Older cubers discussions

Mark saying stuff

I just searched the forums to find out when I last posted, and the most recent post wasn't me, but Mark wondering where I'd gone.

Awww, did you miss me? ;-)

Been ill, sadly. I'm currently recovering, but off work sick for 6 months, so I guess I could use that time to finally learn to solve the cross blind...

In other news, Marcel you got FAST. I get your YouTube updates in my gmail, so I've seen your single PBs - kudos.

Looking forward to finishing OLL and becoming a proper cuber.
 
It's not as spectacular an increase as I'd thought. It'll be PB or DNF for me this competition again.
It's still remarkable though. As you already observed, the UK ranking is much more crowded than a year ago. Definitely a surge in interest.

I hate leaving a comp with three DNFs but you are correct, to get a PB you have to push it and take risks. I wasted an easy scramble at Guildford because I was too safe - success, but slow. I was more pleased with my performance on the third scramble, which although DNF was very close and way faster.

@pipkiksass: Welcome back! Yeah we missed you and were even talking about you at the comp the other day :) Hope you recover soon.
 
I just searched the forums to find out when I last posted, and the most recent post wasn't me, but Mark wondering where I'd gone.

Awww, did you miss me? ;-)

Been ill, sadly. I'm currently recovering, but off work sick for 6 months, so I guess I could use that time to finally learn to solve the cross blind...

In other news, Marcel you got FAST. I get your YouTube updates in my gmail, so I've seen your single PBs - kudos.

Looking forward to finishing OLL and becoming a proper cuber.
Hey. Welcome back!

I hope you make a good recovery over coming months.

I was reminiscing about the "how do you compare" thread with Mark at the weekend. We'd wondered where you had gone.

The thread prompted me to push for sub-20 globally and now I have a 17.08 official average.

Check my signature for everyone's official PBs.

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Thanks guys - it's a long road, but I have a scan tomorrow which will hopefully give me some good results. If not then it's an even longer road!!!

Anyway, what did I miss in the world of cubing? Did someone release a cube that will magically make me sub-10 yet?

Couldn't help WCA stalking you. Not too hard, as only 2 Marks competed in the 3x3 at Guildford. Respectable times these days, sir.

I was reminiscing about the "how do you compare" thread with Mark at the weekend...

Wow, remember that one! I swear I used to spend more time doing forum maths than working.
 
@pipkiksass. Lots of great cubes now and one of the newest with rave reviews is the Valk 3.

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Not interested unless it will magically make me sub-10. None of the YouTube reviews suggest that it will do so. Guess I'll have to try hard word instead.


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I'm speechless...

14.06 R' D2 F R2 B' D L' B R2 U' B2 U2 B2 U F2 R2 D L2 B2 R'

x // inspection
M' F' D' R' // cross
L' U L2 U' L' // F2L-1
R U' R' U2 y' R' U' R // F2L-2
y R' U2 R U' R' U' R // F2L-3
U' L' U' L U' L' U L // F2L-4
U2 R U R' U' R' F R F' // OLL
U' // AUF

41 moves, 2.92 moves per second

It's not every day I cut 3 seconds off my PB single!

Oh, and sub-25 Ao50 as well. :)
 
I'm speechless...

14.06 R' D2 F R2 B' D L' B R2 U' B2 U2 B2 U F2 R2 D L2 B2 R'
Congrats!!! Same feeling when I got my 12.49 a couple years ago. My previous PB was then 15.89 so 3.4 secs of improvement. It took me 10 months to beat it though and, even today, I have only beaten it 6 times (all of them PLL or OLL skips).

Clear sign that my 3x3 is stagnating that a time from 2 years ago is still in my top 10 singles of all time. I'm sure you'll be beating this 14.06 soon.
 
Congrats!

These are my 45 3x3 PB singles... it was fun getting PBs frequently... now only 1 after May :(

