NoThrill,Maverick is just another So, So, coaster?

Maverick would be a superior ride if there were no shoulder harnesses and had lap bars similar to MF instead. It's one of the most painful I have been on...my neck really hurt when I exited the ride from those d@mn shoulder harnesses...the first sharp turn after the drop is what did me in.

I've never had pain while riding Maverick or had bruises from it, even after riding 4 times in a row. The first few times I rode it I didn't like the harness because I thought that the design made air time a little bit painful but now I love it. It took me at least 5 rides to realize that I liked it a lot more than Millennium.

^Same. Even after 8 laps (at least 4 of which were re-rides) during BooBuzz ERT, I had no bruises, discomfort or anything of the sort. The only points during the ride where it comes close to being violent is during the two pseudo-inverted elements after leaving the pond. Of course, once you're prepared for them, it's really a non-issue.

I'm think it's safe to say there's a group of people that think Maverick is awesome and there's a group of people that think Maverick hurts.

I was expecting to love Maverick more than anything when I first got on it. But, it hurt a LOT. Each ride after that hurt too, no matter what I did. Sure, it maybe hurt less, but it still hurt. I could ride MF all day without getting off and be in heaven. But, I just couldn't do that with Maverick. I want to love the ride, but I can't. Maybe if they swap the restraints out with the new softies Intamin has, I'd love it as much as MF. But, that's unlikely.

It still looks great though! :)

Maverick doesn't have to hurt. You need to know how and where to hold on, and what side of the train to sit on. Once you know these things, the ride is relatively painless.

Some people just don't understand that Gforce is the new height.

Jeff Young said:
Maverick doesn't have to hurt. You need to know how and where to hold on, and what side of the train to sit on. Once you know these things, the ride is relatively painless.

I don't think a coaster should have to have an "instruction manual" on how to ride to be fun. You should be able to get in any seat and have a good time, regardless.

I'm fine with the G-forces of the ride. It's the head banging and uncomfortable train vibrations that annoyed me.

I'll give you the train vibrations. They need to figure out what's going with the wheels.

However, the headbanging is very minor if you hold on to the shoulder harness by your head and let yourself "turn" with the ride.

I'm not saying it needs an "instruction manual", but let's be rational here. If you touch a hot stove with your hand and it hurts, don't you use a potholder the next time you need to touch the stove? Same thing here. If you ride Maverick, and it hurts, why ride it again in the exact same manner? Change something and see if it gets better.

Also, the more you ride it, the more aware of the layout you are, and your body will move with the ride.

I also think it depends on body type/size, as to where the restraints hit you. I've ridden it plenty this summer, and I've never gotten the bruising or headbanging that others have experienced.

But it's most definitely not a boring ride. It's non-stop thrill action from beginning to end.

Jeff Young said:
If you touch a hot stove with your hand and it hurts, don't you use a potholder the next time you need to touch the stove?

Nope. Next time you stay the heck out of your wifes way. ;)

Yeah, I give it thrilling and non-stop. Plus, there are many elements that are awesome. But, I rode it three times in a row - each time trying a different way to ride. Every time it hurt.

1) Front row, hands up, head back. Bruising on upper arms and sore neck from jabbing into the restraints.

2) Back row, hands on black handles, head back (to start). The vibration on the seat was so bad, I couldn't keep my head on the seat back, so I had to lean forward. My arms/shoulders didn't hurt this time, but my neck was still very intimate with the restraints.

3) Front row, hands on restraints near neck. Although this was the best riding position, my neck still came in contact with the restrains on three occasions.

I couldn't be more aware of the layout. Even the first time I rode, I knew exactly where the ride was going to go, so that's not the issue.

The 1st time I rode 2nd last row opening day (for the ride that is). It was OK, but I was very disappointed with the head banging too. But I'm a little shorter than average so the restraints hit my head. My brother is taller and his head sticks above the restaints a little more and he didn't complain about that.

The 2nd ride was better (same weekend) and I liked it a lot, but I was in 2nd row, much less banging around and I was more familiar with where I was going. But I still didn't like it enough to bother standing in line anymore for the rest of the season until closing day.

Closing day I rode 2nd last seat and figured out how to ride without banging my head. I loved the ride and wished I'd given her a few more chances. There was a lot of annoying vibrating going on and I don;t remember this happening on my 1st 2 rides.

