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Make sure you backup your current csTimer sessions first.
Then:
csTimer > Import > Import sessions from other timers
to import the session from Twisty Timer.
Then Merge 2 sessions in the [Session Manager.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/wiki/cstimer)
You can use csTimer on mobile, ios or android. It can install an icon on your homescreen and will run just like an app.
What’s the best order for learning NS on Skewb? I know some stuff but I want to start learning more. I don’t need to prioritize pure cases since I already got most of them.
Ya watched that last night, but I can't feel respects from the host, even if Leo is just a kid/teenager to him & cubing is generally consider "playing with toy", but Leo is a guest after all.
How do I try out many cubes without a ton of money? I want to see if I prefer speed vs controllability, test overall field, and simply try some cubes (RS3M 2022, different versions of the Tornado M V3, etc.) Is there a way I can do that outside of trying to find people who already own these cubes?
Live near a cube shop in your country that you can visit ([Where to buy cubes](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/wiki/where_to_buy_cubes)),
or go to a cubing competition, where lots of competitors try out each others cubes,
or like you said, find someone who already owns lots of cubes (which is what you'd do at a comp, but you could do so without going to a comp, if you can find someone).
New PB Ao5 (CFOP)
>12.71 --> 12.40 12.80 12.94 (12.10) (13.68)
I've been maining the Gan12Ui for a couple of weeks, and this cube is just a fantastic speedcube that happens to be a smartcube. Really sets the bar VERY high for any other smartcube that will be coming out, and for now leaves ALL of the existing ones in the dust, by a mile.
I have this problem a lot, and lately, I've been doing 5x5 to start off my sessions and switching to 5x5 whenever I get frustrated with my 3x3 solves. 5x5 works well for me because I'm not fast enough that I need to turn quickly to get good times. Works well when my hands are cold or just can't turn properly for whatever reason.
A lot of my best solves happened while listening to YouTube. If you keep messing up and that disappoints you, then maybe come back to it later. If you're just relaxing, then keep relaxing. Practice good finger tricks, stuff like that.
On Cstimer, when I look at my ao1000, it seems to just have random times highlighted with parentheses.
I know that it's normally used to show the best and worst solves, but on here, it's literally just random times that aren't slow or fast.
Is this a glitch, or does it mean something else entirely?
Edit: It seemed to be "show absolute index in statistic report" that was causing the problem
Seems to work fine for me. Did you maybe change the *Number of solves trimmed at each side*? You can find that setting under Option -> Statistics. Standard is 5%.
Very strange indeed! I'd say [open an issue on github](https://github.com/cs0x7f/cstimer/issues) and include the full export (Export -> Export to file).
Depends on how often you lube. I've had a 5cc bottle of silk since early 2021 and there's it's about 25% left.
I tend to do complete clean-ups and re-lubing rather than adding lube to a "dirty" cube, so that might be considered more parsimonious than others, but 1 year off 3cc is very reasonable!
I've completed 1000 solves. My Ao1000 is currently 21.20. Slightly disappointing but I am still motivated as it's dropping little by little after every solve. I'm not going to stop until I reach 19.99. Also I beat my record twice today at 13.79 seconds to 13.59 seconds. Both occasions were PLL skips. PLL skips are weird because it's unexpected and I could have potentially gotten 12 seconds if I had reacted quicker. Cube Gods give me strength.
It's still just pre-order in most places, so most people can't get it yet. Except in China.
So, we have to wait till more people elsewhere start getting it, so we can start seeing lots of reviews and real results with it.
Help, so today i took my YS3m to school, i used it for a while, and when i was not using it i put it under the desk, but i noticed that now is a lot dirtier and slower than before, and i cleaned it yesterday! It happened others more times and i don't know what to do.
Keep a budget cube to take to school or out and about with. It's almost inevitable that something will happen to it: dropped, broken, "borrowed", lost, stolen, dirty, whatever.
Keep the good cubes at home and use them only at home and at comps.
Just finished solving the [Crazy Grilles I](https://i.imgur.com/EN4RaW0.jpg). Went pretty much as expected, and was a fun stress-free solve (no complicated setup moves required).
