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 Review of Cyclone @ Six Flags New England
2 Rating Posted by: Mt. Flyer on 3/3/2005 3:51:00 PM
The Riverside Cyclone was once considered one of the greatest and scariest coasters in the world. As recently as the 2000 season one could experience this creature almost as it was in 1983 when brand new. The only difference was the second drop, which had been raised up about eight feet the previous year (1999)to help the Morgans make it up the next hill. In 2000 the PTCs returned and the Cyclone was in top shape, frightening park guests and reminding them you dont need hundreds of feet of steel first drop for a top notch ride. Unfortunately SF has gotten cheap and didnt want to pay for the constant repairs from the much heavier PTCs, so they reprofiled the first drop by about twenty feet. The ride was still great until the adding of trim breaks on the final third of the coasters run. Sometimes they slow Cyclone down so much that it just crawls back to the station. My rating is based on the runs when the trim brakes dont engage or dont engage to the fullest, at those times Cyclone shows it still has a strong heart beating just below the surface.
 

Review Comments

papa1958 on 3/4/2005 2:19:15 PM said:
Excellent review. Full of interesting information and perspectives.
Mt. Flyer on 3/4/2005 3:33:18 PM said:
Thanks, I love this coaster and havent quite given up on it yet. Everything that made it a world class ride is still there, it just needs to be brought out. Hey, theres got to be SOME reason SF left the original drop under the new one.
papa1958 on 3/7/2005 11:17:42 AM said:
I wouldnt count on them going back to the old drop. It was probably just cheaper to leave it there, even though it looks bad. I think this remains a good ride today if the trims are turned down and if they run two trains on busy days.
mrceagle on 3/7/2005 2:38:38 PM said:
I will admit it was a nice review. but I cant beleave you gave ti a 9 givin its changes and the way it runs. you much ahve riden it on some extreamly lucky days if you have rides good enoupg for that sort of rating. latly the trains have been Squealing and runign slow. the last day of operation they barly made it through the top hill and ran slow and rough through the layout.This coaster is slowly diyign and they seem to be tryign to get people to hate this so they can justify removing it for other atractions.
Mt. Flyer on 3/7/2005 5:15:12 PM said:
Why is a nine so unbelievable? This is a great coaster with a very creative layout. Not one time in all my visits to SFNE last summer were the trims set heavily, the result being the final run was taken with almost the same speed as one would have had in the 1980s. Take away the trim issue and the next major issue is the first drop. If you didnt catch it in my review, I consider the trims MUCH MORE DAMAGING to this ride than the reprofiling of the first drop. I dont like the 2001 drop, but I can deal with it. With the trims turned down, the way I experienced Cyclone last summer, its still a thrilling ride. As for squealing, this coaster has always squealed, thats the nature of this ride.
ibluv on 3/7/2005 6:05:57 PM said:
This ride terrified me as a kid. I rode it only once when I was about eight and in the old Morgan trains there was no seatbelt and 2 feet of space between my knees and the lapbar. The airtime was so intense that I was constantly up out of my seat and my knees were touching the lapbar and it was the only thing that kept me from flying out. I was too young to appreciate that kind of airtime back then, and now, more than a decade later I´m afraid to go back and ride it. I´m afraid I´ll be disappointed cuz the ride has apparently changed so much and it won´t terrify me again. Guess I should´ve taken better advantage of the good ole days.
Mt. Flyer on 3/7/2005 6:44:00 PM said:
Its unfortunate that the ride is not what it once was. But the point of my review is that on those days that the trim breaks either dont engage or only engage lightly, the coaster ride is still very similar to the original ride. It is terrible when those breaks do engage though, slows the train down horribly. Unfortunately there seems to be no way of knowing when those trims will engage.
ibluv on 3/7/2005 7:11:23 PM said:
With my luck the trims will be engaged to their fullest the day I DO decide to go
mrceagle on 3/8/2005 2:45:37 PM said:
Im a purist. When Somthign works well changing makes no sence to me. The changed drop was a rap of the coasaters disign. the trims make it a terable coaster. coasters dont naturaly squeal. that is do to lake of proper maintanince. This coasater is slower then it wonce was and at times even without trims has trouble getign through the layout. they really messed things up.
papa1958 on 3/8/2005 3:10:43 PM said:
Count me in on the Cyclone. I also gave the ride a "9" even in its current incarnation.
ibluv on 3/8/2005 4:55:35 PM said:
So there´s hope for me...
Mt. Flyer on 3/8/2005 7:25:49 PM said:
I agree that the changes have been unneeded. However the coaster still has value, especially when one rides it on those excellent days the trims dont heavily engage. As far as the trains not making it through the layout, youre confusing the old Morgan trains with todays PTCs. With no trims those Morgans still valleyed all the time. The PTCs in use since 2000 have never valleyed, even with the trims.
mrceagle on 3/9/2005 2:31:03 PM said:
Im not saying they valleyed. but the train was comign close to it closign day. on the second turn it was crawling through the turn and barly made it over the hill.
Mt. Flyer on 3/9/2005 3:42:52 PM said:
Yes, I see what you mean. I dont understand the need for those trims to be set that high.
mrceagle on 3/9/2005 5:12:49 PM said:
Ok, hopefully you can now see why I cant see the 9. I wish I could i wish I could catch a ride worthy of one. but I havnt in years. normaly Im just pissed when I get off this thing do to the ride.
ibluv on 3/9/2005 5:33:14 PM said:
Does it even have any semblance of airtime left?
Mt. Flyer on 3/10/2005 11:33:00 AM said:
But my point is, in the past year, Ive only had rides on Cyclone where the trims only slightly engaged or didnt engage at all, leaving the last leg of the trip quite exciting. Therefore my biggest complaint about Cyclone is the re-profiling of its original 1983 drop. Now if every time I rode Cyclone those trims came on full blast, I admit I would be really upset.
mrceagle on 3/11/2005 4:15:44 PM said:
The rie needs to be redone. much of it has setteled and that is causign allot of the trouble. the coaster cars are porly maintained and run slower then required most of the time. I admit on my last visit th elast run was prity good. butthe begining was frightinign on the idea that I may not make it to the end.
Mt. Flyer on 3/11/2005 8:14:35 PM said:
I must say I agree with you that what Cyclone really needs is a major overhaul. With the right ad campaign it could draw major attention to the park. "A Classic Reborn" could be the theme of the ad.
mrceagle on 3/12/2005 2:17:54 PM said:
Ive seen some photos of this coaster from 83 the ride was settles and im not suprised it can get prity mudy in that area. If they woudl redo the intire track ans reset the levels to its origanal operatign grid. I think they coudl make somthign special out of it. replace the PTCs with GCII Millenium Flyers. they will offer a better ride.
Mt. Flyer on 3/12/2005 3:43:29 PM said:
That would be very interesting, to have Millenium Flyers on this coaster. Everything about this ride screams "potential", especially with the 83 drop still sitting under the 2001 reprofile, it practically screams "bring me back".
mrceagle on 3/12/2005 5:58:19 PM said:
I agree. Personaly if they they woudl have removed the origanal drop I would liek it better. its just a reminder of how good this ride used to be.
bumprnugit on 3/13/2005 1:06:43 AM said:
Im sorry to say I have absolutely no faith in 666 Flags management of ANY wooden roller coaster, now, or in the future. If the Cyclones ride dynamics on the structure were as easy to fix as running a shorter, articulating train (like the GCI Millenium Flyers) then why trash the Morgan trains? The Rye Dragon Coaster and Le Monstre in Montreal still run Morgans, and if any coasters would benefit from running GCIs it those two! Look at what has happened to the Great Escape Comet; that coaster needed no reprofiling, but Six Flags seems to think it does, even after years of superb operation. The new generation PTCs are heavier, and do carry momentum better then the Morgans, but their tracking on The Cyclone is horrible! I will agree, that first drop aside, and if the trim brakes are off, The Cyclones ride after the drop that runs parallel to 159 is still intense. But I think the first drop is crucial to this ride; it used to start out with a startling steep drop and strong banked turn, offer some pauses with some intense moments, then finish the ride after a wild "S" curve, bunny hill, and sharp right turn into the brake shed. SFNE has a hit with SRoS, so why try to re-engineer their idea of "yesterdays flavor"? I expect things to get worse from here on, so, even though I may continue to ride the "Cyclone", it will never be the ride I used to call #1.
mrceagle on 3/13/2005 6:52:58 PM said:
Thats the way I feel. I two ride it each time I go to the park but often walk away unhappy. SF dosnt care about wood coasters. I will have to see how the Comet is this upcomign season. Unfortunatly this s a problem with many parks and coampanys. they get newer trains but the coasters that are far older cant handle the weight.
Mt. Flyer on 3/14/2005 10:19:48 AM said:
This is unfortunate because a properly running Cyclone is the perfect compliment to S:ROS. But this is becoming an issue everywhere, not just at Six Flags parks. A properly running Mean Streak would be a perfect compliment to go along with Millenium Force, instead it simply reduces the rider to boredom. Come on parks, look at how (last year) Thunderhead came from behind and stole the limelight from many other high profile steel coasters that were supposed to "be it". The public wants a "complete" park experience, and that means well designed and maintained wood coasters as well as all the new designs coming out.
mrceagle on 3/14/2005 11:43:23 AM said:
True. Even canobie has been reprofiling the back turn this off season. And I dont think it will be for the better. it makes the coaster two basic.

