What's new

What's the roughest coaster in the UK and why?

I think the timber supports are past it, if it had to be RMC'd everything would need replacing. The state of the woodwork is actually unbelievable, the lift hills were wonky. I hit a lamp post at 30 mph a few year back in an old merc and that was nothing compared to the grand national. I'm a relatively healthy 25 year old man and I wouldnt ride again due to risk of injury ?. I'd like to see the big dipper with RMC magic instead haha

Someone I work with went on the 'ole bone shaker last year wearing an Apple watch. The watch said "I think you have just had an accident, would you like me to call an ambulance?"
 

FistedColossus

Hyper Poster
Y'all are a bunch of babies, Grand National is fantastic, well worth all the pain. Give me a back row seat any time. But yeap it is the correct answer to this question.
This!

It's clearly the roughest by far tbf but I love a back row ride on Grand National. I'd take it over Infusion or Big One any day.

Back row on Megafobia is wild too. I wouldn't say it's rough but it provides a couple of particularly violent moments.
 

vaugc002

Mega Poster
Turbo Coaster on Brighton pier - the restraints are particularly unforgiving and feel almost like being strangled on some of the more violent transitions.
 

Dressinggown

Roller Poster
The Wild Mouse at BPB was a particularly 'intense' ride even after some alterations during the 80's / 90's ?

My earliest rides would have been in the late 70's.

At the time it gave football hooligans something to brag about during the Summer. ''I've been on the Wild Mouse at Blackpool".

Huge groups of lads roamed the park. There was no entrance fee and no restrictions as to what could be brought in. Most brought crates of beer.

On to the ride:

When you change direction on a Roller Coaster I had assumed that there might be some sort of curve involved. Not on the Wild Mouse which had right angled corners and vertical drops which met with an immediate horizontal transition.

If you left the ride without visibly serious injuries everyone in the queue would take the p*ss. If you tried to leave the queue before riding then the Ride Operators and the baying crowd would force you into a seat next to a fat, smelly, drunk Glaswegian.

I got a huge cheer upon leaving the ride as not only I had a smashed nose, the overweight fat bloke I had been assigned to had vomited in my face.

It is sadly missed.
 
Big Dipper, Grand National and Megaphobia are all equally rough to me. I do not like rough coasters however my eldest is now tall enough to ride all coasters at Blackpool so I'm going to have to suffer them so he can get the credit.

Big Dipper and Grand National are beyond hope imo and need to come down. I do agree that I remember enjoying the Mouse more but that could be me misremembering as I've just watched a video of it and it looks like a death trap!

Megaphobia could probably have something RMCy done to it to save it.

The Antelope at Gulliver's is and Gwazi was painful too which makes me realise I don't like old woodies. I love Wickerman though.
 

Benenen

Hyper Poster
Turbo Coaster on Brighton pier - the restraints are particularly unforgiving and feel almost like being strangled on some of the more violent transitions.
This. Every time it valleys or banks is painful. It's awkwardly profiled and rides awful. I also had a bad time on Klondike at Drayton which I believe is a clone. Broke a pair of glasses on it as a kid, they were mangled.
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Nobody raising a hand for Colossus yet? When I went last year, I didn't find Saw to be that bad, but Colossus had me think "get me off this thing!" halfway through the first drop, and it only got worse from there. That being said, I don't know if that was roughness or just general unpleasantness of the seat and restraints and layout and ...

... anyway, bad coaster.
 

Markus.Downhill

Mega Poster
Infusion, Big Dipper or possibly Colossus. Apparently the other 2 SLCs in UK are supposed to be good. Saw isn’t rough on the back row, it is a bit on the front
 

Fleetwood_Mack

Mega Poster
Am I the only person who has never had a painful ride on Infusion? The way people bitch about it I always brace myself for the worst then... nothing. It's fine. Grand National isn't bad and I actually enjoy most of the bumps but the jolt at the bottom of one of the first drops has caught me off guard once or twice. Temporary spinal alteration, it sinks back into place. Nothing to write home about.

