Newbie with questions and seeking advice

[Rubik the Cubik]

Hi guys!

So this is my first post on the forum which I discovered earlier today. I'll quickly go through where I'm at. Apologies if my use of terminology is wrong, it's all fairly new to me. I have a few questions which I'll put at the end!

So I got my first Rubiks cube (Dayan Zhanchi II) for Christmas and learnt to solve it using the Dan Brown beginner's method the same day. After that I practiced every now and then, learned some finger tricks from youtube and learned a few shortcuts and a few extra algorithms intuitively (I think you would call them mirrors). Using these methods I got my solve time down to probably sub 1:30 and best time 1:10 (I didn't time myself much) by September.

The last few months I've had an illness which has meant I'm in bed most always so the rubiks cube has become very convenient as a low energy, easily accessible activity. I looked into fridrich f2l about a month ago and decided I'd see how speedcubing goes. I discovered Badmephisto's youtube channel and learned his beginners method in order to learn his f2l. I've now learnt to do cross on bottom, intuitive fridrich f2l, 2-look OLL (just) and associated finger tricks. My next plan was to learn 2-look PLL. I've only just learned 2-look OLL so it takes me a few extra seconds for recognition but my PB is 62 seconds.

QUESTIONS

So having just discovered the forum there's so much information and I have no idea where to start looking. If anyone could link me to some places to start that would be much appreciated.

Is there anything you wish you'd known as a beginner/intermediate that you could tell me? Any handy tips?

I've read the post on which speedcubing method to use and I noticed a few people wishing they'd learned Roux instead of CFOP. How should I decide on this? CFOP seems like the tried and tested method and so seems a good choice. But I read some people think Roux is faster but being new hasn't quite made the WRs yet? Any thoughts?

Also in that post it said that when starting off it's best to do neutral cross (I think that's what it was called, where you start with any colour). At the moment I've just been starting with white, I could start changing this to neutral if it would help? If so does anyone have a video on what I should be looking for when deciding which colour to use? Is 15 seconds the standard time allowed presolve for examining the cube?

Is there anything badmephisto advises that has since changed or is wrong? Or a better person to learn from?

I'm looking at getting a more advanced cube (also because mine got some sand in...). I read the Moyu Aulong is the best? Could anyone back this up?

I'd also like to buy some lube for the cube, any suggestions?

I'm also thinking of buying a 2x2x2 cube, any suggestions on models?

Sorry I know it's a lot of questions but I have a lot! I'll try do more research through time. I'd appreciate it if people didn't use spoilers in replies as for some reason my phone can't open them.

Thanks for any help!

 

[TDM]

So having just discovered the forum there's so much information and I have no idea where to start looking. If anyone could link me to some places to start that would be much appreciated.

There's a section of the forums for guides for various things; that's a good place to look. If you want to ask a question which has a short answer, the OAQT is a good place to ask.

Is there anything you wish you'd known as a beginner/intermediate that you could tell me? Any handy tips?

I've read the post on which speedcubing method to use and I noticed a few people wishing they'd learned Roux instead of CFOP. How should I decide on this? CFOP seems like the tried and tested method and so seems a good choice. But I read some people think Roux is faster but being new hasn't quite made the WRs yet? Any thoughts?

Read this thread for more information about both methods. I personally would recommend for you to learn Roux early on, because I'm one of the people who wished I'd learned Roux earlier but CFOP is also a very good method, so you don't have to use Roux. Use both a bit and see which you prefer. If you decide to use CFOP, this thread is useful; there's a Roux equivalent on waffle's website (which there's a link to in the first link in this paragraph).

Also in that post it said that when starting off it's best to do neutral cross (I think that's what it was called, where you start with any colour). At the moment I've just been starting with white, I could start changing this to neutral if it would help? If so does anyone have a video on what I should be looking for when deciding which colour to use? Is 15 seconds the standard time allowed presolve for examining the cube?

If you use CFOP, definitely become colour neutral. It's very helpful because it's often easier to start on a colour other than white. I don't really know if there's a video, but you don't really need a video to become colour neutral; just try using other colours. Use as much inspection time as you need to decide which looks easiest and then do it. 15 seconds is the normal inspection time, but don't worry about limiting yourself for now.

Is there anything badmephisto advises that has since changed or is wrong? Or a better person to learn from?

Many people still learn from badmephisto. Some of the algorithms he uses are a bit outdated but don't worry about that for now; that becomes more important when you start learning PLL (which won't be for a while).

I'm looking at getting a more advanced cube (also because mine got some sand in...). I read the Moyu Aulong is the best? Could anyone back this up?

