

When it comes down to it, I can't think of a Summers & Dinn wooden coaster that is highly regarded in any way outside of The Beast. I even remember at one time reading a quote saying they did not look to include airtime on their wooden coasters, which is often one of the best aspects of a good wooden coaster.

The lessons learned that bigger and faster doesn't translate into a better ride were learned on coasters like Mean Streak. Growing up in Northern Ohio with Mean Streak and Raging Wolf Bobs, it took my first trip to Kennywood to learn what a "real" wooden coaster collection was like. Prior to that it was just Big Dipper.