Wildest roller-coaster rides in the United States

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ACE members talk about their favorite roller coaster rides.

AMERICAN COASTER ENTHUSIASTS doesn't rate or rank roller coasters, and members usually say they love the one they're on best. But here are a few of their favorites. GOLIATH AT SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA: This steel coaster is 200 feet tall with a 170-foot drop. At 70 mph, it's a smooth ride that makes it a favorite. Six Flags' MIND BENDER was also named among ACE's favorites.

INCREDIBLE HULK AT UNIVERSAL'S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE, Orlando, Fla. It's a long, speedy ride with big drops and loops. "It's another coaster I can get on and ride all the time, and it's local," says Mark Cole, ACE president, who lives in Florida.

MAVERICK AT CEDAR POINT, Sandusky, Ohio. This 2007 addition to Cedar Point's roller coaster library is 12-year-old James Young's favorite. While waiting in line, Young, of Connecticut, can look forward to a 105-foot lift followed by a 100-foot drop angled at 95 degrees.

THE PHOENIX, Knoebels Amuseument Resort, Elysburg, Pa. The wooden coaster was created by Herbert Schmeck, a legend among coaster designers. "It's not the biggest, not the fastest, not the most anything," says Cole. "It's the most fun. I can probably ride the thing 50 times a day."

THUNDERHEAD AT DOLLYWOOD, Pigeon Forge, Tenn. This wood sit-down coaster hits up to 55 mph; it also passes through the loading station once before it comes to a stop. "So many steel coasters were stamped out at a factory," says Robert Ulrich, 54, of Marietta. "Wooden coasters -- a carpenter laid out each individual piece."

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AMERICAN COASTER ENTHUSIASTS doesn't rate or rank roller coasters, and members usually say they love the one they're on best. But here are a few of their favorites. GOLIATH AT SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA: This steel coaster is 200 feet tall with a 170-foot drop. At 70 mph, it's a smooth ride that makes it a favorite. Six Flags' MIND BENDER was also named among ACE's favorites.

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