25560 16-ago-2016 10:50:07 00:12.166 B2 F2 D2 R2 U' B2 R2 L2 U F2 D L' D U' F' D R' U2 R F2 L D'
17862 20-may-2016 19:56:26 00:13.831 F2 D L2 U2 F2 R2 D L2 B2 R2 F' R' U2 R' F U' B' R2 F2 L'
14508 21-abr-2016 16:16:36 00:14.352 F2 U' B2 R2 D' L2 F2 D B2 U2 B2 R' B' L2 D2 R B U L U L U'
13595 14-abr-2016 8:54:45 00:15.271 U' L2 U2 F2 R2 F2 D' F2 U' R2 U2 R' B U' F R' B' F2 U2 R2 L2
10841 09-mar-2016 14:37:32 00:15.455 L2 D U2 R2 U2 L2 B2 R2 D L2 D2 B' U' R2 B' R U B2 U2 L' U'
10634 06-mar-2016 9:52:32 00:16.216 B2 D2 F2 R2 B2 U' L2 D R2 F' U F R' L2 U B' D R' L2 D2
4788 04-dic-2015 15:49:07 00:16.328 D' B2 F2 D' L2 B2 D U R2 L2 F' R' U' B' R' B2 F' D2 U L U'
4558 22-nov-2015 11:56:41 00:19.088 U' R2 B2 D B2 D2 R2 B2 D F2 U B' R' L B' U2 F D F' L2 D2
4440 20-nov-2015 9:19:05 00:19.511 R2 B2 D' F2 D' L2 D2 L2 U2 F2 D2 B U2 B D' R U2 F' R D' R2
3700 10-nov-2015 17:32:21 00:21.534 U L2 D2 U' F' R2 B F' U L2 B U' L2 U2 B2 L2 D B2
3493 04-nov-2015 14:10:39 00:22.295 U R2 U F2 L2 U' R2 U' B2 F2 L2 F' L' B2 R U L' F' U' L2 D
3343 31-oct-2015 9:36:24 00:22.621 D R2 D2 L2 D' B2 U2 B2 U R2 U' L' F L2 U2 F D' B2 R' B2 F2
1686 14-sep-2015 11:07:13 00:23.063 R2 D2 L2 U' F2 D' F2 R2 U B2 U2 R U' B D F D' R2 U L U'
1623 13-sep-2015 10:08:45 00:24.278 D' B2 R2 D' L2 U F2 U2 R2 U B2 L' B L D R' B' R D' R' F2
1401 02-sep-2015 10:12:57 00:27.934 D' F D' L2 F' D' R F R2 D' R B2 F' U2 B D' B' D
1286 28-ago-2015 12:15:58 00:32.141 R2 U R2 D2 L2 F2 L2 U' L2 F2 D2 R F' D' B2 U B2 L' B' R' F D'
1275 28-ago-2015 12:02:04 00:32.422 F2 U' R2 D L2 U' B2 U F2 R2 D R D L2 B' U' R F D' U' R D2
1231 27-ago-2015 9:09:09 00:32.535 F2 D2 R2 F2 D2 L2 U2 L2 U2 B2 U2 R' U2 L2 B' L B2 F' R' F' D2 U'
1072 23-ago-2015 11:24:47 00:32.878 U2 R2 L2 F2 U R2 L2 F2 U' L2 U2 B' L2 F L D2 L D B2 U2 L'
749 11-ago-2015 10:45:51 00:32.983 D R2 F2 L2 U' L2 D2 R2 D' R2 U2 B F' R' B U' F L' U' F2 D' U2
483 31-jul-2015 9:30:39 00:35.126 B2 R2 D' F2 U' B2 U2 B2 L2 F2 L2 B D2 R' B D' R2 F' U2 B2 L' D'
467 30-jul-2015 16:58:54 00:41.093 U2 R2 U' F2 R2 D L2 B2 L2 D' B' F U' R F' L' F' U B' U'
396 27-jul-2015 19:13:06 00:42.987 U' F2 L2 F2 D U2 F2 U' B2 L2 U2 L F2 U' B U2 R B2 D B' D U'
391 27-jul-2015 18:24:48 00:48.973 D2 L2 D' R2 F2 D L2 D2 B2 R2 F B2 D2 R' U' F R2 L' B R'
369 26-jul-2015 12:06:39 00:49.893 B2 R2 L2 F2 D L2 D' L2 B2 F2 U2 F' D' L2 B' L U' B2 U R B2
364 26-jul-2015 11:56:35 00:51.189 R2 L2 U' L2 U' B2 F2 U2 B2 D R2 B D' F2 U2 R B D2 B' F'
304 23-jul-2015 10:04:50 00:52.069 F2 L2 F2 D L2 D2 U B2 L2 D2 R L' U' F' U2 R2 B L' U' R' B
257 19-jul-2015 9:52:50 00:54.477 D2 R2 L2 U' B2 L2 D2 B2 U R2 U B L B2 D' U' R F2 R2 U2 F' D2
232 18-jul-2015 9:15:58 01:05.572 R2 L2 B2 L2 D R2 D2 L2 F2 L2 U R' U2 L F' U' B2 R2 B2 R F2
157 15-jul-2015 11:31:03 01:07.317 L2 U2 B2 D' B2 R2 L2 F2 L2 D2 L' U' B' L2 F2 L D2 R' U' B
142 14-jul-2015 8:32:23 01:09.732 U B2 R2 B2 U F2 D' U2 F2 D2 F2 R' L2 D B' U2 R L' U F' L2 U'
138 14-jul-2015 8:21:34 01:17.148 U L2 B2 U2 B2 U L2 B2 U' F2 D' R' U B F' D' B' F L D F
115 11-jul-2015 12:45:47 01:26.170 F2 D' B2 U' L2 F2 R2 U R2 F2 R' F2 L' B D L F U2 F2 U2
91 10-jul-2015 11:14:52 01:33.802 L2 U2 B2 D' B2 R2 B2 D' L2 U' R2 B' R' U' B U' L2 F' D' B' R2 D
85 10-jul-2015 10:35:04 01:42.739 R2 U' B2 U B2 U F2 D L2 B2 U' L' D2 B U2 L D B' R U' R' U2
43 08-jul-2015 13:06:39 01:53.281 D' L2 B2 R2 U' B2 D' B2 D2 B2 U' L U' F2 U' L F L' F2 L2 D'
42 08-jul-2015 13:03:17 02:18.199 F2 U F2 D R2 D' L2 U F2 R2 D' R' F2 R' F L D U' B' R2
41 08-jul-2015 12:59:53 02:23.520 R2 D2 F2 U2 B2 R2 D B2 R2 U L2 F D' R D2 U' B' F U L' B D
19 07-jul-2015 19:48:00 02:36.837 D' F2 U2 L2 F2 D L2 B2 D' F2 D F' D2 R' B' F L2 U' F' L D' U
18 07-jul-2015 18:41:38 03:10.723 U2 R2 L2 F2 R2 U F2 U F2 L2 U L' U2 L B' D R2 B U' F2 D
8 07-jul-2015 12:04:41 03:15.764 D F2 D' F2 U2 F2 R2 F2 U2 F2 D2 F' D2 F R' B D F2 D' B D'
5 07-jul-2015 11:43:33 04:31.351 L2 F2 U' L2 D2 F2 U' F2 D F2 U' L' B2 U' F' R2 L U' F' R' D' U2
4 07-jul-2015 11:25:11 05:13.100 F2 L2 D U L2 U R2 F2 L2 U L' F' U' B' R L' D B' R U' L
2 07-jul-2015 9:32:23 06:06.769 B2 R2 L2 U2 R2 L2 B2 D F2 D F2 R' U' B2 R L2 B D B F D2
1 07-jul-2015 8:40:00 07:15.045 D2 R2 U F2 U B2 D' R2 D' L2 D2 L R2 U' B' F L2 U R' D B2 U
 
