Older cubers discussions

[mafergut]

David, @muchacho we have to improve at our own rythm. I have realized that putting too much pressure on me only leads to frustration. Looking up to his times is motivating, though but I realize I will not get there at least in two-three years if at all.

 

[Selkie]

Wow @Selkie ... awesome average ... well done !!

I'm speechless...! Congratulations. You are setting the bar higher and higher for the rest of us oldies here.

Wow congrats @Selkie!

I have a new Ao5 PB also, but I feel so slow right now...

Ao5: 18.463 (previous was 18.610 from 15 days ago)

David, @muchacho we have to improve at our own rythm. I have realized that putting too much pressure on me only leads to frustration. Looking up to his times is motivating, though but I realize I will not get there at least in two-three years if at all.

Thanks guys. It really was out of nowhere. Well when I say nowhere, been feeling quite motivated having followed Euro's a lot last weekend.

Certainly do not feel slow of demotivated by seeing faster times. I was on a plateau of ~17s for 3-4 years and it is only in the last year where I have started seeing improvement again. You never know what improvement will come but just enjoy it, practice and chase your own goals and PBs

I've tried a Cyclone Boys and didn't like it as all. The inner layers were extremely sluggish and it had loads of catching issues.

What I haven't tried are the new Yuxin and KungFu cubes and was wondering if it was worth investing in getting either of those ?

I would also say I had a lot of catching on the CB but this only lasted 50 or so solves and it has been my main for months. That said I have not ordered any of the newer cubes (Out in the last 2 months) so I must try and catch up at some stage

 

[JanW]

Really impressive times @Selkie! I can't imagine ever being that fast. But who know, maybe in 4-5 years...

I ordered a KungFu cube yesterday. It was called YuMo QingHong at cubezz, but reviews seem to refer to it as KungFu QingHong. It's a rather cheap 3x3, I ordered a couple of other cheap 3x3s as well, including Thunderclap v2. If I can find something I like in the 5$ range, I might order a few more for mbld. The other option would be to buy a few more TangLongs, I already have 2. I won't be needing 10+ anytime soon, so the investment wouldn't be that big.

 

[CLL Smooth]

I'm going to Oregon 2016 competition August 27th and 28th! (Not Nationals which is also in Portland) My niece lives up there and I was able to get a cheap flight, so it worked out. I'm really excited, I've been needing a competition to get pumped about! I signed up for 2x2 - 5x5, OH, Skewb, and Pyraminx. Haha, I can barely do any of the last three, and honestly I don't care much. I'm still concerned about improving in 3x3 primarily.

Awesome! This comp should be really fun. I still need to sign up but I'm doing all of those events plus mega. I might even get talked into attempting 3BLD again.

 

[JohnnyReggae]

The reviews of the new Kungfu 4x4 (Cangfeng?) are great. Everyone loves it and it's quite cheap. But I have to say that the catching on the inner layers of the G4 goes away with just solves and the cube is great (it's my main). The new Yuxin 4x4 seems to be at least equally good with some lubing and tensioning. So it's all a matter of taste I think. Maybe if you prefer 62mm cubes you'll like the Kungfu better, I prefer the smaller 60mm ones.

I've watched reviews of both cubes and both seem to get a thumbs up, the Yuxin more so. Although there is some work involved to get it good which kind of bugs me as I want to be able to use a cube out the box without having to mod it etc...

As for size I like my mini Aosu for that reason, but I have gotten used to the Meiying which is 62mm. Either way I'd like a 4x4 that doesn't pop, or rather that pops far less frequently.

 

[Lid]

A PB 4x4 single out of nowhere just before bed last night: 50.45 with PLL parity even!

 

[Jason Green]

PB Ao5 out of nowhere. Thought Id so 20 or so solves before starting work, then I got this...

Average of 5: 12.91
1. 13.44 F L2 B U2 R2 U2 F2 R2 B' U2 R D F2 D2 R2 U L' B' F2 D' L
2. 11.84 U2 F U2 F2 D2 F2 L2 F R2 D2 F U' B' L2 F2 D L' R' B' D' L
3. (11.22) L U2 L' U2 L F2 D2 F2 R F2 U L F D' L R2 D L D2 F
4. (15.02) D2 B2 D2 R2 D2 R2 U2 B' R2 U2 B L' F2 D' F2 U B' R B' U2 R
5. 13.46 D L2 D' B2 L2 D' U' B2 D' B2 L' B2 L' B D2 L2 D R D2 R

11.84 was an easy WV case and the 11.22 a PLL skip. Really, really didn't think I would break 13s any time soon

That's really awesome! I don't even expect to beat my single of 12.83 anytime soon.

