Cyclone
Website: Six Flags New England Homepage
Ride Type: Wooden Coaster
Ride Status: Running
Average Rating: 3.7931
TPC Overall Rank: #220 out of 2933 rides.
Reviews: 100
Last Review: 12/14/2015 12:26:00 AM
In User Top 10: 38 times.
User Tracker Count: 170 times.
 


Cyclone

SFNE ran out of paint?

One of Cyclones Tight Turns

No trims today,

Creaping over the hill.

That little swoopy track.
    
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2 Rating
+1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up Canobie Coaster on 7/22/2007 2:10:00 PM
Here is one of the most heavily criticized coasters on the planet. It has an interesting layout, tall drops, and many twists and turns. So why is it criticized? Six Flags has supposedly turned one of the world's once best wooden coasters into only a shadow of its former self. For years I denied these accusations and actually found this classic woodie to deliver quite a thrilling and glass-smooth ride. However, my recent rides on this Cobb twister have tarnished my love for this wooden coaster and made me believe Six Flags’ butchering of this coaster.

Unfortunately I was too short to ride the Riverside Cyclone back in its heyday, but despite this, I could easily tell that Six Flags has tampered with the ride even without riding Riverside’s once great coaster. The most noticeable sign is the reprofiling of the first drop (the original track is still visible within the structure and can be seen if one looks closely enough) and the addition of many trims that really reduce the ride's speed at times to almost a crawl.

The ride experience begins with a long walk through the ride's structure to the station. Along the way are descriptions of some of the chain's current and former wooden coasters such as the Comet, Rattler, and Colossus. Once reaching the station, riders can generally select any seat they choose, but occasionally I have had ops that unfortunately assign seats for you. Generally lines aren't too bad for this (20 minutes at most), but they can get long due to common one train operations and the ride’s long duration mixed in with slow loading. Of all the seats, I honestly have no preference since the back is much wilder, but also quite uncomfortable, while the front simply lacks intensity, but is much more tolerable.

Upon dispatch, riders begin with a slow climb up the ride's lift hill. The views on the way up are quite good of the entire park and Agawam. But the views don't last forever as I was soon treated to a very steep and intense first drop that gave very abrupt ejector air. In fact, the air is possibly too abrupt for my tastes as with all of the major ejector air experienced in the back, it’s actually quite painful, especially when combined with the constant jackhammering that occurs simultaneously. Following that is a fast, but bumpy turn followed by another good-sized drop that caused my pelvis to beg for mercy.

Afterwards comes the second turnaround, which sadly is taken at a snail’s pace thanks to a killer trim brake. Following the turnaround comes the ride's largest drop that again gives some very abrupt but pain-inducing ejector air for back seat riders followed by the ride's third turnaround. This one is also taken far too slowly again thanks to a trim brake, but front seat riders do get one of the most powerful bursts of ejector air I’ve experienced on any coaster.

Commencing the second half of Cyclone is my favorite part of the ride, a very sudden drop through the structure that gives some incredible ejector air for back seat riders, as not only does it literally send riders airborn, but it also is the only one of the major drops that doesn’t have me routinely screaming in pain. Following that is yet another turnaround, where unfortunately the ride just loses most of its speed thanks to yet another trim brake, resulting in the final few hills being far too slow to give the great air they look capable of. All that I get are some weak laterals and plenty of jackhammering.

Way to go Six Flags! You’ve turned what once was one of the best wooden coasters anywhere into a shade of its former self and one of the most uncomfortable and lackluster wooden coasters I’ve ever been on. The great ejector air really makes the ride memorable, but it’s also the ride’s downfall because of the pain that it causes in collaboration with the dreaded jackhammering. Of SFNE’s two wooden coasters, Thunderbolt is far and away the better and more enjoyable of the two for so many reasons. Do I recommend it? Certainly, just I definitely recommend the front over the back since it is much more comfortable. If you so choose the back, be prepared for a ride stuffed with powerful ejector air and pain. That being said, the Cyclone is a very intense woodie for all the wrong reasons- incredibly painful ejector air and horrid jackhammering. I just can’t help but imagine what this must have been like before all the modifications.