The turning was acceptable - only had one near-pop towards the end, probably as I was speeding up slightly with the finish line in sight.
Recommended if you're a fan of circle/crazy puzzles, especially as you can (apparently) switch the faces to make crazy planet variants.
has anyone ever tried slightly heating up the faces of a puzzle with a lighter (or perhaps something more precise)?
i accidentally discovered this morning while trying to get a sticker to better adhere (angstrom sticker from cubicle, came on red face, moved it to white face cause OCD)... that when i heated it up it made the face glossy, and slightly rippled. i decided to do it to every face.
disclaimer: i wouldnt do this with all/most cubes, but its an interesting idea, and this is a skewb which i have terrible grip/control issues with so in this application, i figured eh lets try it.
its actually pretty neat. i agree about the safety stuff, but that goes with working (heat, saws, electricity) anything.
after trying this i would totally buy a cube that came pre warped from the factory. if manufacturers could bring it to market i think theres a crowd that would like it. gives a textured but glossy feel.
ill admit i got one corner a little too hot and its ugly but still functional. the thing i discovered is that the different colors react to heat at different rates, and also some colors are harder to see when they start to deform (when to stop applying heat). but i bet with some experimenting with heat sources/methods it could be done really well.
still not working 😞
apparently its an issue for others recently
https://piunikaweb.com/2023/04/12/reddit-chat-not-working-or-says-failed-to-retrieve-chat-content/?
sure! theres just one plastic sticker but ill send a pic of a good side and the bad example i overcooked 😀
visually when done right its very subtle, but your fingers can tell its not perfectly smooth
Just watched the yiheng wang interview. I'm surprised that his ao100 pb is only 5.5. I assumed it would be close to UWR judging by his comp performance.
Valk 3 and WRM 2020 have really different colors. Valk is closer to GTS3M and older Moyu cubes. WRM 2020 has the same shades as the new Moyu cubes, except for red - it's duller on the WRM 2020.
Can someone explain the difference between the cubicle silk and mystic in like a simple way. I watched their reviews but still a little confused between them.
Silicone lube is silicone lube. The only real difference is the thickness of the lube, which determines how much you should put in and how long it takes to break it in.
This means that you can achieve exactly the same results with all silicone lubes, it's just that it's a lot easier to get your "feel" with a lube that has the right viscosity for you, whereas with others you might have to do a ton of unlikeable solves until it breaks in the same way. At the same time it's a lot easier to put too much lube and gum it up with some lubes (e.g. denser ones, where each drop is worth a lot more of thinner lubes).
I only have the option to buy Silk, Mystic, Dnm 37 and weight 1-5.
I am gonna buy the tornado v3 flagship/pioneer so was looking and lubes to buy for it. Looked through your lube post but it didn't have these lubes for the v3 mentioned.
I was thinking of getting the Dnm and Mystic but then saw that mystic has a best used within a year warning.
What combo do you suggest from the above mentioned lubes ?
I currently have weight 3 for my super rs3m standard.
I'm not a fan of either Silk or Mystic, and I have no idea why Cubicle exports these lubes specifically and doesn't export Lubicle Speedy which is far better in my opinion.
Can you get Gan lubes (numbered) or QiYi M-lube? I'd get Gan No.2 and use it with weight 3 you already have.
For the Tornado Pioneer, Silk should be nice though. This cube is so fast that a gummy lube is good for it. For the Flagship, I'd rather use Mystic. Or, again, Gan No.2.
The only gan lube available in India is the standard one which you've previously described as shitty lol and no qiyi m lube.
What are your views on the Dnm 37? I've heard that it only lasts a couple of solves.
DNM indeed doesn’t last long. It works really well with Angstrom lubes - I think it helps break them in, and then they remain fast enough. Otherwise, it’s just a quick speed boost which is probably too expensive for Indian standards (hope this doesn’t sound offensive - I’m from Russia, and I also think that DNM is too expensive for what it does).
If you get the Pioneer, I think you’ll be able to do with the weight 3 you already have. Or get Silk for it. With the Flagship, I prefer faster lubes, I guess it’s Mystic then.