The MoYu AoLong is good, but for someone your speed I would suggest getting a ShengShou Aurora or a DaYan GuHong v2. If you get a cube that's too fast it can be 'uncontrollable', which can actually slow you down; I have this problem with some cubes. Those two are still fast, but not too fast.

I'd also like to buy some lube for the cube, any suggestions?

I don't really know much about lube, sorry...

I'm also thinking of buying a 2x2x2 cube, any suggestions on models?

The DaYan 2x2 is a good choice.

 

[pdilla]

Gosh, there's not much I can add to TDM's reply.

I'm looking at getting a more advanced cube (also because mine got some sand in...).

I don't think you'll need a more advanced cube than your Zhanchi. It's time, instead, to learn some cube maintenance. Try this video for starters.

Maintaining your cube will keep it turning smoothly and quickly (and get rid of that pesky sand). It will compliment proper lubrication as well. Which is a nice segway into...

I'd also like to buy some lube for the cube, any suggestions?

I am a big fan of Traxxas 50k for my 3x3, which you can find here. For discussion of various lubricants, try here.

 

[newtonbase]

Welcome RtC. TDM's answers have pretty much covered it (apart from lube which I don't know anything about either) but,

Yes to colour neutral. Just practice with them all. Too late for me.

Yes, give Roux a chance.

I like the Yulong as a beginners cube. I have the stickerless one which moves really well and is easy to control as well as being very cheap. DON'T get the transparent one. Hardware always improves and always gets cheaper so don't get anything you don't need now especiallyif you are on a budget.

My 2x2 is a LingPo.

Get well soon.

 

[obelisk477]

I would say when you get tired of just speed-solving every few days, switch to practicing blockbuilding, and do this over the entirety of the time that you cube. It won't pay off for a long time, but it will help you break through tough barriers and keep you progressing fairly evenly.

 

[Randomno]

There are other popular methods except CFOP and Roux. You could try those too.

 

[roboalex7]

I'm looking at getting a more advanced cube (also because mine got some sand in...). I read the Moyu Aulong is the best? Could anyone back this up?

I'd also like to buy some lube for the cube, any suggestions?

I'm also thinking of buying a 2x2x2 cube, any suggestions on models?

For 3x3, I would recommend either a the MoYu Aolong v2 (faster, but may be uncontrollable for some people, as mentioned above) or the Dayan Guhong v2 (more controllable, still reasonably fast)

For Lubricant, I recommend the assorted silicone lube from thecubicle.us found Here (my favorite cube store overall). For reference weight 1 is the thinnest and will make your cube faster, weight 5 is the thickest and will slow your cube down. Also, in my experience, less is more with this lubricant. There are several tutorials on how to lubricate a cube with this type of lubricant on YouTube (make sure you lube the core hardware as well as the pieces, it makes a huge difference).

As for 2x2, I love my LingPo by MoYu. It is fast, rarely locks up, and is very stable.

 

[UnsolvedCypher]

It looks like the previous replies have done pretty well and covered most things. As far as your solving, if you already know F2L a little, then in addition to speedsolving, do lots of slow solves and figure out tricks to some strange cases. In addition, look up algorithms for cases you find difficult. On that topic, check out algdb.net. It has tons of algorithms for OLL, PLL, and F2L, as well as other sets of algorithms. So, when you learn OLL and PLL, don't just use the algorithms badmephisto or someone gives you - go to that site, try out the algs for that case, and choose the one you like best. It's much easier in the long run when you use algs you like and are comfortable with, not the ones someone else likes. For lube, I use 50k Traxxas, but any decent lube should be fine (NEVER use vaseline!). I don't believe that the type of lube matters too much, but that is just my opinion. Lastly, another method to check out is ZZ. Be sure to choose the method you like best, not just CFOP because it's what the world record holders use - Roux and ZZ are much newer, and they may have a lot of potential. Good luck and have fun on your journey in cubing! Also, there is a solve critique thread, where you can post solves and people will give you advice on how to improve.

 

[bran]

I didn't read through all the stuff other people said so my apologies if it has been said earlier.
My advice to you would be to be (or stay) colour neutral. When you get down to around 11 seconds, your cross-f2l transition sets the tone for your entire solve and having of choice of 6 crosses to choose from it becomes much easier to predict where your first f2l would be.

 

[pappas]

Things I wish I knew as a beginner - become colour neutral from the start.
- Always keep your mind open to the possibilities of F2L. There are so many solutions for each F2L pair.
- Read Escher's thread on practicing efficiently.
- You can discover new things on your own.

