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How many rides to judge a coaster?

davidm said:
0 - in these days of the internet, most people judge coasters based on a POV or someone else's stupid opinion of a ride posted on some social media?
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And you confirm later that this is yet another reference to Taron. :eek: That last phrase of yours -- so utterly wrong on several levels, but I'm not going there yet again. In the original conversation your bizarre invention of an argument that never existed had already moved from desperate and stubborn to a tad deranged, so I stepped out and gave you the last word, which you then made several very classy uses of. Clearly this matter touched a nerve, forcing you to invent a fantasy obsession rather than move on.

But move on. I assure you it'll be liberating. Otherwise, you can spend the rest of the year tilting at those nasty windmills, but they'll never be giants.

Now drop the matter and play nice.
 
The "0" comment was against the utter stupidity of forming opinions based on POVs or someone else's viewpoint.
Good that you recognise an example of this, by far not the only example on here, so not directed at you solely.

(and if you expect coaster geeks on the internet to not take the piss, I think you have a lot to learn - its all good clean fun, don't worry about it too much)
 
davidm said:
The "0" comment was against the utter stupidity of forming opinions based on POVs or someone else's viewpoint.
Good that you recognise an example of this, by far not the only example on here, so not directed at you solely.

(and if you expect coaster geeks on the internet to not take the piss, I think you have a lot to learn - its all good clean fun, don't worry about it too much)
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Yes, *I'm* the one worrying about it too much, by not commenting on it for a week while you kept bringing it up ... almost as if you thought you had a coherent point to make, rather than just 'taking the piss.' But I'll ignore your repeating your weird, delusional accusation yet again in your first paragraph, and I'll take the new urine-extraction pose in the parentheses; it's an improvement.
 
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Howie said:
It takes.... however many rides one has on it, surely?
Whether you've ridden something once, or a hundred times (or in some cases, not at all) you still make a judgment about it. Maybe not the judgment, maybe not your final judgment, maybe not even the popular judgment... but a judgment nonetheless. Semantics? Probably, but in the end all any of us can do is judge a coaster by how many times we've ridden it.

Which is basically yet another way of saying "Dunno, it depends" then. :)
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I agree with this (and yes, with davidm's original "dunno, it depends"), which is why I can't answer my own question.

This summer in particular just really made me feel the arbitrariness of my own assessments of coasters, even as much as I consciously try to be consistent. But I guess arbitrary is the best we've got, in coasters and in life. :p
 
If I'm seriously considering it for a spot in the upper realms, usually between 2 and 4.
It's very difficult to judge it on a first, there's a lot of extra factors like anticipation going on, perhaps experiences or elements that are new but may quickly wear off.
Round 2 is the time to be cold and clinical about it, a bit more of a level headed assessment.
3 or 4 should be when you know you're starting to fall for it or not, you become a bit more accustomed to the character of the ride. You still get that little buzz of excitement entering the queue for it again and again. Or you don't bother.
 
I'm with @Hixee 100% on this: the ideal scenario allows you to ride multiple times in front, back, middle, etc. to get the best feel of the roller coaster.

Yet so much of our riding experience is also contextual, and depends on the exact moment we rode. Weather, time of day, the group you visit with, riding on the wheel, etc. all play into your perception of the ride, and will vary each and every time you ride. This is why I have placed RF II, Maverick, and Storm Chaser so high - I have ridden all of these roller coasters in so many different conditions, and each time was just as good as the next. AND in turn, I rank X2 higher than most, because I have only ever ridden it at night, with a fun group of friends, and always had a blast. My personal rankings are a hodgepodge of statistically significant, good roller coaster, and what also felt good at the time.

Of my top ranked roller coasters, it's actually surprising to reflect how little I have ridden each one respectively. I guess overall, I have simply stuck to how each ride felt, and rerode whenever possible (though apparently that isn't often).
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Hyde said:
I'm with @Hixee 100% on this: the ideal scenario allows you to ride multiple times in front, back, middle, etc. to get the best feel of the roller coaster.