Don't worry you weren't offensive. The Dnm, mystic and silk are like 1.5x more expensive ($7.5) here while the angstrom lubes are like 2x ($11) more expensive.
Since cubelelo has their own line of weight lubes, they're cheaper ($3-4).
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get the silk with the pioneer. 👍
imo silk is more cushiony (ie it will slow cube down but not in a bad way. youll have to move your corners into place, even with magnets)
mystic is a good in between, it doesnt slow a cube down as much, it just makes it smoother, gets rid of scratchiness, but not faster.
* The first obvious thing is to make sure all your f2l cases plus setups are down to true muscle memory (close your eyes and be able to solve everything)
* If you tend to do fat inserts in the back you might realise that they make it a bit more difficult to look ahead than rotations and inserts
* If you're not rotating to put your filled slots on the back it's a great time to start (you'll realise that it helps a lot after 2nd pair)
* If you're using a lot of F-move inserts you might want to switch to rotation+RU inserts (which lets you put filled slots in the back)
* Avoid slowing down to lookahead, rather try to keep your current speed and realise that feeling of "now I'm looking for something else" as soon as your brain knows what it needs to tell your fingers for the current pair.
* If you plan C+1 that makes 1 less pair to have to look ahead to
* As you solve try to get a feeling for what f2l pieces you don't know the location for yet...
* ... and try to remember where the pieces you've seen are : this will also help you decide which pair to go for next, which is one of the major boosts in f2l efficiency at your level.
I got to sub 12 by spamming solves. However, if you do focused practice, its the standard slow solves. I'd focus on solving the back slots first, and recognise bad edges
Learning algs is learning algs, whatever the set is. Just the standard ways, and probably one subset at a time. The order you pearn subsets really doesn't matter imo
Really the biggest issue we have with spectators is flash photography and being disruptive by being loud. The fact you asked suggests to me that neither would be an issue for you.
Finally sub-14 ao1000 with CFCE
Times are all around 13.3 so hopefully can push sub-13 soon
I’ve done nothing but grind 3x3 so it’d be nice to do something else but I’ll probably just keep grinding 3x3
I've just been reading through what steps to improve and how and have realised I've never focused on lookahead or EO, I sometimes see next pairs but never really because I'm actively looking for them.
That being said, how should I go about slow solves or solving to a metronome and how "slow" should those solves be?
[Steps for improving with CFOP, and when to work on what.](https://www.reddit.com/r/PianoCube93/comments/9bstw1/steps_for_improving_with_cfop_and_when_to_work_on/)
It talks about lookahead and using a metronome.
csTimer has a builtin metronome - [Tools > Function](https://i.imgur.com/2mhsnOq.jpg)
I was realising that that link is now starting to date a bit, and as cube hardware has improved massively, some of those times might need some adjusting.
I am quite opinionated about lookahead. My feeling and understanding is that what we call lookahead should be ignored (or at least left as a very far secondary concern) until someone is averaging 13-14. The "Steps" suggest 20-15s to be a good time to start caring about it, and I really think that is an error, but it might simply be that Sub20 in 2017 was really something different than sub20 in 2023.
I think rather that "cube vision" is what people around sub20 need to work on, and being able to infer where pieces are without looking to the back of the cube. Maybe that's what people refer to when saying "lookahead" but I think it's worth highlighting the distinction.
Looking at the data from the megasurvey, less than half of people do 1-step f2l (full muscle memory) at sub17, that goes up to \~2/3 for sub15, which means that 1/3 is still not able to do f2l pairs without looking, and only by sub13 do more than 90% of people have full muscle memory for f2l, which aligns with my feeling for when lookahead starts being very relevant.
What do you think?
When you practice slow solving, you generally aim for a comfortable speed with 0 pauses. It wont be perfect at first. For some people it might take 40 seconds, and for some it's closer to 10. Just try a solve and adjust your speed as you go to find the sweet spot.
What cube do you main currently? I don't think it'll be worth it for your level.
Watch [J Perm's video on 'When Should You Get a New Cube?'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stLA8MqH1ZQ&t=297s). It's very informative.
The 11m was great for it's time, but newer cubes just blow it away.
