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The reason why I enjoy the work of RMC as much as I do having ridden Steel Vengeance and Wildfire is because to me as a coaster experience they tick all the boxes. Great drops,great airtime,great inversions,relentless pacing (in Steel Vengeances case) and pretty good variety. I CAN see to a degree why bigger riders don’t enjoy them as much given the restraints, however for me personally the restraints are a none issue and as a result I can enjoy their coasters to the max and it’s no coincidence to me that my top two coasters are both RMC. Do I think the company gets too much hype?? Yes maybe they do and I do believe people should ride one BEFORE saying “They are absolutely brilliant!! Thorpe Park should get one”. However and as contradictory to that statement as this sound, there is no smoke without fire and the reason RMC are so well talked about is because of the vast majority who have ridden their coasters and love them to the point of being their favourite coasters. As far as the “Converting rubbish coasters into good coasters means nothing to the consumer” goes, well actually it does. A lot of the Cedar Point fanbase for example really do love the fact that they turned arguably the worst coaster in the world (apparently. I can’t say anything because I never rode the original mean streak) into what will now most likely go down as the greatest coaster of all time. That to them and a good few members of the community is not a feat to be sniffed at.

I’m also so totally excited for Big Top‘s triumphant return. But, I’m afraid, it’s gone. RIP #theydontbuildemliketheyusedto

I personally feel MF is underrated. It might not have masses of airtime but it holds its speed for most of the ride and is just fast and bloody good fun! Not all rides need masses of airtime and intensity. Its my second favourite coaster just for the reasons I mention.

That potentially might be it in fairness. I've always been unsure on RMCs and whether I'd actually enjoy them. Some of their unique elements look simply unenjoyable to me. I've warmed to the idea more recently and it's hard to go 'I don't think I'd enjoy this manufacturer's rides when they're so universally praised'. So it's been a weird one in that context I guess. The thing is for the past 2-3 years in particular, I've seen RMC praised as this company that have revolutionised the coaster industry by creating world class rides and creating experiences that no other manufacturer could dream of delivering. That wasn't to do with their ability to convert rides or anything, I had seen time and time again that if you just go up to an RMC and ride it without knowing it's history (if it's a conversion), you will be blown away and get a ride which is completely out of this world. I didn't get that with Untamed. I got a very good ride, but it's nothing that changes the industry to me. It sounds crazy saying Untamed is 'just very good', but when I had seen for years that RMC creates rides that go beyond 'just very good', it's left me questioning where the hype is? Based off my experience, RMC just create good rides: that's great, but nowhere near the level of hype I've heard about it. Of course, one ride isn't enough to build a full opinion. And maybe Untamed isn't the best example of what RMC do when people say they've revolutionised the industry. But equally, I can only go on what I've done. Very good point, and something which is easy to lose sight of when these have become much more common. And yes, from this point of view, they have really revolutionised the industry, they've created something special, and they're just damn good at making good rides. But from the context of those rides themselves being industry-changers in their own right, I'm less convinced.

Totally chose a matching colour there to cover up the signage ? Given that in my opinion, Saw Alive was the strongest maze last year I’m guessing FN 2019 will be even worse than last year. Bloody hope Big Top returns but I won’t hold my breath - although Blair Witch did have a year(?) off so who knows - plus it’s Thorpe Park - nothing would surprise me. Thank God Tulleys isn’t too far...

I've ridden Goliath at Six Flags Great America as well, I use Steel Vengeance as the example because that is the one most people will talk about for years to come. You need to make a bit of a distinction frankly, I'm sorry you don't like them. The majority of people do like them. You're right, they don't just admire the technical genius of converting old wooden, the 'consumers' as you put it just bloody enjoy them. I just thought that because I'm on a forum that says they like rollercoasters, that I might be able to say how much I enjoy the sheer technical brilliance of changing a ride layout completely and delivering new experiences as opposed to talking to a work colleague and saying I like the big drops and upside down bits. I thought we were a bit beyond that. Also, please don't patronise me with 'broaden your views.' We're having an adult conversation, not trying to one up each other.

And in true Merlin style a bodge job has been done, with the wrong colour paint to the rest of the building.

Intamin, Mack, and B&M have all made rides with flaws. Intamin's early restraint system was god awful, Mack built jerky rides such as Poseidon or Eurosat, B&M built Dragons Khan and recently implemented restraints that heavily restrict you from feeling airtime which is arguably worse than RMC's. Remember too that Wildfire was made before the 2nd gen trains came to fruition. The trains have slightly changed and one RMC doesn't reflect the ENTIRE company, Iron Rattler and New Texas Giant have Gerstlauer trains anyway and everything 2018 and onwards will probably ride different I think the key to RMC being so popular is due to the forceful and smooth rides they usually give. They typically have a lot of airtime and unique and fun elements to boot. Sure the restraints can be a little uncomfy for people on the taller side but hopefully the company will adjust the restraints as they go along. I would broaden my views outside of Steel Vengeance but outside of that ride I see Goliath and New Texas Giant, rides that are brilliant in their own right.

I find this review fascinating. It's almost like the company was hyped up to such a degree for you that no matter what Untamed did, you were never going to get the praise or where the love comes from. It's even more intriguing that you love the ride but don't see why RMC are so universally loved. From where I stand, I admire their ingenuity. I don't even want to think about the challenges of turning old woodies into brand new rides and I think they've done an excellent job worldwide. Changing a boring, meandering wooden coaster like Mean Streak into one of the most loved rollercoasters is no small feat. The skill involved is beyond just building a new ride. I look forward to your Zadra and Wildfire reviews.

Let's talk Untamed then. It's really bloody good fun. It's glass smooth, has loads of really good airtime, some quite floaty, some really aggressive, and the inversions are great. The second half in particular is full on and relentless. It's truly fantastic and I reckon anyone who goes on it will enjoy it, even if that type of ride isn't your thing. What it did leave me wondering though, is: what is all the fuss about RMC? Yes, Untamed is fantastic, but this didn't feel like anything particularly groundbreaking? If you'd commissioned, say, Mack or Intamin to do this exactly same layout on a steel coaster, it'd feel exactly the same. There's nothing I saw our felt that made me think "wow, RMC are special" like half the enthusiast community seems to think. Obviously it's great they convert rubbish woodies to amazing rides, but that's it. So yeah, Untamed is fab. I love it. And I'm looking forward to trying similar rides. But it hasn't made me think 'RMC are gods' or anything crazy.