A treasured piece of living history (a term that applies to much of Coney Island), the classic Cyclone evokes an earlier era, but packs a surprisingly powerful impact, even compared to today’s roller coaster giants. . It is, perhaps, the archetypal roller coaster and probably the most famous thrill machine in the world. While the Cyclone can get a bit rough, roller coaster fans and casual fans love the sentimental favorite.
- Excitement scale (0 = Wimpy!, 10 = Yikes!): 6.5
- Unusually steep first drop, traditional mountain car lacks seat dividers, a lot of air time, may be excessively rough, traditional rickety wooden mountain ride
- Mountain type: Wood (although the structure is steel), prototypical tornado «cyclone» design
- Top speed: 60 mph
- Lift hill height: 85 feet
- Travel time: 1.5 minutes.
Glorious vintage ride
Screaming at the Coney Island Sitwell Avenue station on the New York City subway, the landmark comes into view: the white trellis, the faded red railing, the capital letters “CYCLONE” at the top of the elevator hill. Generations of passengers have looked out of train windows and shared the dizzying feeling of having reached Coney Island, as well as the anticipation of the joy and fear of the roller coaster being seen.
Riders line up along Surf Avenue under the glorious vintage neon sign of the Cyclone. After paying a ticket to the cashier in the old cage booth, passengers slide under the runway and through the structure to the loading platform. The ride has never been updated with a computerized braking system, and the Cyclone is one of the few classic roller coasters that still uses manual brakes. It’s a blast to see tour operators slow down and stop trains by pulling the high travel brake handles.
Like almost everything else about the Cyclone, the design of traditional 24-passenger trains has essentially remained unchanged for decades. Low seats do not have head restraints, and the only safety restriction is a one-position bar. Two-person bench seats don’t have dividers (which is a rarity these days), so seatmates really must like each other, as they will invariably slide off and bump into each other during travel. The seat bases, chassis and sides of the cars are articulated so that they can move independently and accommodate the wild ride.
Once cleared for departure, the brakeman loosens the handle and the train leaves the station to engage the chain lift. Passing by the wonderful “Final warning: Do not stop!” Signing up and going up the 85-foot hill to the choppy clackety-clack sound, passengers can feel the bizarre movements of the articulated car as it navigates the track. Facing the beach and the ocean, the view from the top of the hill is spectacular.
Cyclone is a “good” aggressive roller coaster
Then all hell breaks loose. At almost 60 degrees, the first drop is quite steep. A friend aptly described the fall as the equivalent of descending an 85-foot ladder and hitting every rung along the way. A 180-degree turn at the bottom of the hill takes the train up the second hill and delivers the first of many bursts of airtime. The turn also sends passengers to the side of the train that they hit, and I mean, they hit their seatmates. There are six 180-degree turns in total, so there are plenty of lateral G-forces and opportunities for pilots to crash into each other.
The cyclone features 12 drops and plenty of euphoric air time. There are also 18 runway crossings. Unlike a single loop round-trip coaster, the Cyclone can accommodate 2,640 feet of track on its compact footprint by turning in and out of itself. The Thrill Machine is so groundbreaking and legendary that all Twister coasters are generically known as “cyclone” coasters in its honor.
Travel varies based on seat position and other factors, such as time of day and weather. The rear seats, especially, can be incredibly rough, although I once had a front-row ride that wasn’t for the squeamish. The structure groans and trembles, passengers are thrown back and forth with abandon, and trains can suddenly plunge into the sky only to hit the top wheels that tie them to the track. Yet for all its punishment, the Cyclone is, at its core, an exciting and decidedly fun ride.
It always elicits equal doses of laughter and screaming.
There are aggressive “bad” roller coasters (like the horrible Manhattan Express, or whatever the New York Casino in Las Vegas is New York Casino is calling these days) and “good” roller coasters. The cyclone falls squarely into the last category.
Protected for many years
The cyclone, ahem, had its ups and downs. It debuted in 1927 with great success and quickly gained worldwide fame. However, Coney Island’s popularity waned over the years, and Cyclone’s customers dwindled. His fate seemed bleak when the city condemned him in 1969.
Fortunately, its owners at the time lovingly restored the Cyclone and reopened it in 1975. New York listed it as an official city landmark in 1988. In 1991, New York State entered the Cyclone on its Register of Historic Places. That same year, the trip gained the status of a National Historic Landmark, protecting it from the whims of developers. The protected cyclone will remain intact and delight cyclists for years to come. The roller coaster is now run by Luna Park, the city-designated operator that manages the majority of rides on Coney Island.
When the Cyclone returns to the station at the end of the trip, the crew members jump to the sides of the train and the falcon travels again at a reduced price. If you want to score a front row seat (highly recommended), pay for a new ride and quickly try to get it into the front car. Then get ready for another sweet Cyclone slamfest.
Other Coney Island gems include Wonder Wheel and Spook-A-Rama, both located in Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park.