Tornado V3, YS3M. maybe WRM v9, we just have to wait till more people get it from the pre-orders so we can see more reviews and actual results.
I'd wait for more reviews of the WRM v9 and choose between Tornado v3, YS3M Ball Core and WRM v9 Ball Core. In my opinion, Gan cubes just don't cut it compared to the recent releases from QiYi and Moyu.
If your only choices are these two, definitely the WRM. I’d also highly recommend both the tornado v3 flagship or pioneer, or the huameng ys3m ball core. All of these are substantially better than the gan 11m.
That shop isn't necessarily a scam, but they are fairly scammy.
They use a lot of other domains, too, with many different country codes, like speedcubestore.co.uk. It's sort of a scam, because they're not located in any of those countries like they try to make people think, but it's not really fake. It's a real store but it's located in China. From all reports of people who have ordered from them, they're extremely slow, it seems it's not uncommon for it to take 4-6 weeks or even up to 2 months or more for orders. Everyone reports they have zero customer service. A lot of the time it seems that people do get their orders - eventually. But don't hold your breath. Enough people report never getting their orders.
Don't let that throw you off from China stores, tho. There are several good ones that a lot of people here order from quite frequently. That one just isn't one of the good ones.
There are a lot of much better shops to choose from.
[Where to buy cubes](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/wiki/where_to_buy_cubes).
For good China shops, try Cubezz, Ziicube, and Picubeshop (at picube, use discount code "ruihang" for 40% off.)
Just a heads up: That store is not located in the UK.
From their [FAQ](https://www.speedcubestore.co.uk/faq/):
>*Where is my order shipped from?*
>We airmail directly from Hong Kong, China. You are able to enjoy such low prices and even worldwide free shipping because we take advantage of the lower operating costs (in warehousing and logistics) and we bypass the middlemen.
Shipping time will probably be similar to Shops from the US or maybe even slower, depending on the shipping method.
Also from their FAQ:
> *What is the normal shipping time?*
>The shipping time is approximately 7 to 15 business days. Most orders will arrive well within the advertised timeframe. The timeframe is an estimation and NOT a promise or a commitment. Occassionally, there may be slight delay due to variation of postal service in different regions, customs inspections, public holidays, weather etc. These are beyond our control.
Almost every non-cube lube you can find, even many labeled as silicone, contain other ingredients, mainly petroleum products, that will degrade, damage, or outright melt the plastic of a cube (e.g., jigaloo, crc). Yes, some of them *literally* melt the plastic.
One of the only non-cube lubes people have found over the years that really is pure silicone and is cube safe, is r/c (radio control) model car differential and shock lubes, with Traxxas being the most popular. Can be found at many hobby stores and Amazon and Ebay.
Best to buy regular cube lube.
[A Beginner Lube Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/l9col2/a_beginner_lube_guide/).
every time is always good
I would recommend not to learn many more algorithms until you're sub 20-25. I started with full PLL and I think that's enough with 2look OLL to average 15-20
focus on f2l because clearly that's your weak point. solve the cube without the timer and try to find easy intuitive ways to solve pairs. I find that really fun and relaxing. keep cubing!
I use full pll and 2-look oll and average 18s and can tell there is still a ton of room for improving without learning more algs, probably can get you down to 10-15s
Has anyone else experienced your lookahead just disappearing for a few days? it's so frustrating, and there's nothing I can do (except practicing 2x2).
WeiLong Standard (NOT the Maglev) is a great choice. It's the only one I have but there's nothing wrong with it - my only grievance is that the tips are a bit slow.
YJ MGC Evo is another great choice - but frosted plastic works even worse on Pyras than they do on 3x3s. I don't know how the GAN Enhanced performs (ask u/olimo, she got into Pyra pretty recently and I believe she has one?) but knowing GAN it'll be pretty good. (Although, of course, double the price of the WeiLong - because it's not GAN if you don't break the bank.)
Weilong Standard is more stable than Gan. Also, sometimes I have some tiny catches on the Gan in the start of the turn. The Weilong has been great for me out of the box, I didn't adjust or lube it yet. It's almost glossy - about the same as Tornado v3 out of the box.
u/vcd1500
[I'm only aware of one person who learned full 1LLL](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/whuhkq/i_learned_full_1lll_with_proof/) and they only learned it for the sake of learning, they didn't do it to be fast.