Roux or CFOP - I honestly think any method is fine. I think a lot of methods can potentially be sub10 sec.

Lubrication? - Silicon Spray does the trick for me. I have a Japanese one I got from Lightake and it works well on all my puzzles.

 

[Tao Yu]

If you are thinking of getting fast at big cubes, you might be better off using CFOP (That's not to say you'll be bad at big cubes if you use roux though).

 

[Rubik the Cubik]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Really helpful information.

I think I'll stick with zhanchi for now and get some lube for it.

My original plan was to learn 2-look PLL, then improve my cross and f2l and then look at learning 1-look PLL/OLL. I might have got the wrong idea but see if this sounds ok - my new plan is to learn 2-look PLL (it's only a few algorithms), then practice cross neutrality until I'm happy with it, when I get bored of these I will try to learn Roux and see what I think. I'll maybe look at ZZ and other techniques at this point. If I don't like them I'll continue with my original plan.

Someone mentioned that some of the badmephisto 2-look LL algs are outdated, where can I find an up to date list?

Also are algorithms written the way you should perform them? For example the f2l alg U' F' U F I perform holding it from the face to the right so I can do the F' F by rotating my left hand rather than moving my hands to the B face to flick the F face with my fingers. Am I doing this wrongly? It seems more logical to write algs in a way that would be most efficient to perform, like for that one I actually do U' L U L'?

 

[TDM]

My original plan was to learn 2-look PLL, then improve my cross and f2l and then look at learning 1-look PLL/OLL. I might have got the wrong idea but see if this sounds ok - my new plan is to learn 2-look PLL (it's only a few algorithms), then practice cross neutrality until I'm happy with it, when I get bored of these I will try to learn Roux and see what I think. I'll maybe look at ZZ and other techniques at this point. If I don't like them I'll continue with my original plan.

Good idea.

Someone mentioned that some of the badmephisto 2-look LL algs are outdated, where can I find an up to date list?

algdb.net is a great place to find algs. Anyone can submit algs they use, and you can see which ones are the most popular (they're usually the better ones).

Also are algorithms written the way you should perform them? For example the f2l alg U' F' U F I perform holding it from the face to the right so I can do the F' F by rotating my left hand rather than moving my hands to the B face to flick the F face with my fingers. Am I doing this wrongly? It seems more logical to write algs in a way that would be most efficient to perform, like for that one I actually do U' L U L'?

They are usually written the way you should perform them, but you don't have to execute it like that. You aren't doing that 'wrong', because there is no wrong way; I would actually also do it similarly to you: instead of U' F' U F, I would do y' U' R' U R or d' L' U L. Do what you prefer.

 

[mns112]

instead of U' F' U F, I would do y' U' R' U R or d' L' U L. Do what you prefer.

I think you mean d' L' U2 L

 

[TDM]

I think you mean d' L' U2 L

I don't.

 

[Rubik the Cubik]

Thanks, that makes sense.

One more thing has occurred to me. Let's say my preferred way of doing that alg is U' L U L' and I want to insert the red/green corner/edge (so I need to hold it facing green) but due to where I finished my last alg I'm currently holding the cube facing blue. Would people normally rotate the cube 180o in their hands (sorry I haven't got that far with the notation), which is what I've been doing, or would you also memorize that from the blue face you do the alg U' R' U R and perform that alg? And is this what would be called a mirror?

 

[TDM]

Thanks, that makes sense.

One more thing has occurred to me. Let's say my preferred way of doing that alg is U' L U L' and I want to insert the red/green corner/edge (so I need to hold it facing green) but due to where I finished my last alg I'm currently holding the cube facing blue. Would people normally rotate the cube 180o in their hands (sorry I haven't got that far with the notation), which is what I've been doing, or would you also memorize that from the blue face you do the alg U' R' U R and perform that alg? And is this what would be called a mirror?

Your notation is a bit wrong - are you sure you're doing L moves the correct way? This is what L' and L look like.

But yes, I would learn to do it from a 180 degree rotation, because rotating the entire cube is slower. Mirrors are slightly different: they are when you do the left handed version of a right handed alg or vice versa. Here's an example of an alg and its mirror.

 

[Rubik the Cubik]

Sorry yes you are right, I had to work out what algorithm I was doing since it's in my muscle memory but didn't think hard enough about which was clockwise was my bad!

Ok more to learn but ok! Am I right in thinking this would only apply to the cross and f2l stages of CFOP?

Thanks for your help

 

[TDM]

Ok more to learn but ok! Am I right in thinking this would only apply to the cross and f2l stages of CFOP?

Nope, you can mirror anything.