Turbo at Brighton's Palace Pier is the winner/loser. I'd wish for it to fall into the sea but with their track record when it comes to safety it's only a matter of time before it disintegrates anyway. That thing is malicious. I miss the 'Super Booster', I spent most of summer 2006 on that thing. Genuinely terrifying being dangled over the sea like that. So much more fun than Booster. Was gutted when that went.

Also this doesn't really count seeing as it's here one or two months of the year but Wilde Maus XXL. Not rough in the traditional sense but those brakes. What can you say about those brakes? Not much because you'll be severely winded for about 10 minutes after riding.
 
Last edited:

Matt N

CF Legend
Also this doesn't really count seeing as it's here one or two months of the year but Wilde Maus XXL. Not rough in the traditional sense but those brakes. What can you say about those breaks? Not much because you'll be severely winded for about 10 minutes after riding.
Ah yes, I found Wilde Maus XXL quite uncomfortable too, although that’s more down to the fact I don’t particularly enjoy wild mouse coasters in general. I’d definitely take it over something like Rattlesnake or the Reverchon mice due to the raw size of it, and the big drop at the start is quite fun, but I don’t particularly like wild mouse coasters in general due to the harsh laterals feeling pretty painful for me.
 

melchi

Roller Poster
I would add Shockwave to the mix last time I rode it there was more headbanging than at a 24 hour heavy metal marathon, and the jolt when it hits the brakes is not at all fun for those who aren't expecting it.
 

Markus.Downhill

Mega Poster
Ah yes, I found Wilde Maus XXL quite uncomfortable too, although that’s more down to the fact I don’t particularly enjoy wild mouse coasters in general. I’d definitely take it over something like Rattlesnake or the Reverchon mice due to the raw size of it, and the big drop at the start is quite fun, but I don’t particularly like wild mouse coasters in general due to the harsh laterals feeling pretty painful for me.
If ur talking about the one at winter wonderland, that doesn’t count as a UK coaster
 

Smithy

Strata Poster
Loathe to chuck a Wild Mouse in here as they're inherently rough on purpose but **** me, that one at LWV that's killed a few people was horrific too.
 

smiffy9373

Roller Poster
Another vote for Grand National here. The only way I will ride it now is to sit in the middle of the carriage so I'm not directly over a set of wheels. Makes the ride just about bearable.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
 

Trax

Hyper Poster
Big Dipper last row is a candidate, Tonnere de Zeus at Parc Asterix is another canditate. The latter one needs either to be burned or a good RMC treatment. Big dipper was extremely rough in some places (a friend of mine actually hurt is neck on our first ride in the last row), but not at every part of the track. And since its nearly 100 years old, I forgive it he roughness in parts. Tonnere on the other hand is just a horrible ride and should be considered torture.
Grand National was ok for me, and I am a person who is quite sensitive to roughness, but I prefer to not sit in the last car anyway.

Colossus actually rode quite good, and apart from the Intamin rattle it was fine. I've ridden way more coasters that were rougher than Colossus. Maybe I was lucky and it had a good day, or my expectations were that low, that I was suprised that it didn't dislocate my spine.
 
Last edited:

Tonkso

Hyper Poster
Possibly controversial, but I don't think Colossus is that bad and genuinely believe new trains with lapbars could resolve most of the issue.

Another vote for Grand National though, doesn't mean I don't love it, but it isn't smooth and needs some work done to it.
 

Markus.Downhill

Mega Poster
Possibly controversial, but I don't think Colossus is that bad and genuinely believe new trains with lapbars could resolve most of the issue.

Another vote for Grand National though, doesn't mean I don't love it, but it isn't smooth and needs some work done to it.
Luckily we’re getting a better version of colossus at Flamingo Land next year
 

Tonkso

Hyper Poster
Hopefully better, though the theming and interactions with the station building/gift shop and paths are a big part of what makes Colossus good, albiet increasingly concreted over in recent years.
 
Top