Round Up (amusement ride)

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"Round up" redirects here. For the herbicide produced by Monsanto, see Roundup.

For other uses of the phrase "Round Up" see Round Up (disambiguation)

A Round-Up in operation at Stricker's Grove

Round Up is an amusement ride consisting of circular horizontal platform with vertical cage like wall around the edge. The platform is attached to a motor on a hydraulic arm. The ride starts out by spinning until the centrifugal force is enough to push riders against the wall. Then, the arm raises the horizontal platform to a vertical position in which riders, instead of spinning horizontally, are now spinning vertically.

The ride spins for a predetermined cycle until an automatic timer releases the hydraulic fluid from the arm causing the platform to return to its horizontal position. The operator may be required to manually control the spin of the ride such that the ride's exit aligns correctly with the exit gate. Most Round Ups require the rider to be at least 42 inches tall.

In the UK this ride is commonly known as the 'Meteorite' or 'Meteor'. The first such ride to arrive in the UK was with Rose Brothers in the 1950s and the ride came from Germany. Although Hrubetz examples exist in the UK other common makes include Cadoxton and Sam Ward.

[edit] Zero Gravity

The new portable model that is made by Dartron is known as Zero Gravity. They haven't changed how the ride runs, but they have changed the lighting, and the way it looks.