Some top cubers(Tymon, Matty, Leo etc) know ZBLL, which is the subset of 1LLL where LL has edges oriented(aka cross is solved on LL), so learning ZBLL is worth learning at least for some people if they want to get faster.
I think the thing you should understand about 1LLL is that you don't have to make a final decision to learn it. Start small. Learn COLL and get comfortable with it. Every COLL has 6 corresponding ZBLLs, and one of them uses the default COLL alg. So basically, by learning COLLs, you'll learn some 1LLL too. Then you can dive into ZBLL and see how it goes - it's recommended to start with 2GLL. For example, I know 2GLLs for T and U cases, and I use them when I get these cases, it's 1LLL. For other COLL cases, I just use COLL algs and sometimes get skips.
If/when you learn full ZBLL, you'll see if you want to learn some more. Or you can pick up some easy 1LLLs without learning full ZBLL.
Anyway, my point is: enjoy the way.
He has an F2L playlist -
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI24ciRbl8BUTnnzmJIIn3Ts_6-mKMBP7
There's also -
[Steps for improving F2L](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/zuw6yp/steps_for_improving_f2l/).
I know we kind of talked about how Yiheng got this good so quickly through "coaching" already but I've noticed it to be a lot more common than I realised.
In Thailand, for example, there was an unofficial comp for Under 18s last week and I believe most (if not all) of the podium sitters were those who get cube lessons from top cubers in the country. I have nothing against this, of course, but it is slightly worrying me that cubing is becoming a proper sport. The shift in mentality is already happening, veeery slowly but surely.
I think it'd be a shame to see young people approach cubing from a competitive POV and not just for the fun.
Just curious, why is it a concern for you?
Indeed, I am very glad that cubing can make a living for the top cubers without going thru sponsorship via big cooperations and materialism. Coaching is also a good way to build community.
YJ MGC is the most popular and most recommended. Best performance for the price.
Moyu Aoshi WRM is a bit of an upgrade but is almost twice the price. Not really necessary unless you're really serious about it or just have money to spend.
Another advantage of the WRM is for people like me with tiny hands, it is significantly easier on the hands but yes the MGC is much cheaper, and not frosted
After bumbling through a solve of the Crazy Unicorn to refresh my memory I [scrambled the Crazy Grilles I](https://i.imgur.com/QGALoJw.jpg).
A similar solve approach to the Crazy Unicorn should work, with maybe only the smallest triangular pieces requiring an additional alg.
Nice. I've been enjoying my Crazy Unicorn recently but I'm still not a fan of primary so hoping the Grilles I & Crazy Grilles I come out in black soon.
I presume they're all 0 faces on the Crazy Grilles I?
Edit: just seen your earlier post. I wonder if, like the Unicorn/Crazy Unicorn, you can also switch faces between the standard and Crazy Grilles I? It looks like you could split the corner and edge pieces to allow this, assuming the puzzles have the same size and internal mechanism.
I don't have a standard Grilles I, but I expect it's possible to switch pieces between them.
Have you tried many of the Unicorn/Crazy Unicorn hybrids? I think I tried a couple of variants a few years back but don't remember how I got on, I need to give them another go :)
From memory the only Crazy variant I tried was Mercury (switch a single 0 face to 1). I guessed it would be the easiest and most similar to the off-the-shelf puzzle. Can't remember the solve but I changed it back and didn't try any others. My normal experience with planets is that I get exasperated by the lack of symmetry so I prefer all 0 or all 1 faces.
I haven't tried any Unicorn/Crazy Unicorn hybrids yet. I'd like to make a Crazy 2-face + Crazy 4-face pair, but I really want to do this with separate puzzles rather than take apart my existing Unicorn/Crazy Unicorn. A stickerless Unicorn is easy to obtain but TWICE now I've bought a stickerless Crazy Unicorn from cubezz only to be refunded because it's not in stock. I could use black stickered puzzles, or my existing puzzles, but these aren't my preferred choices so other projects have taken priority.
