Twisted Cyclone is the ride that convinced a lot of coaster fans that Six Flags Over Georgia had one of the best hybrids in the country: a wooden coaster’s bones wrapped in RMC’s steel I-Box track, delivering nonstop airtime and a genuinely unique inversion nobody else had built before.
This guide covers everything you need before you ride — exact stats, the height requirement, what the layout actually feels like element by element, how front row compares to the back, and the wood-to-steel conversion story that makes Twisted Cyclone different from a coaster designed from scratch.
Quick Answer
Twisted Cyclone is a steel hybrid roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, GA, built by Rocky Mountain Construction on the surviving structure of the wooden Georgia Cyclone. It opened May 25, 2018, stands about 100 ft tall, hits roughly 50 mph, and packs 3 inversions — including the world’s first reverse cobra roll — into a 2,400-foot layout lasting about 1 minute 20 seconds. The minimum height to ride is 48 inches.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Six Flags Over Georgia. Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), I-Box steel track. Designer: Alan Schilke. Opened: May 25, 2018. Height: about 100 ft (30 m), with a first drop at roughly 75 degrees. Top speed: about 50 mph (80 km/h). Length: about 2,400 ft (730 m). Duration: about 1 minute 20 seconds. Inversions: 3. Trains: 2 trains with 6 cars each, seating 24 riders 2-across in 2 rows. Minimum height requirement: 48 inches (122 cm).
The Ride Experience, Element by Element
The layout opens with a small pre-lift dip and a teasing miniature turn before the 100-foot chain lift, so riders get a preview of the twisting motion before the real drop. At the top, the train tips over into a roughly 75-degree first drop that hits close to top speed almost immediately.
From there it heads straight into the ride’s signature move — a reverse cobra roll, essentially two zero-G-style rolls joined by a banked turn so the train enters and exits facing opposite directions. That single element accounts for two of the ride’s three inversions. What follows is a sustained wave turn that riders and reviewers consistently single out as the most intense moment on the ride, throwing strong, extended airtime as the train snaps sideways and up. A run of ejector air-time hills, a 180-degree over-banked turn, and another airtime pop lead into the third inversion, a zero-G roll that’s partly hidden inside the old support structure — a nod to the fact that this is still, physically, the Georgia Cyclone. The finale stacks two back-to-back bunny hops and a final over-banked turn into the brakes, so the ride keeps delivering airtime right up to the last few seconds instead of coasting out.
Height Requirement and Who Can Ride
Twisted Cyclone requires riders to be at least 48 inches (122 cm) tall, with no reduced height allowance even when accompanied by an adult — the ride is classified as a high-thrill attraction on Six Flags Over Georgia’s own scale, and the inversions and repeated ejector airtime make it unsuitable for smaller children regardless of who they’re riding with. Standard restrictions on loose articles apply, since the amount of airtime and the inverted elements will eject anything not secured in a locker or zippered pocket.
Front Row vs. Back Row
Seating position changes the ride noticeably. The back rows get whipped harder through the initial 75-degree drop and feel a sharper pull out of the reverse cobra roll, since the rear of the train is still cresting the hill as the front is already accelerating downward. The front row trades some of that snap for an unobstructed view of the drop and the twisting track ahead, plus a clearer look at how tightly the layout threads through the original Georgia Cyclone structure. Neither seat is objectively better — riders chasing maximum airtime tend to prefer the back half of the train, while first-timers often like the front for visibility.
A World-First Element: The Reverse Cobra Roll
RMC designer Alan Schilke built Twisted Cyclone’s centerpiece inversion specifically for this ride: a reverse cobra roll, widely credited as the first of its kind on any coaster. A standard cobra roll takes riders through two loops joined by a straight crossover; the reverse version instead links two zero-G-style rolls with a banked turn, so riders exit the element facing the opposite direction from how they entered. It’s a good example of what RMC’s I-Box steel track makes possible that wooden track couldn’t — tight, twisting geometry layered onto a wooden coaster’s existing footprint rather than a wide-open steel layout built from a blank site.
From Wooden Cyclone to Steel Hybrid
Georgia Cyclone opened on March 3, 1990, built by the Dinn Corporation as a near mirror-image clone of Coney Island’s famous Cyclone. It was a strong ride in its day — it cracked the top ten of Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards for wooden coasters in the late 1990s — but decades of Georgia humidity and heavy ridership left the structure rough and expensive to keep running smoothly. Six Flags closed it on July 30, 2017, after nearly 28 years of operation.
Rather than demolish the structure, Six Flags brought in Rocky Mountain Construction, the company that had already proven the wood-to-steel conversion concept on rides like New Texas Giant. RMC kept much of Georgia Cyclone’s original lift hill and support structure intact while stripping out the wooden running rails and bolting on its I-Box steel track. The result reused the coaster’s existing footprint and steel infrastructure investment while completely replacing the ride experience — trading a rattly wooden layout for a smooth, inversion-capable steel coaster that opened less than a year later on May 25, 2018.
Planning Your Visit
Six Flags Over Georgia runs on a seasonal schedule — expect daily operation with extended evening hours in summer, and weekend-only or reduced-day operation in early spring, fall, and around the holidays. Because these hours shift throughout the year, check the official Six Flags Over Georgia site before you go rather than relying on a cached schedule.
Tickets are sold in tiers: single-day gate admission, discounted advance online tickets, and season passes or memberships for repeat visits, with parking typically sold separately from park admission. Advance online pricing is almost always cheaper than paying at the gate, and season pass holders usually get parking and other perks bundled in. Current prices and any date-specific promotions are also listed on the official site linked above, which is the only source that reflects real-time pricing changes.
Twisted Cyclone roller coaster FAQs
Is Twisted Cyclone a wooden or steel coaster?
It’s a steel hybrid coaster. RMC replaced the wooden track of the original Georgia Cyclone with its I-Box steel track while reusing much of the existing support structure and lift hill.
What ride did Twisted Cyclone replace?
It replaced Georgia Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster that opened in 1990 and closed in July 2017 after nearly 28 years of operation.
How many inversions does Twisted Cyclone have?
Three. Two come from the reverse cobra roll near the start of the ride, and the third is a zero-G roll later in the layout that’s partly concealed within the original wooden structure.
What is the height requirement for Twisted Cyclone?
Riders must be at least 48 inches (122 cm) tall. There is no reduced-height allowance for riders accompanied by an adult.
Is Twisted Cyclone rough or smooth?
It’s smooth. RMC’s I-Box steel track was specifically developed to eliminate the roughness that plagued the old wooden Georgia Cyclone, and Twisted Cyclone rides like a modern steel coaster despite following the old wooden footprint.
Front row or back row — which is better on Twisted Cyclone?
The back rows deliver a sharper, more forceful first drop and cobra-roll exit, while the front row offers better visibility of the drop and twisting layout ahead. It comes down to whether you prioritize intensity or view.
How long does the Twisted Cyclone ride last?
The ride itself lasts about 1 minute 20 seconds, covering roughly 2,400 feet of track at speeds up to about 50 mph.
What are Six Flags Over Georgia’s hours and ticket prices?
Hours vary by season, with extended hours in summer and reduced days in the off-season, and tickets are sold as single-day gate admission, discounted advance online tickets, or season passes. Check the official Six Flags Over Georgia website for current hours and pricing.
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