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[Member Intro] Newbie, interested in new hobby!

Lordpaxin

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2019
Messages
42
Location
WV
Hey guys! I'm 30 years old and I'm wanting to get into speed cubing, weird right?? Well, to some maybe lol. I purchased a Gan 356 xs and will receive it in the mail tomorrow. I've completed a 3x3 cube multiple times but at the slowest times you could consider reasonable :p I live in a rural area in West Virginia. I like retro gaming, and riding dirt bikes for other hobbies. I haven't completed a cube in years, but I came here to see what I'm able to accomplish in time retrospect. The only downfall in my cubing quest ambition is that I have to have thumb surgery the day after Christmas and will be out for the count for about 4 weeks. Dirt bike wreck, don't ask lol. Thanks, and look forward to talking and contributing to this forum!!
 

Zarxrax

Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
1,282
Location
North Carolina
Hi there. I also started when I was almost 30 years old. It never really came naturally to me, and it took me months of daily practice (30-60 minutes a day usually) to even get my averages under 1 minute! And then 1-2 years to get down below 30 seconds. I recently got back into cubing after a several-years hiatus. I forgot a lot of my algorithms, but I guess my fundamentals are still solid because I can still get under 30 seconds. I feel like the young kids have a massive advantage and my old fingers just don't move fast! But it feels all the more rewarding to finally hit new goals and personal records. Good luck!
 

EngiNerdBrian

Premium Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
960
Location
Denver
YouTube
Visit Channel
Welcome! I think it’s great to see older people interested in cubing, I’m 29 but did some heavy cubing during college, just recently getting back into it. As mentioned, the dexterity and differences in older vs young cubers is apparent and a very real thing. It’s pretty neat to see the kids dominate the pastime though. Enjoy the weirdness and learn from them! There’s an array of info YouTube and the this forum constantly.

There is a thread here directed specifically to older cubers which may be useful to you. Depending on how excited you get about solving you can always practice One handed after your surgery. It’s also a good time to memorize algorithms!

That gan cube may blow your mind compared to the cubes you used in the past, the technology hasimproved so much in the last decade. Cheers
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
649
Location
The FitnessGram Pacer Test is a multi stage...
Hey guys! I'm 30 years old and I'm wanting to get into speed cubing, weird right?? Well, to some maybe lol. I purchased a Gan 356 xs and will receive it in the mail tomorrow. I've completed a 3x3 cube multiple times but at the slowest times you could consider reasonable :p I live in a rural area in West Virginia. I like retro gaming, and riding dirt bikes for other hobbies. I haven't completed a cube in years, but I came here to see what I'm able to accomplish in time retrospect. The only downfall in my cubing quest ambition is that I have to have thumb surgery the day after Christmas and will be out for the count for about 4 weeks. Dirt bike wreck, don't ask lol. Thanks, and look forward to talking and contributing to this forum!!
May I ask what hand your thumb is on and what hand you are dominant with? You could get a head start with OH solving! Other than that, good luck in your endeavors and I hope the surgery goes well!
 
Joined
Dec 18, 2019
Messages
144
Location
On the Rocks that make up Saturns Ring
Welcome! I think it’s great to see older people interested in cubing, I’m 29 but did some heavy cubing during college, just recently getting back into it. As mentioned, the dexterity and differences in older vs young cubers is apparent and a very real thing. It’s pretty neat to see the kids dominate the pastime though. Enjoy the weirdness and learn from them! There’s an array of info YouTube and the this forum constantly.

There is a thread here directed specifically to older cubers which may be useful to you. Depending on how excited you get about solving you can always practice One handed after your surgery. It’s also a good time to memorize algorithms!

That gan cube may blow your mind compared to the cubes you used in the past, the technology hasimproved so much in the last decade. Cheers
J perm video about difference from young and old cubers
 

Lordpaxin

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2019
Messages
42
Location
WV
Hi there. I also started when I was almost 30 years old. It never really came naturally to me, and it took me months of daily practice (30-60 minutes a day usually) to even get my averages under 1 minute! And then 1-2 years to get down below 30 seconds. I recently got back into cubing after a several-years hiatus. I forgot a lot of my algorithms, but I guess my fundamentals are still solid because I can still get under 30 seconds. I feel like the young kids have a massive advantage and my old fingers just don't move fast! But it feels all the more rewarding to finally hit new goals and personal records. Good luck!
Thanks for the reply. I'm worried about how my thumb is going to behave after surgery, I hope the recovery will be quick and not be a slow progression. I hope to be able to just solve one again, then set higher goals. I hear ya on
May I ask what hand your thumb is on and what hand you are dominant with? You could get a head start with OH solving! Other than that, good luck in your endeavors and I hope the surgery goes well!
It is my dominant hand and I’m left handed, but I could give it a shot!
 

EngiNerdBrian

Premium Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
960
Location
Denver
YouTube
Visit Channel
I had a surgery on my left thumb/wrist from a motorcycle collision commuting to work and ended up with plates and screws in my left hand. It definitely hurt my dexterity but it made me realize how silly it was I only used one hand for most everyday tasks, I assume you’ll feel it more since you have injured your dominate hand. But it’s rather fun to discover experiencing life with your opposite hand as the primary and only option. Best of luck with your recovery after surgery and enjoy then solves!
 

Mischiiii

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
126
Welcome to the Community glad you found this rather uncommon hobby. I’m around your age and i started this year as well. Prepare your wallet for some nightmares :D.

at least old cubers can afford every puzzle they want :D. Did you already chose a speedsolving method to learn ?
 

Fredrick

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2019
Messages
41
Welcome. While you may be out of 2 handed solving for a while you will still be able to do one handed. Also most Cubers use their non dominant hand for oh. Just try it out. There are many youtubers out there that can help you improve quickly. Good luck.
 

Lordpaxin

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2019
Messages
42
Location
WV
Welcome to the Community glad you found this rather uncommon hobby. I’m around your age and i started this year as well. Prepare your wallet for some nightmares :D.

at least old cubers can afford every puzzle they want :D. Did you already chose a speedsolving method to learn ?
CFOP or maybe ROUX, I'm thinking about starting with CFOP and maybe give ROUX a try later.
 

icarneiro

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2019
Messages
164
Location
Brazil
Welcome. I started late too, at 24y. At this age I was already graduated in dentistry, and working full time job. I'm practicing for 8 months, and even though we don't have time like teenagers and kids, we can have low times if we practice the right way.

Good luck and have fun! :)
 
Last edited:

Owen Morrison

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2019
Messages
1,953
Location
Tennessee
WCA
2017MORR06
YouTube
Visit Channel
CFOP or maybe ROUX, I'm thinking about starting with CFOP and maybe give ROUX a try later.
I think starting with CFOP and then trying Roux is the best way to do it. Learning Roux right after beginners method is extremely hard, I am not saying that transitioning from beginners to CFOP will be easy, but it will be easier than Roux. Learning CFOP will give you a much better understanding of the cube, which will make learning Roux a TON easier. I personally think that CFOP is the fastest and best method, but I think everyone should give Roux a shot even if it is only to improve your knowledge of how the cube works. But unless you are going for speed, I recommend using whichever method is more fun.
 
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