I used to love this ride...I mean REALLY love this ride(The Riverside Cyclone.) The original first drop in the back seat had no equal in sheer intensity (headaches be damned!) I even loved the Morgan trains, despite their numerous detractors. If you sat in the first seat of the last car (or any car, for that matter) you could put your feet on the brace for the trailer hitch and "surf" the ride. They also tracked perfectly, offering as smooth a ride as this tempest would allow. Then, enter Six Flags. "If it aint broke, lets break it and fix it." First, they add 4 seat articulating PTC trains. "Wow!", everyone thought, "maybe this will return the ride to its roots" (6-seater PTCs for you neophytes out there.) Not a chance. The ride is rougher than ever, and the cars track horribly. They give a push-and-pull effect in spots, which detract from the rides wild curves and dips. Next add the trims, and the skid brakes are replaced in the station (for two train operation - whenever thats supposed to happen.) Then, they commit the ultimate act of blasphemy; raise the first drop, and take out the swooping turn. Arrgh!! If you have never experienced this coaster before it was "Flagged", than youve missed a really great ride. I wont wax nostalgic of what once was, but suffice to say The Cyclone is a mere shadow of its former self. The third big drop after the Cobb "hoop de doos" is still intense in the back seat, and the visuals of the fourth drop into the structure are still great. Still, it pains me to ride the former "Riverside Cyclone" in its present state. If Bill Cobb were alive today, hed say "HELP!!! Get me outta this box!!!" ...
Used to be a 10; gets a 7 for nostalgic purposes and a few unspoiled elements.
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