I've never ridden it backwards but from my experience, it's a really good, long wooden coaster that has great pacing, especially compared to the original. I did get some unpleasant rides on it but it wasn't constant, with only maybe two that were not great but all of my other rides were great. Thanks for using my footage btw!
I do like the drop after the old helix, it’s surprising and has nice airtime.I also love the hill that throws you to the left, as when you come into it it feels that you will continue on a straight line since you see some rails behind the hill, that makes the laterals surprising too.
The first drop is great, unfortunately the trains feel like they’re bouncing way too much on it. You can really feel 3 successives jolts wich aren’t really enjoyable in my opinion.
Great review, love all the detail you go into as always! Personally I didn't think much of Tonnerre 2 Zeus, but I think it's mainly because the timberliner trains are uncomfortable to me. I was surprised by how smooth it was when I rode it in April as I heard it was particularly rough, but sadly there wasn't much airtime. I am guessing it's a mixture of the ride warming up in summer and knowing "how to ride" timberliners which make it a much better experience, as I have heard others who also rate it highly. I still thought it was a solid wooden coaster because of it's sense of speed in the first half. Wildfire and Wodan are my current favourite woodies.
I enjoy Timberliners for the most part. My only cons is that they make it easy for an op to staple you and they are very loud. Even when they shuffle, they at least have pretty good padding.
I can't name a single woodie that wouldn't be improved immensely. Backwards sfmm Colossus in the back went from like a 7/10 to a 9/10 during fright fest lol
CCI was the company that built thee Mega Zeph at the old Six Flags New Orleans park. Looks cool, you know I love woodies. Wildebeast will be getting a refurbishment too. Great looking ride. Looks fun.❤❤❤❤❤
If I ask you about the ride's pacing, smoothness, and final score? Canobie Coaster would say: The big renovation definitely improved this ride's pacing. This was a big issue in the original form's later years as the second half felt sluggish. Outside of one or two hills in the middle, most elements on Zeus now deliver. The ride carries good speed start-to-finish and the coaster was tossing my body about, wheither it be airtime or laterals, particularly in that backwards row when you couldn't anticipate what would happen next. Now what about the smoothness? I have noticed a lot of rides retrofit with Timberliners seemed to develop a shuffle. Now Zeus is not glossy smooth. The train noticeably shakes on the turns, particularly as you move further back in the train. But it wasn't too excessive and the way the trains are padded prevent any discomfort, at least for me. My wife, who is more sensitive to roughness, had no trouble with Zeus in the forwards rows, but she did find the backwards experience a bit too intense for her tastes with all that shaking. So what would I rate Tonnerre 2 Zeus?
If I ask you about the comparisons between Zeus and Leviathan, Canobie Coaster would say: I was interested to see how this would compare to Leviathan at Sea World in Australia. That was a ground-up Gravity Group wood coaster that opened with a backwards row from day one, meaning it was designed with a backwards seat in mind while Zeus clearly was not. I really liked both rides in reverse, mainly because of the unpredictable nature. The forces enough feel similar between them. But I do give the slight edge to Leviathan because that coaster, at this time at least, is...
If I ask you about the smoothness on Tonnerre 2 Zeus at Parc Asterix, with the renovation and the Timberliner trains (with backwards row). Canobie Coaster would say: Now what about the smoothness? I have noticed a lot of rides retrofit with Timberliners seemed to develop a shuffle. Zeus is not glossy smooth. The train noticeably shakes on the turns, particularly as move further back in the train. But it wasn't too excessive and the way the trains are padded prevent any discomfort, at least for me. My wife, who is more sensitive to roughness, had no trouble with Zeus in the forwards rows, but she did find the backwards experience...
If I ask you about the smoothness on Tonnerre 2 Zeus at Parc Asterix, with the renovation and the Timberliner trains (with backwards row). Canobie Coaster would say: Now what about the smoothness? I have noticed a lot of rides retrofit with Timberliners seemed to develop a shuffle. Zeus... A) is glossy smooth. B) is not glossy smooth.
I really like this woodie not my favourite in the world but really good, whilst it doesn't have the crazy airtime like Phoenix or El Toro, or the sheer power of Wildfire one thing I always say about Tonnerre 2 Zeus it is the wildest wooden coaster.
So I rode it in the back row last month but I rode it in the first 30 minutes it was open. The first half was really good. The overall experience was good in terms of the coaster being smooth. My one issue with my ride is the pacing in the second half. It really died. Again I rode it very early in the day so that might be the cause. But again that first half was great.
Canobie Coaster said: Some started to find the coaster rough and/or sluggish. Most still found the coaster good, just no longer elite. That was my first experience with Tonnerre de Zeus when I first rode it in 2019. Imagine saying "good", "great", fantastic", and "elite". What are the differences between the four? What do you think?
I rode this backwards in the morning and it was wild. In the late afternoon I rode this in row 12 and I was quite disappointed, the airtime didn’t seem very strong and I was just bouncing up and down all the time because of the not so smooth tracking and I’m not a fan of these timber liners either. I’m quite tall (6’2/188cm) and I have fairly wide shoulders so I felt quite squished and the padding isn’t nearly as good as millennium flyers
I haven't ridden this coaster. I've also not been to China, nor have I ridden Shivering Timbers, Wildfire, Outlaw Run, T-Express or The Voyage. Also, Coaster at Playland has seatbelts now, which means the best coasters I've ridden are El Toro, Ghostrider and The Cyclone. Of those: I pick The Cyclone at Coney Island in Luna Beach NYC as the best wooden coaster I've ridden even though I only rode it three times, all consecutively on June 3rd 2022.