Awesome! This comp should be really fun. I still need to sign up but I'm doing all of those events plus mega. I might even get talked into attempting 3BLD again.

Looks like there is lots of room for now. It is at a mall which will be interesting and cool. Are you from that area?

Btw, what's your name? I've seen you post but don't recall. Are you an oldie?

 

[muchacho]

Today was one of those random good days, I had to exploit it so I've done more than 150 solves trying to beat some PBs

Ao5: 18.313 (was 18.463 from this morning)
Mo100: 21.744 (was 22.117 from 13 days ago)

 

[h2f]

Today was one of those random good days, I had to exploit it so I've done more than 150 solves trying to beat some PBs

Ao5: 18.313 (was 18.463 from this morning)
Mo100: 21.744 (was 22.117 from 13 days ago)

Nice!

 

[mafergut]

Nice, David @muchacho, you are improving steadily and that's always motivating. I know what you say about random good days. I have some of those as well. Sadly you never know when the next one will come

Nice Ao12 in the 2x2 Race to sub-5 today but still no sub-5. This is going to take soooo long and I will have to learn some new tricks if I want to succeed. Willing to try, though

 

[muchacho]

If I get a sub-7 there next week (which is doubtful, last 2 ao12 were just too good) I will try sub-6.5, because sub-6 would take me 1 year... I was not sure if I could chose a different goal than the ones available in the first post of that thread, but I don't care, I'll cheat

edit: I think this is week 17 trying to be sub-7 after being sub-8

 

[CLL Smooth]

That's really awesome! I don't even expect to beat my single of 12.83 anytime soon.

Looks like there is lots of room for now. It is at a mall which will be interesting and cool. Are you from that area?

Btw, what's your name? I've seen you post but don't recall. Are you an oldie?

Hey Jason, I'm Barry. I do live in the Portland/Beaverton area.
We've already had a comp at that venue and it went really well.
I like this thread cause it's pretty random and it's on the home page everyday. I am getting up there in age too. Though I prefer "oldie but goodie"

 

[Jason Green]

Hey Jason, I'm Barry. I do live in the Portland/Beaverton area.
We've already had a comp at that venue and it went really well.
I like this thread cause it's pretty random and it's on the home page everyday. I am getting up there in age too. Though I prefer "oldie but goodie"

It's not bad being the odd ball old guy at comps, since I seem to fit right in anyway. Although one comp had a guy about my age (that I noticed). It'll be cool to meet you there.

Funny thing my niece's dad (my older brother) is named Barry.

 

[moralsh]

@muchacho, @Selkie and @Logiqx, very nice averages, it's nice to see continuous improvement from you guys.

I've been practicing more than normal this past week and I have had some nice results

Mega: 2:55.something At last a sub 3
3BLD: Several solvers around 1:30, even some bad ones end being sub 2

I've been practicing Scrambles with the cross already done and had some encouraging (at least for me) results

Ao5 12.69
Ao12 13.12
Singles: several 10s
I'd say I'm globally sub 16, I need to practice Cross + first pair and inspect better, I turn faster than I thought so maybe with some dedicated practice I can improve a second or two.

 

[JohnnyReggae]

I've watched reviews of both cubes and both seem to get a thumbs up, the Yuxin more so. Although there is some work involved to get it good which kind of bugs me as I want to be able to use a cube out the box without having to mod it etc...

As for size I like my mini Aosu for that reason, but I have gotten used to the Meiying which is 62mm. Either way I'd like a 4x4 that doesn't pop, or rather that pops far less frequently.

So decided on the Yuxin Blue 4x4 and ordered one Should be here in about a month unfortunately, but that's what you have to deal with when ordering from China. Mind you packages from China arrive faster than from the USA ... go figure ..

On the topic of 4x4 .... I use Yau and I'm happy with using it. I currently average around the 1:30 mark, sometimes quicker ... sometimes not. My biggest waste of time is the 3 cross edges after the first 2 centers. I spend so much time looking for those pieces that it really is affecting my times. Does anyone have advice with Yau and the 3 cross edges ? I know it's all down to practise but there must be something I can look out for ?

 

[Logiqx]

On the topic of 4x4 .... I use Yau and I'm happy with using it. I currently average around the 1:30 mark, sometimes quicker ... sometimes not. My biggest waste of time is the 3 cross edges after the first 2 centers. I spend so much time looking for those pieces that it really is affecting my times. Does anyone have advice with Yau and the 3 cross edges ? I know it's all down to practise but there must be something I can look out for ?

Try to spot some cross edges as you are completing your F2C. It also helps to turn more slowly during the F3E so that you can search for and keep track of the cross pieces. Speed up again for the L4C.