Thanks!

That's some nice statistics @muchacho! It would be interesting to have stats like that, but I've been switching timers so many times that it's not really possible.

Finished today's Ao100 at 25.40. Big improvement since yesterday. I've been doing very little timed solves the last couple of months, but picked up a lot of new algs and done lots of untimed solves in this time, so I was expecting to see some improvement when I finally do some longer sessions of timed solves.

Currently I'm using the stickerless MeiYing, I really like this cube! Maybe I'll try an Ao100 with the GTS tomorrow to see how that works out. I've usually been 1-2 seconds faster on the GTS than on any other cube, but haven't compared it to the MeiYing yet.
 
Not interested unless it will magically make me sub-10. None of the YouTube reviews suggest that it will do so. Guess I'll have to try hard word instead.


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Actually most of the people who use it claim they beat all their PB's. I had some nice averages but still prefer the ShengShou FangYuan. Welcome back btw :)
 
Most of the [F2L] solutions I'm using are reasonably efficient now... seems like every time I check one against algdb or another F2L reference that I'm doing the same thing but I'll inventory all of 'em at this point

Oh how very wrong I was lol. I've managed to put the 4x4 down long enough to start the tedious auditing process on my F2L cases. It's time for me to scrutinize every single case, less fun than other exercises but it should pay solid dividends. Since I need good personal notes I've started a spreadsheet with all the cases... basically copying the info from the speedsolving.com wiki so I have something I can mark-up.

