Older cubers discussions

[NewbieCuber]

Progress Report: 5 weeks since my first solve and I'm changing from the beginners method of first layer/seconds layer to F2L pair up and insert. My avg time with the old method was about 1:20 with the occasional sub 1 minute time as an anomaly. My times have moved back up into the 1:50 range but I can already see my pattern recognition getting faster and faster. It's odd that even though the bulk of the memorization is in the OLL and PLL steps I can see how a lot of time can be made up by improving the cross building and F2L steps. So I'm also practicing solving the cross in my mind before I make any moves.

Also, as an over 50 cuber I found that I was getting frustrated when I couldn't remember an algorithm which I was practicing the day before. But sure enough, with practice and many many solves they started coming back. It seems to take me a couple of days to internalize a new alg. But my memorization is improving as is my pattern recognition.

 

[SenorJuan]

"Are you going to the UKs this year. They're in Stevenage again."
Hi Mark, a return to the quaint historic market town of St Evenage, eh...guess I can't just turn up to watch and say hello. Going to have to buy some new stickers and do some proper practice, then. so a provisional "see you there" to everyone.

 

[mark49152]

I'm glad to find out I wasn't the only over-40 competitor there. I have to admit I was feeling really old compared to most of the competitors this weekend at US Nats. It seemed even more youth-skewed than usual.

Nice to see you here, Mike. I don't see you registered for Worlds, which is a pity. There are over-40s from all over the world on this thread, and many of us are into blind and well aware of your achievements. It would have been great to meet you at Worlds!

 

[Mike Hughey]

I'm sorry about not attending Worlds - we simply couldn't afford the trip. US Nationals was easy (and cheap!) to do because it was so close to us.

I know there are still plenty of older cubers in other countries competing. But it does seem like the number of older cubers has really been declining in the US over the past few years, despite a rather phenomenal increase in overall competitors in the US.

 

[Jlvs2run]

as an over 50 cuber I found that I was getting frustrated when I couldn't remember an algorithm

That's why I only use 3 of them.

I expected to be only a bit slower than 2x that time, but no, best Ao50 was around 5.5, Mo100 6.032 (Ao12 4.437, Ao5 3.614).
I've also done some 2H LSE solves, Mo100 improved to 4.385 (from 4.499).

You're within 38 percent for OH, which is quite impressive. Do you practice it more?

 

[mark49152]

@Mike Hughey : Of course, this Worlds is likely a one-off for me as I would not get permission to travel intercontinental for something like that. At least not unless it was disguised as a family holiday, and it's hard to ask for four days' leave from family holiday duties .

I have only been cubing since 2012 so can't comment on number of older cubers before that, nor in the US specifically, but since I started there's always been a healthy membership and discussion on this thread and that's one of the things that has kept me interested. Without it, I might have felt alienated based on age and not got into competing. Us UK oldies regularly meet at comps and I'm looking forward to meeting others from the rest of the world.

I'm especially pleased to have been put into a staff group with Chris Hardwick as I'm looking forward to meeting him and it will be easier to find him now .

 

[muchacho]

You're within 38 percent for OH, which is quite impressive. Do you practice it more?

I very rarely practice 2H LSE, and almost never OH LSE (but I've probably done almost 5 times more 2H than OH solves), don't know what percentage would be good.

 

[newtonbase]

"Are you going to the UKs this year. They're in Stevenage again."
Hi Mark, a return to the quaint historic market town of St Evenage, eh...guess I can't just turn up to watch and say hello. Going to have to buy some new stickers and do some proper practice, then. so a provisional "see you there" to everyone.

Excellent. It will be good to see you.

I have only been cubing since 2012 so can't comment on number of older cubers before that, nor in the US specifically, but since I started there's always been a healthy membership and discussion on this thread and that's one of the things that has kept me interested. Without it, I might have felt alienated based on age and not got into competing. Us UK oldies regularly meet at comps and I'm looking forward to meeting others from the rest of the world.

I was the only person older than Adam at my first comp and didn't really feel part of it but then came UKs 2015 where we all got together which was a very different experience. It definitely helps having people your own age there.

 

[Selkie]

@Jason Green - Congratulations on your results

@Shaky Hands , @Logiqx - Great seeing you both at London Open

@Logiqx - There seems to be a strange old man scrambling 5x5 in the top left in your video of Felix 5x5 average Great coverage of a range of his solves and cannot wait to see the 3x3 finals again tat you filmed. What an awesome final to watch live that was!

@Mike Hughey - Wow, Mike, really great to see you back competing. You were such a great influence on me 6-7 years ago on this forum when I was working towards sub-20 and you were running the race thread. There did not seem to be many older solvers then here or in comp. Very lucky to have an area for all us older guys now. Sorry to hear there were not so many older competitors at US Nats, we are quite lucky with the number of regular older competitors here in the UK.

@Nervous Nico - Good to meet you in London too

-----

As for my own results at London Open, very disappointed generally, especially with cubic puzzle results where just the 3x3 non lucky PB was good. Grabbed some PBs in Clock and Pyra though.

But for me it was the social aspect of London Open that made the weekend for me. It was awesome to spend time with cubers old and new and to get the opportunity to chat with some of the worlds best cubers. I have to say the Weyers are a great laugh an spent quite a bit of time with them outside vaping. Got to chat at length to Feliks on a few occasions and @Shaky Hands and I enjoyed a nice beer and solves with Matts Valk. All fantastic stuff that totally eclipses my bad results.