 

[Selkie]

So decided on the Yuxin Blue 4x4 and ordered one Should be here in about a month unfortunately, but that's what you have to deal with when ordering from China. Mind you packages from China arrive faster than from the USA ... go figure ..

On the topic of 4x4 .... I use Yau and I'm happy with using it. I currently average around the 1:30 mark, sometimes quicker ... sometimes not. My biggest waste of time is the 3 cross edges after the first 2 centers. I spend so much time looking for those pieces that it really is affecting my times. Does anyone have advice with Yau and the 3 cross edges ? I know it's all down to practise but there must be something I can look out for ?

This always was and still is the slow part of my solve. Ive used Yau for about 4 years. It is also a step that I found hard to look away from the pair of dedges I was solving and so lookahead was near non existent. As @Logiqx Michael said, try and get some lookahead from prior step but also try the trainign tat a lot of people do for F2L. Find a matching pair of dedges and then solve them with your eyes closed, rince and repeat. Tht will hopefully train your brain to be looking for the next ones

 

[h2f]

Yes, tracking edge pieces when finishing second center helps a lot to get better times.

Back to 3x3 records - I have a sheet with 102 scrambles which I've made 2 years ago before first competiotion. I've printed it and I was making solves in my free time in a job (breaks etc.). My times were over 40 than. Yesterday I've back to it and decided to make ao100. It finshed with 19.98 and rolled my ao1000 to 19.88.

 

[mark49152]

On the topic of 4x4 .... I use Yau and I'm happy with using it. I currently average around the 1:30 mark, sometimes quicker ... sometimes not. My biggest waste of time is the 3 cross edges after the first 2 centers. I spend so much time looking for those pieces that it really is affecting my times. Does anyone have advice with Yau and the 3 cross edges ? I know it's all down to practise but there must be something I can look out for ?

Or, switch to Hoya. I could never get the hang of Yau cross edges and found Hoya much easier to improve with. In my opinion, Yau really depends on having good lookahead and vision/awareness around the cube. The fundamental difference is that with Hoya you only need to look for and insert one piece at a time, whereas with Yau you need to find two matching pieces. So Hoya is easier for lookahead and has a smaller number of simpler insertion cases.

 

[muchacho]

I put some Maru lube on the cube and 21 solves later I got some PBs, it's magic!

Ao5: 18.194 (it was 18.313 from 2 days ago)
Ao12: 18.733 (it was 19.858 from 5-jul)

Spoiler: Ao5/Ao12

23493 22-jul-2016 11:00:25 00:19.880 B2 D R2 U R2 F2 R2 U' F2 D' B D' L' D2 U2 L2 U' L B' L2 D'
23492 22-jul-2016 10:59:35 00:15.743 U' B2 L2 U' L2 U' B2 L2 F2 U R F2 R2 D' B D F' D U2 R
23491 22-jul-2016 10:58:49 00:20.559 F2 R2 B2 D' B2 D2 L2 D2 L2 B2 D2 L U' B L D2 F' U2 L B L2 D2
23490 22-jul-2016 10:58:05 00:16.313 L2 D B2 U' R2 B2 U2 L2 U B2 D L' D' B U R' L2 U2 L' D' B U'
23489 22-jul-2016 10:57:21 00:19.054 U L2 U B2 R2 D2 B2 R2 D' B2 U' R B D R B D2 L D F R U
23488 22-jul-2016 10:56:34 00:19.216 U2 F2 L2 U2 B2 U' B2 U2 L2 F2 U2 F' U' R2 L2 D' F' U L B2 D2 U'
23487 22-jul-2016 10:55:49 00:18.887 B2 R2 U2 F2 D R2 D R2 D U' B' R2 L2 U' R' D U F2 L F' U'
23486 22-jul-2016 10:55:13 00:16.918 D2 F2 D' F2 U R2 U L2 F2 L2 F R' L2 D2 R B' D' R2 L B
23485 22-jul-2016 10:54:34 00:17.903 D' L2 B2 L2 D B2 F2 D' R2 L2 B' L2 B U2 F' R' D2 R2 U B2
23484 22-jul-2016 10:53:56 00:19.397 B2 D B2 F2 L2 U2 R2 U' R2 F2 D2 F' R D' F2 D2 L' F R2 U B
23483 22-jul-2016 10:53:12 00:23.687 D' R2 U F2 U R2 D B2 D2 F2 D2 R' F' R B D U' B' L B' F'
23482 22-jul-2016 10:52:34 00:19.208 R2 D' F2 D2 F2 L2 U R2 U2 F2 L' B R' L F' L2 B2 F2 U2 L2