The first group I'm focusing on are the non-trivial cases where the corner and edge are next to one another in the U face (11-18, 23, 24). Finding pairs + recognition is my bane and these are easy cases for me to spot. I plan to spam the crap out of these cases and give them early preferential treatment in solves in the hopes that the harder cases for me to spot will be a little more limited to later in the stage, with less cube chaos to confuse me.

I'm finding plenty of neat tricks, like M U L F' L' U' M' (effectively [M U L: F']) for F2L-15. There are also a few rare cases where what I've been doing makes more sense to me than any of the listed algs. A concrete example is F2L-13 which is just a lefty F2L-14. Going by the wiki and algdb, the general consensus seems to be U' (R U' R' U) (R U R') is the solution for F2L-14, yet the y U (L' U L U') (L' U' L) y' mirror isn't even listed for F2L-13 o_O. Seems like a serious L-move aversion in the F2L algs out there.

This'll take a little while, both the leg work and recall on algs I'm swapping out for new ones. I'm not even doing many full solves right now, mostly having csTimer scramble a solved cross and just doing F2L. I'm not setting any time-frame goals because I'm easily distracted (squirrel!), but I fully expect this to yield Ao5s in the 30s and break into the 20s for single solves.
 
I'm speechless...

14.06 R' D2 F R2 B' D L' B R2 U' B2 U2 B2 U F2 R2 D L2 B2 R'

x // inspection
M' F' D' R' // cross
L' U L2 U' L' // F2L-1
R U' R' U2 y' R' U' R // F2L-2
y R' U2 R U' R' U' R // F2L-3
U' L' U' L U' L' U L // F2L-4
U2 R U R' U' R' F R F' // OLL
U' // AUF

41 moves, 2.92 moves per second

It's not every day I cut 3 seconds off my PB single!

Oh, and sub-25 Ao50 as well. :)
Wow man, I love the M' in cross! And the second pair is way more efficient than what I do. I always do the U' and then R to split them up.. the beginner way.. LOL. Cool, I learned something today.
 
She is much better and at home again which is great.

Glad to hear she's feeling better.

@Shaky Hands - What an awesome single there, wish I had seen it mate and you are gettign so close to average cut in 4x4 and 5x5.

That was the highlight of the competition for me. I was standing waiting to solve, and there was this sudden yell of joy or maybe anger, and Andy leapt up from the table like he'd been bitten by a snake. Then I saw the timer and couldn't quite believe it... :)

@bubbagrub - Awesome Square 1 ot dislodge me from 4th over 40. Great improvement.

Thank you! :) I was pretty lucky with the scrambles, to be honest: they all had really nice cube-shapes. This has been proven by the weekly comp in which I have done a lot worse...

Starting a training schedule for UKC now being a month away and this is one I will not miss, will definately be there Saturday and Sunday and hope to make Friday night FMC.

Excellent. Looking forward to meeting you. I'll also be there for FMC, traffic allowing.
 
That was the highlight of the competition for me. I was standing waiting to solve, and there was this sudden yell of joy or maybe anger, and Andy leapt up from the table like he'd been bitten by a snake. Then I saw the timer and couldn't quite believe it... :)

That made me smile, reliving the memory! I hope I didn't excessively distract anyone that had a solve in progress, but I was totally overwhelmed in disbelief. :)

Since then I must have spent 2+ hours trying to reconstruct that solve but still no luck.

I know it finished up with an edges-orientated OLL (I think Chameleon or Bowtie) and a PLL skip from the scramble L2 F' R2 F L2 B2 L2 D2 R2 D U B L D F D2 R B' D'.

I solve white-cross only so I assume my cross was either x2 U' D' (R' B' R') (F L F) or x2 U' D' (F L F) (R' B' R') but I can't get that to lead to anything.

One day I will suss out how I managed this.
 
Wow man, I love the M' in cross! And the second pair is way more efficient than what I do. I always do the U' and then R to split them up.. the beginner way.. LOL. Cool, I learned something today.
Haha, thanks! I'm glad if I can be of help, so it's not only me leeching off the infinite wisdom of all the wiser oldies in this thread. :) I sometimes do M' in the cross, but only if I have 2 opposite white edges opposite to each other and can position them with the M' as first move. I don't think my brain is ready to handle M' moves later in the cross sequence yet.

For the second pair, I found another, possibly even better way while playing around with the cube last week. That would be U F (sexy) F' U R U' R'. Or use sledgehammer for insertion to replace last 4 moves, that might even be more finger trick friendly. It's more moves, but could be faster. I think it's better if the pair already is positioned towards front left, not quite sure if it's worth it with the U move at the start.
 
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