Older cubers discussions

[Zerksies]

I looked back. You mentioned your hand surgeries on a thread about over 40s where I posted a link to here and to @Logiqx 's older cubers data. Glad you made it.

It's kinda nice dealing with older guys instead of kids

 

[Lid]

OH PB today in practice for this Sunday competition: 22.893 a12,
also got a new a5 PB in there: 20.424 (solve 4-8), cube: a normal Valk3

Spoiler: times/scambles

Average of 12: 22.893
1. 24.671 R2 U' F2 U R2 D B2 D F2 U' L D R' F2 U2 B' D' F D R
2. 23.215 R' L D2 F' L F2 D B2 R' B L2 U' F2 U R2 F2 U L2 U B2 L2
3. 22.112 F2 D L2 F2 U R2 U' L2 R2 U2 B2 F D2 L' R' F D' R D F2 R2
4. (19.897) U2 L2 R2 B L2 R2 U2 B2 F D2 B L F R2 D' R' U L2 D B2 F
5. 26.403 D2 F D2 L2 B2 L2 R2 U2 R2 F' R' D' F2 L D F2 R2 F' D F
6. 19.913 U' L2 F2 U B2 U2 R2 D' B2 R2 U F L2 U L' R B L U R U2
7. 20.320 U B2 F2 R2 F2 D B2 D U2 L2 U' R D' F' L B R2 F D' B' F'
8. 21.038 B2 D2 R2 D B2 L2 R2 U L2 B2 R' D' B2 U L F L R' F2 D2
9. 23.724 F2 R2 F2 U F2 U2 L2 U' F2 U' B' D' B' U L2 F' U2 R B F2
10. (27.328) F2 R2 B2 D2 B2 D' L2 R2 U' L2 U F' U2 F L' D' F L2 B L2
11. 25.221 B2 U2 R F2 R' D2 R2 D2 U2 R' B2 F D' L D' B2 R D2 B' D R'
12. 22.314 R2 F' U2 R2 B' R2 F2 D2 R2 U2 F' R' B' R2 U' B L2 B' R2 B'

Goals for this comp:
Atleast one PB, like I had in every comp so far.
2x2: don't care
3x3: sub15 single ... sub16 avg?
4x4: more sub1 singles
5x5: sub2 single?
OH: PB avg & single
I won't do: 3BLD & Feet.

edit: new a12 3x3 PB also today, first with my Valk3 M: 15.220

Spoiler: times/scambles

Average of 12: 15.220
1. 14.837 U2 L' U2 F2 R' D2 U2 L' F2 L R D L' R2 F2 D F L' B U' B
2. 14.590 R2 B2 U B2 U B2 U B2 D2 F2 U F' D' L F2 D F2 L2 B2 R' B'
3. 14.015 B2 U B2 U' B2 D' B2 F2 U2 B2 U' L' R' U' R' B' R2 D F' L' B
4. 15.679 L2 U L2 U2 B' R' F D' F' U2 F2 L D2 R F2 R U2 R' D2 F2
5. 14.756 D' L D B D R' U' B' D2 F U L2 U' F2 U' F2 L2 D' F2 D2 B2
6. (20.204) R2 U2 B2 F2 R B2 L D2 L F2 R' D R D B' U2 L' F D2 L2
7. 15.973 U2 B2 D' B2 D F2 R2 D B2 U' L2 B U' F2 U' R F2 D' U F' U'
8. 14.974 B2 U2 F L2 B D2 F L2 R2 D2 R2 D L2 R U' L2 D2 B D' B2 F'
9. (13.288) R2 F2 U2 R2 B' F2 L2 B2 U2 L2 F' D' F2 U2 R' D F' U2 L D R'
10. 17.721 D U B2 R2 U' R2 D2 U' F2 R2 U2 F L' F L2 F' R F2 D R2 F
11. 14.395 D2 L F2 D2 L' R2 B2 L2 D2 B2 D B' F U' B2 U' B' D L' B2
12. 15.260 R2 B' R' F U' D L' F2 L' B' U2 R F2 D2 L F2 R L2 F2 R2 D2

 

[pglewis]

I've been biting my nails over getting my 3bld back up to snuff before the weekend and I'm cutting it close, a couple days ago I was still having far too many silly execution errors. Big fist pump over landing 2 out of 3 attempts at the coffee shop this morning with music and distractions, though.