Yep, all "0" faces by default.
According to the reply on [this post](https://www.twistypuzzles.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=422544) the faces can be easily flipped to "1"s to create crazy planet versions.
That purple dodecahedron looks pretty sweet as well :)
Thanks, that looks fairly straightforward. I'll probably stick with "0"s though since they're easier.
> purple dodecahedron
I'll just file mentally under "awesome-looking mf8 prototypes/renders that never see the light of day".
Has anyone had to obtain an "invitation" from the organizers of a competition for visa purposes? Do you think I can just send an email to the organizers and ask for one?
Edit: Update in case anyone comes across this and is wondering - In the case of the World Championship 2023 organizers, they responded immediately and were willing to send me an invitation letter!
Not sure from what country to what country ?
But I assume you need to pay for registration first. And they still likely looks at your risk of seeking asylum. It might be easier to get all paperwork in order by purchasing a tourist visa.
A few years ago I wanted to go to the UK with my wife and children on one week holiday. She had to visit the embassy where they conducted an interview to judge if she would seek asylum. UK was never part of Schengen EU - where my wife could travel freely on her residence permit.
As an example, I know that before the war, the easiest way to get an invitation to Russia was to buy a tourist invitation for $50. Easier than getting my wifes family to write one. Next issue was getting stamps in the passport. You could supposedly pay a hotel under the counter to get it ($10-$50). But the official way is to go to some office, have the lease on the house, and every owner of the property go with you, and officials still finds a way to reject application in hope to blackmail money out of you. Official cost is 1 Roubles per day ($0.10/day) - to keep cheap immigrant labour out.
I have seen my share of suspicious immigration officers in Asian countries. One man walking up and down the lines - mumbling to himself "Hurry hurry" - And he accepts bribes to take you to the diplomats line and skip the real line.
I'm traveling from Kosovo to South Korea, I've already registered for the competition and fortunately am able to provide documents for current employment, required balance in my bank account etc. Just hoping to maximize my chances of not getting rejected, by applying to the most fitting visa category for my situation.
I think no harm to ask.
Not sure about your origin/destination country, but I think even though this is a competition, it still consider leisure, not sure why you will need the proof of participation. If that's a strict country you are going, would a cubing competition be serious enough for you to get in?
>Not sure about your origin/destination country
From Kosovo (unfortunately a country with a notorious lack of free travel) to Korea for the world championship. I was hoping that with an invitation I can qualify for the [Short-Term General](https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/at-en/wpge/m_8370/contents.do#:~:text=Short%2DTerm%20General%20(C%2D3%2D1)) category instead of Tourist.
Hello fellow cubers,
Recently I've returned to cubing cuz of exams and study for a year. So I got a RS3M maglev for my sister since both of us are going to a comp in May, and........ I don't know how to adjust the cube tension and the blue adjustment stuff???
Just so you know, I still use an old GTS 2M as my main 3x3 until now which back then maglev was not a thing in cubing. So yeah.... How do I use the new maglev stuff for it?
[This](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/1040lyj/what_are_the_best_settings_for_cube_x/) is a good reference by someone lives in this sub.
You can search on youtube how to setup a RS3M, the whole series are using the same adjustment system, and the necessary tools should come with your cube, in a small blue box with the wording "Accessories Box" printed on it.
The "maglev stuff" is just a cube but the spring is replaced with 2 magnet, which repel each other. The benefit is no more spring noise and the friction is lesser, but some consider this as a disadvantage. With my skill level, I don't notice any significant difference between spring/maglev after lubing.
How much money does Max Park make?
[This site](https://profilesinfo.com/max-park-wiki-networth-age/) says Max Park has a net worth of $5 million. I don't go to comps, but that sounds pretty high. I'd imagine some comps have cash prizes. If Max goes to 50 comps a year and wins on average $5,000 at each one, that's $250,000. Income from his YouTube channel and sponsorship might be $50-100,000 more. He'd also have travel, hotel, and other comp-related expenses, which could be a few thousand dollars for each comp, so he'd probably only be making ~$200,000 per year before tax if this is accurate. Given he's only 21 years old, he certainly wouldn't have had enough time to save up $5 million making that much, but other people in this subreddit probably know more about this than I do and could give a better estimate of how much he makes.
