Older cubers discussions

mafergut said:
anybody has a stickerless Thunderclap v1 and can give an opinion about the shades?
Click to expand...

I don't have one, but I got one for my nephew and played with it some before letting him have it. I had no trouble with identification, but I find the pea-green to be a decidedly unpleasant color. Other than that I think it has pretty good colors, maybe a shade toward pastel than vibrant.
 
Just for a bit of fun... words used in my OLL descriptions:
OLL.png
 
mafergut said:
Fair enough. Then the only issue is, anybody has a stickerless Thunderclap v1 and can give an opinion about the shades?
Click to expand...
If you don't have problems with the Valk you'll be fine, I think (just from seeing pictures and videos) the colors of the Thunderclap are really similar to those... the green may be a bit different (in a good way) (but my eyes may be lying to me).
 
Logiqx said:
Just for a bit of fun... words used in my OLL descriptions...
Click to expand...

Do you find using verbal descriptions helps alg retention? My quest for full OLL is progressing slowly. Maybe you could add the descriptors to your site (which is very nice, btw, reminds me a little of Sarah Strong's site, which I used to use when I was first starting out.

I remember, when I originally searched the internet for a solution to the cube (rather than speedcube), many years ago, all algs were described as a combination of sunes, niklases, antisunes, etc..

I know this comes up from time to time, and I'll be posting in the cross help thread as well, but I'm interested in what my fellow oldies do, rather than kids (no offence to any under 30s who have taken a wrong turn, and somehow ended up on this thread) who can afford to practice for 12 hours a day. When you guys started to solve cross blind, did you sub-vocalise (i.e. memorise then recite moves, such as DU'LR'F...), visualise (i.e. in your head you still 'see' the cross edges), or other?

After always just spamming solves, I'm finding focussed practice a little hard, I lack discipline! Anyone remember Noah Arthurs' mountain post, several years ago? I should revisit that and maybe stand on one leg on a post on a beach for a few hours, paint a fence, or wax a car (wax on, wax off...).
 
pipkiksass said:
Do you find using verbal descriptions helps alg retention? Maybe you could add the descriptors to your site (which is very nice, btw, reminds me a little of Sarah Strong's site, which I used to use when I was first starting out.

I remember, when I originally searched the internet for a solution to the cube (rather than speedcube), many years ago, all algs were described as a combination of sunes, niklases, antisunes, etc..

When you guys started to solve cross blind, did you sub-vocalise (i.e. memorise then recite moves, such as DU'LR'F...), visualise (i.e. in your head you still 'see' the cross edges), or other?
Click to expand...

I'm a big fan of Sarah's website. I used it a lot whilst trawling the internet for "nice" OLL algs.

Verbal descriptions are already on my website but only visible on a tablet or computer.

OLL 35
R U2 R' (R' F R F') R U2 R' - Extract pair, sledgehammer, re-insert F2L pair
R U2' (R2' F R F') R U2' R' - Actual execution includes a cancellation

I found learning OLL and COLL like this really helpful, especially when I started trying them in OH solves. Although I wasn't able to rely on 2H muscle memory, I was able to recall most OLLs from verbal memory.

That being said, I had a massive brain fart during my last competition and couldn't remember R' (U' F' U F) R during one of my OH solves!

My descriptions are written in shorthand and you need to hover over abbreviations such as RFS (Right Front Sune) to see them written in full. Oh yes... you also need to know that Sune starts RU or R'U' and the anti-Sune starts RU2 or R'U2'.

OLL 31
M (R U R' U R U2' R') U M' - M-slice, RFS, AUF, M-slice
r' (R2 U R' U R U2' R') U M' - Actual execution

Regarding cross, I used a combination of visualisation and sub-vocalising. I think I still do to an extent as I visualise the moves, work out the finger tricks and perhaps use letters as well.

To work out the final AUF, I sometimes use simple maths. If I start with one or more cross-pieces solved and I see they are off by a U2 then I remember that and figure out how my cross solution affects it. If my cross solution includes D or u moves then I add / subtract them to / from the initial offset. This way, I know the final adjustment without having to look and it gives better lookahead into the F2L.
 
You've convinced me. Shame I booked the Premier Inn in August. The parking around the corner from the venue is the cheapest around. I'm leaving my car there and dragging my case up the road.
 
Yesterday I had a great time with an old friend .... Mr Aolong V2 :-) Still the cube with the single most solves done on it and I haven't really touched it in over a year. I've done in the region of 14 000 solves on it, and as I found out yesterday still turns so nicely. I cleaned it out and applied a light lube on the pieces. Did around 100 solves on it during the day and was able to maintain my normal average. I'm still surprised at how nicely it turns ... when it's not catching. It is quite a blocky cube that you have to control. But when you stabalise it it turns really well.

The last few days I've been going through the GAN V2, Yuexiao, Hualong, and now the Aolong. I've realised that each cube handles algs quite differently, so some algs really flow nicely on 1 cube but get stuck and choppy with other cubes. Makes we wish I had cube that was a combination of them all :-)
 
That happens to me as well. For some reason, H-perm and, in general, M slices flow very nicely in cubes that I don't particularly like and in my mains I tend to lock up a lot on those. The Valk is an exception to the rule but the problem here is mine, it turns so light that I tend to overshoot my M2.
 
Got my 3rd best full-step single of all time already with the Qiyi Valk.
13.38 U' F L2 B' L2 D2 B' U2 L2 F L2 B U R F2 U2 L' R D2 F'
The other two better than this (12.89 & 13.06) I got them with a Moyu Tanglong... while it was good, now it's unusable. I have also other 15 singles better than this but with either OLL / PLL skip, with 6 different cubes.

Right now I'm pretty sure the Valk is my new main. I just need a lucky single to prove it ;)
 
Last edited:
megagoune said:
A package arrived :)
View attachment 7004

With no surprise, I really like the Valk. I overshoot the M2s a little, but otherwise I don't need to adapt to anything else.
The QiYi magnetic pyraminx is very nice as well. I only have another one, a Meffert's from 10 years ago. Serious difference...
The kids found the panda "so cute" :)
Click to expand...

I got that Panda for my girlfriend a week or so ago. She loves it's little smirk :)
 
megagoune said:
A package arrived :)
With no surprise, I really like the Valk. :)I overshoot the M2s a little, but otherwise I don't need to adapt to anything else..
Click to expand...

I'm really torn. I'm going to treat myself to a new cube as a present for returning to cubing, and I've heard a lot of good things about the Valk, but I'm a really rough turner. I should probably work on that (adds to list of things to work on...), but for now I need a cube that works for me.

I need a fairly stable cube, which is why I'm excluding the Gans - every review I've read says it's unstable and tends to end up out-of-shape after OLL/PLL algs.

So that leaves us with Valk vs. Weilong GTS... thoughts anyone??
 
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