I still prefer TTD, MF, Maggie and WT as my top 4. But then again, I like all the coasters except for Corkscrew and Mantis (headbangers).

Maverick is definately an action packed ride from start to finish and the g's you catch are intense. I love the air time hills and the inversions are smooth. I don't care much for the twisted dive things and would rather have 2 more air time hills, but that is just my humble opinion. Definately unique to CP IMO. I think will grow to love Maverick more when the lines get shorter.

^It's strange that you feel that way. Very few people have problems with the restraints.

The number of people walking off the ride who had no idea what to expect seem to have no problem.

halltd said:
2) Back row, hands on black handles, head back

That would be the correct way to ride (i.e.: as shown in all the signs at the ride). You just had the unfortunate side condition of a bad wheel on the train causing the vibrations. With a bad wheel, no matter how you ride, it's not going to be pleasant.

In general:
Maverick is a very active ride, and thus you must be an active rider. Keep your feet firmly planted on the floor, back and head pressed against the seat back, hold onto the black handles at all times, and ride it as if you were on a motorcycle leaning into each turn before it happens. That's the advice that I gave to every nervous/scared rider I checked this season, and all came back into the station loving the ride.

That's how I rode for all of my nearly 100 test rides this season, and I loved every one (except when a train had a bad wheel). Not once did I experience head-banging or bruising.

Do you have any muscle control at all in your torso, Tim?

Based on how that ride seems to beat the crap out of you, I picture you with the muscular makeup of my 76 year old Grandma. :)

Somebody call 911 and get the whaaaaaambulance in here. Tim's talking about the Maverick restraints again. :)

-Josh

har har har!! My trainer seems to think my core is just fine strength-wise. I would hope it is since he has me do plank and variations of the plank every single day.

And what's with all the contradiction in here? Half of you are saying you should "go with the ride" and not fight it. The other half is saying you have to be an Olympic athlete to "fight the ride". What gives?

Someone needs to print up the 345-page riding manual Intamin provided with Maverick and send it to me. (I'll pay the FedEx bill!) If I start reading now, I might be ready for my visit in July.

^I'm not doubting you at all. I'm just saying that after being on the ride many times, I haven't even come to close to experiencing it how you say it was for you. No problem. I just ask you to try it again (go for the front, it is usually smoothing) and maybe you'll change your opinion.

It just hurts me when someone doesn't like a ride that I find to be the best one ever made. :)

Gomez said:
^I'm not doubting you at all. I'm just saying that after being on the ride many times, I haven't even come to close to experiencing it how you say it was for you. No problem. I just ask you to try it again (go for the front, it is usually smoothing) and maybe you'll change your opinion.

It just hurts me when someone doesn't like a ride that I find to be the best one ever made. :)

It's just people's opinions about a ride and has nothing to do with you. :)

I didn't like it that much my 1st 2 rides, not enough to go through all the trouble of rushing back, doing parent swap, and then missing short waits for the others that I still like better. My youngest is too short and it was a big hassle getting on TTD and MF when he was <48", so we didn't feel motivated enough to try it again with the huge lines we saw each visit.

I tried one more time on closing day and then liked it enough that I regretted not riding it more this season. So I agree, if the 1st few times weren't great, try it again, you may end up liking it too. I did.

My wife & daughter felt the same way I did and weren't thrilled with the OTSR's. However, my son loved it and it ranks up there tied for 1st with TTD.

Everyone is different and everyone has a legitimate opinion to express, even if they will get bashed for not loving Maverick.

My favorites still remain TTD, MF, Maggie, WT and I guess that I now would place Mav at #5.

^^ It's the designer in me. I like to fix things when I feel they're not their best. Lots of times people come to me and say their house or a room in their house doesn't function properly or look good. I come up with ways on how to make it right. I do the same thing at work. When the guys in the field come to me and say they can't build something or the drawings aren't right, I come up with ways to fix it. I do the same thing anywhere I go.

So, when I rode Maverick and my neck kept slamming into the restraint, I was like, "uh how can I fix this?". I tried different ways of riding first since that's something I can do on my own. Then when that didn't work, I asked myself what CP and/or Intamin could do to make the ride better. That's why I think the shoulder part should be removed and/or replaced with the new "softy" restraint. Even if only 1/2 the people that ride Maverick experience discomfort, I'd want to fix it. If something isn't the best it can be, I want to make it that way. ha ha!!

But, I know, I know. Where's the ROI for Cedar Point? blah blah blah..... :)