Wish you all a fantastic worlds, go break some PBs and have fun

My 12.92 Non Lucky Single at London Open 2017:-

 

[megagoune]

@Jason Green - Congratulations on your results

@Shaky Hands , @Logiqx - Great seeing you both at London Open

@Logiqx - There seems to be a strange old man scrambling 5x5 in the top left in your video of Felix 5x5 average Great coverage of a range of his solves and cannot wait to see the 3x3 finals again tat you filmed. What an awesome final to watch live that was!

@Mike Hughey - Wow, Mike, really great to see you back competing. You were such a great influence on me 6-7 years ago on this forum when I was working towards sub-20 and you were running the race thread. There did not seem to be many older solvers then here or in comp. Very lucky to have an area for all us older guys now. Sorry to hear there were not so many older competitors at US Nats, we are quite lucky with the number of regular older competitors here in the UK.

@Nervous Nico - Good to meet you in London too

-----

As for my own results at London Open, very disappointed generally, especially with cubic puzzle results where just the 3x3 non lucky PB was good. Grabbed some PBs in Clock and Pyra though.

But for me it was the social aspect of London Open that made the weekend for me. It was awesome to spend time with cubers old and new and to get the opportunity to chat with some of the worlds best cubers. I have to say the Weyers are a great laugh an spent quite a bit of time with them outside vaping. Got to chat at length to Feliks on a few occasions and @Shaky Hands and I enjoyed a nice beer and solves with Matts Valk. All fantastic stuff that totally eclipses my bad results.

Wish you all a fantastic worlds, go break some PBs and have fun

My 12.92 Non Lucky Single at London Open 2017:-

Did your cube just fall off the table at the end?

 

[chtiger]

Are there any other people from this thread that were there?

She doesn't post in this thread, but I know she -https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/greetings-from-austell-ga.65203/- went. So, maybe 3 people out of about 800.

When I went to US Nats in Hilton Head, I didn't see anybody else over college age competing (but there may have been), and it was my first comp, so I felt really out of place. I wasn't planning on doing another comp, but I did so bad I wanted to try again, and got hooked at some point.

 

[Selkie]

@megagoune - haha it did just stay on the table. The average cut for square 1 was 30 seconds. My first solve was a 29.x but landed in my lap so was a +2 :confused:

 

[newtonbase]

@megagoune - haha it did just stay on the table. The average cut for square 1 was 30 seconds. My first solve was a 29.x but landed in my lap so was a +2 :confused:

I really need to brush up on the rules before Sunday.

 

[MoyuDayanLover3]

LOL, yes I know. And still I am proud of it.



Yes, I hope to get around it today..

Go to 1:15 in this video and you will see I allready know some OLL and PLL argortims:

And now you're sub-20.

 

[NewbieCuber]

Progress Report: 5 weeks since my first solve and I'm changing from the beginners method of first layer/seconds layer to F2L pair up and insert. My avg time with the old method was about 1:20 with the occasional sub 1 minute time as an anomaly. My times have moved back up into the 1:50 range but I can already see my pattern recognition getting faster and faster.

Ooh! I've already come back to a 1:22 Average of 5. I really thought learning F2L basics would take longer than that. But the pattern recognition is really coming together. I've also hit 250 timed solves on my phone app. This doesn't take into consideration probably twice as many casual solves. Getting there, I'm getting there.

 

[JanW]

Ooh! I've already come back to a 1:22 Average of 5. I really thought learning F2L basics would take longer than that. But the pattern recognition is really coming together. I've also hit 250 timed solves on my phone app. This doesn't take into consideration probably twice as many casual solves. Getting there, I'm getting there.

Yup, F2L basics is really quite simple. You will notice that it improves really fast for quite a while. You should be way ahead of your old times soon!

Today I got new pb Ao5 with all counting solves sub-17. Also improved Ao50 and Ao100. One of my big goals for 2017 was to get running Ao1000 down to sub-20. Currently at 20.37 and slowly but steadily going down. I'll get there, hopefully in the next 500-1000 solves.

 

[h2f]

I'm close to sub17 globally now. Sub17 ao50 comes more often. In ao100 I'm on the edge. Last year I was thinking I never reach that point in my cubing skill. Practicing 4x4 (and buying 2 Wuques) helped a lot.

 

[motherofsix]

She doesn't post in this thread, but I know she -https://www.speedsolving.com/forum/threads/greetings-from-austell-ga.65203/- went. So, maybe 3 people out of about 800.

When I went to US Nats in Hilton Head, I didn't see anybody else over college age competing (but there may have been), and it was my first comp, so I felt really out of place. I wasn't planning on doing another comp, but I did so bad I wanted to try again, and got hooked at some point.

I am going to start watching this thread and posting on it. I had a great time at Nats. Some of the best people I met were older cubers who were so supportive. Almost got my blind mean; I had three successes, but the last one went over the 6:00 time limit. Bought a new 4x4 and am going to start working on 4 blind.

 

[motherofsix]

I met so many nice older cubers at Nats, so I'm going to try to get involved with posting here to meet more. I'm 49 years old and have competed in 12 different events at comps so far. I competed in 4 events at Nats (3x3, pyra, skewb, blind) and had fun. Hope I can do more next year.

 

[newtonbase]

I am going to start watching this thread and posting on it. I had a great time at Nats. Some of the best people I met were older cubers who were so supportive. Almost got my blind mean; I had three successes, but the last one went over the 6:00 time limit. Bought a new 4x4 and am going to start working on 4 blind.

Hello. Looks like we are at a similar level for most events. I plan to learn 4BLD too after the World Championships.
If your username is accurate I don't know how you find time to practice.