SFNE has 1 truly amazign coaster and even thatthey havnt taken care of well. the rest of there coasters are ok. BAtman is great but they need to take beter care of it. they need to showcase there wood coasters and make them park of the majisty of the park.
ibluv on 3/14/2005 6:04:21 PM said:
Exactly. ItLs hard for me to go there every year cuz ILm afraid ILll be disappointed by the wood, especially when thereLs a perfectly good coaster much closer to home.
mrceagle on 3/14/2005 8:29:01 PM said:
I go to SFNE because the season pass is cheap. I actually tend to go to TGE as many times and its ferther away. they to have only one signature coaster. but TGE has a better feal.
ibluv on 3/15/2005 3:40:51 PM said:
ILll bet it does. ItLs in a less congested area than SFNE.
mrceagle on 3/19/2005 10:10:02 AM said:
Thats not what I mean. i have been to TGE when it was verry crowded. Keep in mind its a large turist area. But The areas are mostly well themed and the ride solection good. I feel they nhave too many Kiddie rides especially now that They added the Lonney toon NAtional Forist. But the park has better Customer Service and the overall satisfaction is higher when it comes to the park itself.
By the way have you ever been there?
ibluv on 3/19/2005 4:23:41 PM said:
I almost went last summer, but something came up last minute (I think I told you awhile back). I hope to get there soon but probably not this year cuz ILm gonna be short on cash and jobless when I return to the States in June.
mrceagle on 3/19/2005 6:49:30 PM said:
Al long as you have a SF Season pass you can hit TGE. if in a clinch try going at the end of the season There Fright fest is great. they have one fantastic Hounted house and a ton of stuff out and about the park. But the park will be their next year. Im in the same spot no maney and still looking for a job. At least I have school.
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