Yet so much of our riding experience is also contextual, and depends on the exact moment we rode. Weather, time of day, the group you visit with, riding on the wheel, etc. all play into your perception of the ride, and will vary each and every time you ride. This is why I have placed RF II, Maverick, and Storm Chaser so high - I have ridden all of these roller coasters in so many different conditions, and each time was just as good as the next. AND in turn, I rank X2 higher than most, because I have only ever ridden it at night, with a fun group of friends, and always had a blast. My personal rankings are a hodgepodge of statistically significant, good roller coaster, and what also felt good at the time.

Of my top ranked roller coasters, it's actually surprising to reflect how little I have ridden each one respectively. I guess overall, I have simply stuck to how each ride felt, and rerode whenever possible (though apparently that isn't often).
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I agree with what you say, but wow, that's some meticulous record-keeping!

(And I don't think I've ever seen a top twenty with Apocalypse in it. I mean, for me the ride gets unfairly maligned as I liked it enough, but I'm still surprised to see it in a top twenty.)
 
MestnyiGeroi said:
I agree with what you say, but wow, that's some meticulous record-keeping!

(And I don't think I've ever seen a top twenty with Apocalypse in it. I mean, for me the ride gets unfairly maligned as I liked it enough, but I'm still surprised to see it in a top twenty.)
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Those were best guesses at ridership, especially the higher counts. But... my full ranking spreadsheet goes even further... with charts!
 
Usually when I find a top 10 ride I'll whore it as much as I can. Helix only really impressed me on the last ride at night though. WC, BoulderDash and Phoenix I would have ridden more but had time constraints. But I don't count every lap.
I know it's amazing after a couple of runs though, Helix is the only one in this list that took until the last ride

Lightning Rod - 10+
Skyrush - 10+
El Toro - 10+
Taron - 10+
Helix - 5
Fury - 15+
Wildfire - 15+
Wicked Cyclone - 5+
BoulderDash - 5
Phoenix - 3
 
@Hyde's point is a good one. I had a look at my top five and their ride count:

1. Lightning Rod - 5
2. Taron - 11
3. Boulder Dash - 7
4. X2 - 4
5. Fury 325 - 5

Goes to show that it does seem to take a reasonably number of rides to break in to my top five.

I haven't done my top ten as it all falls apart after position 5! I haven't reshuffled things properly.
 
I usually need more than 1 ride, but there are special exceptions. The most notable is my number one, X2. I only got one ride, but I don't think any ride could ever beat that one ride. Timing, seat, and expectations were perfect. It just blew away everything I possibly could have thought I was going to experience. I'm afraid a reride would actually harm the ride's position. Well, as for the rest, I generally need about 3 rides to really judge it. I didn't think any of the rest of my top 10 was great until my subsequent rides. I think both Shambhala and Iron Rattler are rides that I can't fairly judge because I only have one ride. I imagine on their subsequent rerides that I would have enjoyed them a lot more. Anywho, I'll still do my rides for my top 10.

  1. X2- 1
  2. Lightning Rod- 5
  3. Skyrush- 8
  4. Boulder Dash- 7
  5. El Toro- 30+
  6. Voyage- 7
  7. Superman- 4
  8. Outlaw Run- 30+
  9. Fury 325- 4
  10. Phoenix- 2
 
Edward M said:
The most notable is my number one, X2. I only got one ride, but I don't think any ride could ever beat that one ride. Timing, seat, and expectations were perfect. It just blew away everything I possibly could have thought I was going to experience. I'm afraid a reride would actually harm the ride's position.
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I totally understand - having only ridden X2 ~11:30 PM at night after an exhausting day in the park; I'd fear what the ride experience would be like in the beginning of the day when I'm full of more energy. :P
 
My quick answer would be at least three. Front and back definite, and whichever I prefer, go more middle and that direction. Seeing the most recent comments of how many times on top coasters, I feel my numbers warrant my statement.

1. Outlaw Run-15
2. Storm Chaser-8
3. X2-75
4. Maverick-1
5. Joker-1
6. Twisted Colossus-10
7. Iron Rattler-4
8. Voyage-10
9. New Texas Giant-20
10. Lightning Run-1

Now a few things to note on this, Joker I was very skeptical of afterwards, but due to single train operation, a second ride wasn't realistic. Maverick blew me away, but time crunch again. On the reverse, after no X2 for years, riding it three times again (front middle back) made it shoot right back up to where it belongs. I'm more willing to drop the one and done coasters in my rankings over the established ones.

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