5 Rating
+2 Rating Rate Down Rate Up biosciking on 4/2/2007 10:10:00 PM
Wow, what a mixed bag of reviews this ride has received. Living on the completely opposite side of the country, I didnt ride this lamenting the loss of what used to be. In fact, it was only sort of a foggy recollection in my mind that this coaster had been tampered with at all, being once the great Riverside Cyclone in pre-Six Flags days. The ride came across to me as a very typical late-70s, early-80s wooden coaster. In fact, there were posters of several of exactly this type of coaster while waiting in line to ride (i.e., SFMMs Colossus and SFOTs Judge Roy Scream). You do have to give these credit for being part of the wooden coaster renaissance, but theyre not really old enough to be considered classics and theyre certainly not mind-blowing enough in comparison to todays wooden monsters to be considered amazing rides. However, taken for what it is, I found Cyclone to be actually quite good. The layout was sort of unique, with the very photogenic turnaround after the first drop right next to a later turnaround at almost the exact same height level. None of the drops were huge, but I do remember a lot of lateral forces and a few spots of negative forces as well. Also, the speed was well maintained throughout. Ive seen POVs of this where the trim brakes appear to bring the train to a crawl as it undulates over portions of the track, but I did not notice this at all while riding. The entire ride was wild and rough, but not so much so that it was unpleasant. Its not the Coney Island Cyclone and its not El Toro, but for the thrill of a wooden coaster ride, I can still give SFNEs Cyclone a high rating.

5 Rating
+1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up Got_it on 11/1/2006 11:38:00 PM - User's Top Ride #2
Updated 11-20

If you have ever looked at my top ten, you will see I mostly like all the coasters everyone else hates. The Cyclone is my absolute favorite wood coaster of all time. What I like about it and everyone else hates about it is that its Wild and out of control. As you can see from my top 10 I like my woodies like that. When I ever make it out to Cedar Point I have a feeling Ill love Mean Streak, because it throws you around from what I have heard. Now everyone whines about how the Cyclone used to be such a good ride, and I just laugh at them. I think its just as good at it was before, but in a different way. Its unique in the way that I have never ridden another wood coaster with that kind of intensity packed into a somewhat small foot print this ride has a spot of ejector air so strong it is equal to S:ROS. The ride if most reminiscent of the Wild Cat at Hershey. I think that this ride was 15 years ahead of its time, look at the fancy new GCI coasters out there. Twisting drop, sharp turn, and speed though out the ride. Cyclone was just an early attempt of what was to come. This crazy little pile of sticks will throw you just about every way you can think you and leave you wanting more. Most people will disagree with me, but do me a favor next time you are up at SFNE take a walk up to the Cyclone, and sit in a front seat of a car so your not over an axle, and tell me what you think of this ride.

While its no longer the Riverside Cyclone I think it still gives just as good of a ride as it always did just in a different way, a way that it seams only I can appreciate.

What I do fear is that because they just painted it, that Cyclone wont see any TLC for at least 10 years. And its sad but true this coaster is rough on the rails and Six Flags just doesnt give their woodie the attention they deserve an just trim it up. I dont think they could trim this ride anymore, so I dont know what is going to happen to this historical ride, By 2016 there could just be a stupid Batman or SLC or Boomerang (knowing six flags) in its place and nothing else but the footers of a once great roller coaster you should get your rides in now before its too late.

3 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up sowinski on 9/9/2006 11:20:00 PM
A nice long track, but a terribly rough ride in any car. The front is bearable, but much farther back than that and you will be in damage minimization mode for the rest of your ride.