 

[mafergut]

Hi guys, another long break without posting here. Welcome to the new people in the forum and congrats again to everyone making so much progress in 3BLD. I had to stop practising before finishing my 4th Ao1000 at skewb, when I was very, very close to sub-8. Around 8.01 to 8.07 but I got sick and then got a terrible back ache that put me in bed and now I'm under treatment and slowly becoming better but still walking with crutches and suffering a lot of pain.

Regarding cubing, I got my 4-layer SS Pyra. It's nice and I managed to solve it intuitively, but the centers gave me a bit of a pain in the arse to get them fixed. The redi cube was a disappointment. It turns very smoothly but the corners do not give any additional challenge to a normal dino cube and they catch like crazy so trying to speedsolve it is not a nice experience. Not recommended. The Cyclone Boys mini 4x4 57mm FeiTeng turns nice, as promised, like an already broken in G4 but for me it's too small to get good times with it. Nice as a travel cube but as a speed cube it's ages behind my WuQue M.

I have also solved other cubes I had purchased some weeks ago, like the WitEden Mixup Plus 3x3x3. Very nice puzzle and interesting solve (but I had to check some commutators in a tutorial video). The Camouflage ones are also entertaining and easy to solve reducing them to a 2x2. The super 3x3x3 crazy is a bit repetitive but needs imaginative approach to solving so also recommended.

I just ordered a Bauhinia and a Curvy Starminx to a Spanish shop (Los Mundos de Rubik, just in case @muchacho is interested) and right now I'm trying to find a reasonably priced mirror 4x4x4, which is not available mass produced so I'm in contact with several modders. I will also get a 2x2 mirror which is missing in my collection. Basically drifting towards non-WCA puzzles lately as my speedsolving ability seems to be in a very long plateau, something you have also talked about these days. I'm stuck at around 18sec 3x3 like forever and that's becoming frustrating and boring.

Happy cubing!

 

[Reed Merrill]

Hi all, I'm just wondering who qualifies as an older cuber? I'm 24 but I often feel pretty old in this community too (based on some videos of smaller competitions that I've seen I think I could still be one of the oldest competitors).

Edit: if I ever actually decide to go to a competition.

 

[newtonbase]

Hi all, I'm just wondering who qualifies as an older cuber? I'm 24 but I often feel pretty old in this community too (based on some videos of smaller competitions that I've seen I think I could still be one of the oldest competitors).

Edit: if I ever actually decide to go to a competition.

We don't worry too much about actual age here, and you should definitely get to a competition.

 

[mafergut]

With that said, most of us here are over 40 or at least close to that. I'm 47, for example. Welcome to the forum anyway, if you feel old enough to hang out here with us, then we are more than happy to have you

 

[Jason Green]

Hi all, I'm just wondering who qualifies as an older cuber? I'm 24 but I often feel pretty old in this community too (based on some videos of smaller competitions that I've seen I think I could still be one of the oldest competitors).

Everyone is always welcome! For years this thread was called "Hi, Marcel from Holland here" (think that's it). A while back one of us (forget who) asked the admins to rename it.

 

[Zerksies]

With that said, most of us here are over 40 or at least close to that. I'm 47, for example. Welcome to the forum anyway, if you feel old enough to hang out here with us, then we are more than happy to have you

I'm 38 and i kinda feel the same way. I guess it's more a maturity level thing. I don't have the time some of these kids do. I can probably spend a hour a day cubing if I'm lucky between job, my own business and a newborn. And most of my time is probably on my lunch hour or when the kid is sleeping to content and not screaming or need a feeding

 

[pglewis]

Hi all, I'm just wondering who qualifies as an older cuber? I'm 24 but I often feel pretty old in this community too (based on some videos of smaller competitions that I've seen I think I could still be one of the oldest competitors).

Welcome! It's very informal in here. You're below the median age of the people who regularly post in this thread but you might find you relate a lot more to the conversations here regardless and there's no snobbishness.

This is a sport where over 20 is currently considered somewhat "old" so it's possible you could be the oldest at a competition. Not as likely as for me, I'll hit 50 in late January. I'm not pushing 50 though, I'm dragging 40.

