What can you blame for headbanging?

[RCTfangirl]

I'm sure alot of you hate getting your heads banged around on various rides... I hate it too. Especially when its side to side headbanging. What can be blamed for headbanging? OTSRs? Headrests? Bad maintenance of tracks? Mal-fitting tracks? Wheel assemblies on trains?

I say headbanging can be a combination of all those things. You can't really blame one thing. But most often its the maintenance I'd say. It also depends on what part of your head you get banged.

[sykesie-92]

Hmm, who knows?
but basically, i think its firstly the manufacture, well considering some are much better than other an some are vastly improving, i think, i could be also down to precession, i think B&M work in sixteenths of an inch, which is quite precise,.. but i cant be sure if this is why there so good

Id say, the biggest reasons would be friction between the car and track, Imagine the wheels rolling along the track, there's got to be alot of shaking in the wheel bearings
so i think that would be it
-Brad

[Timberhawk]

IMO, the three main problems are:

1. Bad wheel assemblies. Often, on Vekoma and Arrow coasters, the upstop wheels are more than an inch off the track.
2. Poor Track. The track to begin with, on Arrow and Vekoma coasters, isn't exactly well made. Arrow is especially know for it's "coat hanger" transistions, basically, bad transitions of the track that often end up with a nasty hit to the OTSR.
3. Poor maintenace. Many parks do not maintain their coasters as well as they should, while can sometimes add to the roughness and headbanging.

[BoRJoYZeE]

Track. Believe me that is where the major source of the head banging.

[Cyberleader]

I think it's often a different reason for each ride.

For instance, Colossus at Thorpe Park never used to be particularly head-bangy, but now it is horrifically so. Why? Well, I don't know, but I'll say this much, one of the Cars had duct tape on it.

[elljhitch]

I'm sure alot of you hate getting your heads banged around on various rides... I hate it too. Especially when its side to side headbanging. What can be blamed for headbanging? OTSRs? Headrests? Bad maintenance of tracks? Mal-fitting tracks? Wheel assemblies on trains?

I say headbanging can be a combination of all those things. You can't really blame one thing. But most often its the maintenance I'd say. It also depends on what part of your head you get banged.
Wow, do you get hurt on every ride you get on?

[SnooSnoo]

Track. Believe me that is where the major source of the head banging.

QFT.

[Wild 1]

I have never gotten badly headbanged and the one time I did it was my fault. It was on great bear and I did not put my head back like they said to. That was not a bad incident from what I have heard could happen on Arrows and Vekomas. I however have never been on a Vekoma or a Arrow other then a couple mine trains. I think it is the gap between the wheels. Look at the the gap between the wheels on Mind Eraser at SFA. The gap is huge and the ride has been called one of the worst SLC's ever. Now then look at Great Nor'easter at Morneys Pier, With the new trains it has been not that headbangy. I think Vekoma has learned its lesson because look at all the new models of trains they are making. I wish arrow had made a new trains before they went out of business. It could have made their coasters nice. I find it funny that out of the 3 1980's coaster companies, they went out of business in the order of smoothest to roughest.

[tycooner55]

I would agree that the track is the number one factor to the roughness of a ride (B&M vs. Arrow), but I would say the the wheel mechanisms are a close second. Think about it, why would different SLCs and Boomerangs ride differently? Also, whether or not the wheels are spring loaded makes a huge difference. That's a big difference between companies like B&M/ Intamin and Arrow/ Vekoma.

[rct3parkmake]

I say manufacturer and the restraints.

[RCTfangirl]

^ can't really blame the manufacturers. I believe the new vekoma's from 2000 on are smoother. And Vekoma's family suspended coaster is smoother than an SLC for sure.

[cpkidOH]

It's usually the track and transitions that cause it. In some cases, its the restraints.

[RCTfangirl]

Mostly the transitions and the wheel assemblies I"d say.

[Cedar Point]

I blame stapling.

[disneyland123]

I blame TOGO's un-locking restraints. I once pushed the restraints so close togetehr on SkyRider, I nearly knocked my glasses down.

Also the size of the restraint and type. Premier Rides had a great idea of converting to lapbars, now their rides have no more headbanging.

[Harpo]

I blame headbanging on heavy metal music. Steel coaster, heavy metal... it's all connected! :D

Disclaimer: Anything resembling seriousness in those first two sentences is completely accidental. Anyone finding anything serious in those sentences should immediately take two Pop Tarts and go skiing with a fish strapped to their head.