4 Rating
-1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up darobbert on 8/29/2006 5:08:00 PM
this took me by surprise
i enjoyed the fastness and unexpected intensity of this ride
it was a little bit more intense than thunderhawk at DORNEY PARK
i like this one better than thunderhawk

4 Rating
+1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up SLFAKE on 8/3/2006 10:06:00 AM
When I first saw this coaster (in pictures and in person) I wasnt expecting all that much. The first drop looks incredibly short (even the original first drop... as visible from the original tracks still in the structure) looked short... but it is very deceiving. The first drop is almost a double down... a small first drop, followed by a flat, slight raised section as it turns, and then the remainder of the drop. The pacing of this coaster is great and it is a wild and furious ride. The crest of the one hill (forget which one) has ejector air that keeps you praying that your seat belt / lap bar combo will hold. A word of warning: This is definately a "front seat coaster" for me. My rides in the front of the train were wild, intense, and rough... but FUN. My one (and only) ride in the back was brutal... to rough to be enjoyable.

4 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up llamaguy1 on 7/10/2006 12:25:00 PM
Rough but fun wooden coaster. The new queue is nice too. I never see long lines for it, and it is bright white.

4 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up rcnk on 10/25/2005 7:18:00 PM
From all the bad reviews for Cyclone,I was expecting a rough,painful ride. But, I really enjoyed this ride.The first drop is steep and the ride is long.The ride is rough, but IMO, its the fun,wild,out-of-control feeling rough.And I really like that.The Cyclone is a rough but wild ride and should not be missed.

1 Rating
+1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up CoastrGlxy on 10/12/2005 5:14:00 PM
This one takes the cake. My first and hopefully last 1. Unfortunately, I cant think of ANY positives and I got off this monstrosity holding my lower back. I felt more like 62 than 26. From the personality-less teens running the ride to the chipped paint to the single train operation with its back seat roped off. I think this coaster has seen better days. I could see where they had retracked it. Call me crazy but I dont think it worked. At least there was a very short wait and some decent rock playing in the station. Wow, theres two positives. So I lied. And forgive me woodie fans, I dont know this coaster from its hallowed past as the Riverside Cyclone. So it gets no points from me for its rep. All I have to judge it by is the rough, painful, trim break heavy trip I took on this demolition candidate. Final Rating - 1.0 (Unforgivable)

3 Rating
+3 Rating Rate Down Rate Up Timberman on 8/6/2005 1:08:00 AM
I first rode Cyclone circa 2002, after all the butchery had already been committed, and it reminded me of the painful, public decline of Chuck Norris: every once in a while it would throw you a really good move, but mostly it just lurched along in a stoic, wooden manner with very little inspiration or excitement. I was pulling for the Cyclone, just like I spent years pulling for Chuck. But all the great stuff Id heard so much about -- the world-beater status, the full-contact credibility -- seemed to have happened in another era. The here and now was mostly a Walker-like pastiche of embarrassing slow-motion movements, the same moves that at full-speed used to wow the fans and intimidate the haters.

You could still feel some spirit there, a sense that this old warhorse maintained some guts. But it had become, in its declining years, a pale imitation of its former glory, like the painful spectacle of a former world-class athlete pushing cheap exercise gizmos on late-night television. True, it could still land a backfist on your soup cooler once in a while, but in the end, these moments felt more annoying than thrilling, just gratitutous punishment that never amount to anything. Slowed and dumbed-down for the masses, it simply lacked that knock-out power.

Well, its heart was always in the right place, so you cant feel anger or betrayal, only regret. Maybe if it had better handlers. Maybe if it had kept in better shape. Maybe if it had stuck to its core audience, instead of trying to please everyone. Whatever the case may be, we cant live in the past. Jet-Li-like GCIs await us, and in S&S Power, we may have found our next Bruce Lee.

Yet let us pause for a moment to remember the cowboy-hat and chest-hair era, and give a silent nod of respect to one that arrived too late and lingered too long. Goodbye, Cyclone. We always believed in what you stood for.

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