I'm all in favor of more backward rows as long as they aren't all up charges or that some trains have forward facing back rows. I'd hate for this to get out of hand and the only way to ride in the back on any new thrill coaster is to pay money for a backward seat.
@@CanobieCoaster Literally the only reasonable way to do it as far as I'm concerned now. Still makes sense on rides with a spinning backseat cause that was actual extra maintenance issues
If I ask you about the ride's smoothness, Canobie Coaster would say: Now what about the smoothness? I have noticed a lot of rides retrofit with Timberliners seemed to develop a shuffle. Now Zeus is not glossy smooth. The train noticeably shakes on the turns, particularly as you move further back in the train. But it wasn't too excessive and the way the trains are padded prevent any discomfort, at least for me. My wife, who is more sensitive to roughness, had no trouble with Zeus in the forwards rows, but she did find the backwards experience a bit too intense for her tastes with all that shaking. Say "very intense" and "a bit too intense". What does each one mean and what are the biggest differences between the two terms? What do you think? A) Both are and feel exactly the same. B) Very intense goes more beyond what someone could find comfortable. C) A bit too intense goes more beyond what someone could find comfortable.
Canobie Coaster would say: I like to ride on all those coasters except Vol d'Icare. If I ask you: why? Canobie Coaster: Vol d'Icare... A) is painful B) is boring C) is underwhelming
If I ask you about the ride's history, Canobie Coaster would say: Tonnerre de Zeus opened in 1997 as France's second wooden coaster. This was the fourth and final Custom Coasters International, or CCI, wood coaster to open in Europe. Zeus inmediately became the signature attraction at Parc Asterix and received rave reviews. In its first 5 years of operation, this coaster placed in the top two in the annual Mitch Hawker best wood coaster poll. While the popularity never dwindled with general parkgoers, the ride started to fall out-of-favor with coaster enthusiasts over the next decade. Some started to find the coaster rough and/or sluggish. Most still found the coaster good, just no longer elite. That was my first experience with Tonnerre de Zeus when I first rode it in...
If I ask you about the ride's pacing, Canobie Coaster would say: The big renovation definitely improved the ride's pacing. This was a big issue in the original form's later years as the second half felt sluggish. Outside of one or two hills in the middle, most elements on Zeus now deliver. The ride carries good speed start-to-finish and the coaster was tossing my body about, whether it would be airtime or laterals, particularly in that backwards row when you couldn't anticipate what would happen next. What does that mean, did you like the pacing in all rows?
If I ask you about the ride's smoothness, Canobie Coaster would say: Now what about the smoothness? I have noticed a lot of rides retrofit with Timberliners seemed to develop a shuffle. Now Zeus is not glossy smooth. The train noticeably shakes on the turns, particularly as you move further back in the train. But it wasn't too excessive and the way the trains are padded prevent any discomfort, at least for me. My wife, who is more sensitive to roughness, had no trouble with Zeus in the forwards rows, but she did find the backwards experience a bit too intense for her tastes with all that shaking. What does that mean, "intense", in the quote?
Canobie Coaster would say: While there are one or two hills that don't quite deliver along with that shuffling, much of the ride is phenomenal and those backwards rides in particular left me breathless. I think this is probably my second favorite wood coaster in all Europe now, if I'm in that backwards row, as it's just behind Wildfire at Kolmården. That is how good the renovation and that backwards row in particular made this ride. I was interested how this would compare Leviathan at SeaWorld. That was a Gravity Group wood coaster that opened with a backwards row, meaning it was designed with a backwards seat in mind while Zeus clearly was not. I really liked both rides in reverse, mainly because of the unpredictable nature. The forces enough feel similar between them. But I do give the slight edge to Leviathan because that coaster, at this time at least, is...
If I ask you, what do you think about the smoothness or the roughness on Tonnerre 2 Zeus at Parc Asterix? Canobie Coaster would say: Now what about the smoothness? I have noticed a lot of rides retrofit with Timberliners seemed to develop a shuffle. Zeus is not glossy smooth. The train noticeably shakes on the turns, particularly as you move further back in the train. But it wasn't too excessive and the way the trains are padded prevent any discomfort, at least for me. My wife, who is more sensitive to roughness, had no trouble with Zeus in the forwards rows, but she did find the backwards experience a bit too intense for her tastes with all that shaking. "More sensitive", what does that mean?
If I ask you: CCI was also the company that made defunct and SBNO wooden coasters like Mega Zeph at Six Flags New Orleans. Canobie Coaster would say: Wish I could have experienced Mega Zeph. If I ask you why, what would you say, Canobie Coaster?
Canobie Coaster would say: While the popularity never dwindled with general parkgoers, the ride started to fall out-of-favor with coaster enthusiasts over the next decade. Some started to find the coaster rough and/or sluggish. Most still found the coaster good, just no longer elite. That was my first experience with Tonnerre de Zeus when I first rode it in 2019. I loved the first half. The big drops had some shocking ejector airtime. Then the 540 degree helix had excellent sustained laterals. However, the coaster faded in the second half. There were several bunny hills in the middle that looked like they should give airtime and I believe they did in the ride's early years, but...