Seriously, however, I think headbanging can come from a LOT of sources. It could be affected by design issues such as element transitions that are not smooth, or seats that don't adequately "cradle" the rider. It could come from maintenance issues, such as worn wheels, worn wheel bearings, or chipped paint causing uneven track surfaces. It could also come from some settling of the track as the coaster ages, causing the angles to be slightly different than they were originally designed and manufactured to be.

The design of the headrest and how it fits the rider is also a factor. For example, I have a long torso, so I don't have a tendency to hit my head on Cedar Point's Corkscrew. My wife's torso is shorter, and she does hit her head on Corkscrew -- enough that she will no longer ride it. So, it's two different people, exact same coaster, but with different outcomes.

[Alpengeist]

All of the above.;) Seriously, I think everyone has covered all the reasons already.

[RCTfangirl]

Harpo sorry that wasn't a good joke, Its abit of an insult to me. But I'm not too offended don't worry.

DL123, I've been headbanged on Skyrider and slammed around quite abit too. Thats why it wins my "Most Uncomfortable experiance" category.

Indeed premiers used to be notorious headbangers.

[Nethero]

I blame the scapegoat! It's always their fault! :mad::up:

[elljhitch]

I blame headbanging on heavy metal music. Steel coaster, heavy metal... it's all connected! :D
QFT!

Harpo sorry that wasn't a good joke, Its abit of an insult to me. But I'm not too offended don't worry.
I love heavy metal music and I thought it was an awesome joke.:rolleyes:.

[sr3d]

QFT!


I love heavy metal music and I thought it was an awesome joke.:rolleyes:.

Agreed on both points, Humour is a wonderful thing :):up:

[RCTfangirl]

Yeah I need to start getting a sence of humor and stop living under a rock!

[Cedar Point]

Agreed.

:noob:

[CedarPointer]

Premiers are awesome, especially the blackout helix on the IJST coasters. Their headbanging has gotten way better.
I blame it on bad transitions (Arrow) and trains (Arrow and Vekoma).

[Nethero]

Agreed.

:noob:

I agree

[thetrooper]

Headbanging?
Jewish conspiracy I heard...:noob:

[fathorse]

I blame restraints. I'm sure other things are causing me to move my head back and forth, but the foam in those restraints turns to something akin to concrete after a season or two and then the pain begins!

[RCTfangirl]

It's not really that... I say theres rides out there with OTSRs and are pretty much headbang free. OTSRs just give you something to bang your head against if the track is rough. (Again, blame the track transitions)

[SnooSnoo]

^Of course, their are rides out there WITHOUT OTSR's that are rougher then sin.

It is the track, plain and simple.

[tycooner55]

^Of course, their are rides out there WITHOUT OTSR's that are rougher then sin.

Villain..............'nuff said.

[Awill23]

X had a lot of headbanging at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The only way to overcome it, I had to stick my head out, if i laid my head on the headrest I was susceptible to loads of it.

The first time I rode X, I thought I was going to die because I could not control the level and amount of headbanging done to me. It was side to side headbanging of course.

On a side note, it may have been because I was not too tall (tall enough to ride the ride though), but not tall to the point where my head is higher than the rests that go over the shoulders.

I dunno. I hope they fixed it with the new trains for X2. :p

[RCTfangirl]

^ Thats what happened to me when I started riding Corkscrew at Playland. I kept banging my head because I was too short! But now I'm alot taller so its not as bad. But still, I'm blaming the bad wheel assemblies.

[SnooSnoo]

Jesus christ. You just go from one thing to another without actually thinking about something don't you?

Funny.. yet annoying.. and a little bit on the sad side.



ps. it's the track.

[elljhitch]

Jesus christ. You just go from one thing to another without actually thinking about something don't you?

Funny.. yet annoying.. and a little bit on the sad side.



ps. it's the track.
Thats what I've been trying to get at.:o.

[thetrooper]

You clearly have learnt nothing from it's previous obsession with stapling.

"It's your own fault for being annoying" they said, but still the discussion went on...:rolleyes:

[SaintCoaster05]

One possible way of lessening the impact caused by "headbanging" is to bring along anything that is soft and can cushion the impact, such as a pair of pillows or a pair of foam blocks, and then strap them onto both sides of your head; a couple of cuddly toys won from sideshows could also help. One might look like a [BLANK] when getting onto the ride, but if you feel less pain by trying it yourself, you'll know it works!:D:up:

[sr3d]

You clearly have learnt nothing from it's previous obsession with stapling.

"It's your own fault for being annoying" they said, but still the discussion went on...:rolleyes:
Ah man, don't bring that up again :bulb: that was just........