 

[openseas]

Hi all, I'm just wondering who qualifies as an older cuber? I'm 24 but I often feel pretty old in this community too (based on some videos of smaller competitions that I've seen I think I could still be one of the oldest competitors).

Last time (2015) when Feliks won the worlds, people asked him about his retirement while he was only 19!

At @newtonbase said, you should go to a comp. I learn a lot from these kids (my son's age) and feel much less old. And many delegates are in their 20s and love to have mature cubers.

Welcome aboard!

 

[newtonbase]

Last time (2015) when Feliks won the worlds, people asked him about his retirement while he was only 19!

Wasn't he the oldest person in the final this year?

 

[Jason Green]

Last time (2015) when Feliks won the worlds, people asked him about his retirement while he was only 19!

At @newtonbase said, you should go to a comp. I learn a lot from these kids (my son's age) and feel much less old. And many delegates are in their 20s and love to have mature cubers.

Welcome aboard!

Yes and the kids have always made me feel very welcome despite being the age of their parents or older usually. I think in general cubers tend to be very welcoming to all other cubers regardless of age or skill level. It's an interesting bond, perhaps cubing is the answer for world peace.

 

[openseas]

Wasn't he the oldest person in the final this year?

Yes, he was the oldest by 5 month

 

[Reed Merrill]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

I'm 38 and i kinda feel the same way. I guess it's more a maturity level thing. I don't have the time some of these kids do. I can probably spend a hour a day cubing if I'm lucky between job, my own business and a newborn. And most of my time is probably on my lunch hour or when the kid is sleeping to content and not screaming or need a feeding

Sounds a lot like my situation, except I'm a student and I often use cubing as a diversion when I need a study break at the University. Anyway, I don't really have the drive to put in 8 hours sessions like some teenaged cubers do XD

 

[muchacho]

I've solved this windmill cube:
http://www.zcube.vip/FX-333-FengHuoLun

I think I solved it once but my niece scrambled it like 2 months ago, time to hide it now. Still have 5 cubes (fisher, axis, mastermorphix, pyramorphix, 7x7) that I have not solved yet.

edit: ...and I've just received a redi cube, a honey copter and a 2x2x3.

 

[NewbieCuber]

I'm SO CLOSE to getting a sub 1 minute average on my 3x3.

Ao 100 : 1:23.33
Ao 50 : 1:17.69
Ao 12 : 1:09.91
A05 : 1:00.43
PB 51.46
This is with 335 timed solves. Probably a couple of thousand un-timed solves.

If I can cut a few seconds off of my cross and F2L that will do it. My 2 look OLL and 2 look PLL is pretty comfortable although I keep finding myself in places where I really wish I knew my PLL better. I'm noticing that I'm seeing a lot of J perms and N perms. I don't know those algs so I do a U perm to put it into another U perm which I can solve.

Holy Cow, it's so close. I keep getting 3 or 4 sub minute solves and then a disastrous 1:20+ solve.

Then again, I would have been seriously happy to have one of those "disastrous" 1:20 solves a month ago.

 

[pglewis]

If I can cut a few seconds off of my cross and F2L that will do it.

And with four F2L pairs if you cut a half second off solving a pair on average that works out to ~2 seconds saved. You'll be there soon.

My 2 look OLL and 2 look PLL is pretty comfortable although I keep finding myself in places where I really wish I knew my PLL better. I'm noticing that I'm seeing a lot of J perms and N perms. I don't know those algs so I do a U perm to put it into another U perm which I can solve.

N-perms are actually as rare as a PLL skip with a 1/72 probability (this assumes you do nothing to intentionally affect the resulting PLL, of course). That doesn't mean you still won't see 3 of them out of 5 solves sometimes . FWIW, those were the last two I learned and are my weakest PLLs to this day. @Logiqx has a nice page on PLL algs for both 2H and one handed and includes the probability for each, most are 1/18. http://cubing.mikeg.me.uk/algs/pll.html

 

[mafergut]

@muchacho, a honey copter? Is that the redi cube with heart shaped edges?

Look what I got today in the mail from Los Mundos de Rubik:

 

[muchacho]

Yes, that one, (it's beautiful, and) seems to be easy enough to solve (even more than a redi cube), not like those you've bought!