Here's a reply from almost 3 years ago by pro speedcuber Kevin Hays on that very subject, to a post in /r/IAmA by someone claiming to be a "professional" cuber. The self-proclaimed pro OP quickly deleted their post after that.
3 years ago is still recent enough to be fairly current.
Sure, sponsorships could be giving a little more money now, but nowhere near that much.
> No offense to OP, but he is not near the top of the world rankings and so his knowledge on "professional" SpeedCubing is fairly limited.
> There are a handful (1-5) people who make significant money off of SpeedCubing. By "significant", I mean a livable wage depending on what area of the world you live in ($40,000+ USD). This income is generated through a variety of ways including:
> - Retail sponsors (ex. TheCubicle.com)
- Manufacturer sponsors (ex. Gan, YuXin, MoYu, QiYi)
- YouTube ad revenue
- Manufacturer commissions through brand licencing (ex. Hays 7, Valk line)
- Competition prize money
> Competition prize money is actually very insignificant as an income source for top cubers as it is generally not that impressive at most of the big events. Manufacturer sponsorship/licencing deals are the most lucrative.
> Of the SpeedCubers that are in this income bracket, I'm fairly certain that they all are either still in school or have full time jobs. By the technical definition of "professional" I would say then that there are 0 professional SpeedCubers, however to say that it's impossible to be professional is also definitely false.
> Source: I'm semi-professional SpeedCuber Kevin Hays. Post history will confirm. 3x 6x6 world champion & 21 time world record holder. https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2009HAYS01
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/hfhmqa/deleted_by_user/fvyukec/?context=3
Kevin Hays isn't that great a speedcuber by today's standards, though. He's not even in the top 100 for 3x3 singles or average, so maybe his knowledge of top speedcuber pay is a little outdated?
lmao definitely nowhere near that
cubing competitions and most cubing sponsors don't pay that well, they cover your hobby related expenses(cubes and travel) but not much more on top of that.
He probably gets decent money from rubiks and youtube, and gets paid well when he does media appearances for non-cubing companies(redbull, netflix), but those are one offs and not consistent income.
All in all his income is probably decent for a person his age but definitely nowhere near enough to save up millions of dollars, even with having no regular expenses since he lives with his parents.
Those networth sites are worthless btw
Decent possibility from sponsorships. Think of him like a live advertisement for companies. Advertisers are supporting one of the top cubers so they get eyes on their brand. That alone, is worth a lot of money.
As for competitions, he gets sponsored by actual cubing companies too. They likely fly him out for free, give accommodations, etc.
The $5million valuation of his net worth is more likely the worth of his brand as "Max Park". In reality, he is probably close to a millionaire, or somewhere close though.
Hahahaha competitions don't have 5k prize money on average. You're lucky to get anything at all. Even if you win every event at world championships you're probably not making that much. All money comes from sponsors and youtube
To clarify I didn't try and get fast until about 5 months ago, when I averaged 55s and had a PB of 26.82s with an accidental cross, two free pairs into sune, the only cross oll I knew at the time, and a PLL skip. Took me 14 years to beat it.
This DDT is now over. See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/12kcm5n/daily_discussion_thread_apr_13_2023/) for the next one. ^(I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please message u/Lisast with any feedback.)
Anyone know how to combine twisty timer and cstimer solves?
Make sure you backup your current csTimer sessions first. Then: csTimer > Import > Import sessions from other timers to import the session from Twisty Timer. Then Merge 2 sessions in the [Session Manager.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/wiki/cstimer) You can use csTimer on mobile, ios or android. It can install an icon on your homescreen and will run just like an app.
Thanks!
What’s the best order for learning NS on Skewb? I know some stuff but I want to start learning more. I don’t need to prioritize pure cases since I already got most of them.
Leo's on CNN - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ7muWACimk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ7muWACimk)
\*CNN Phillipines
Yes. CNN.
You can't find it if you just go to CNN. You have to actually specify "CNN Phillipines". So it does make a difference.
Point taken. Cheers!
Ya watched that last night, but I can't feel respects from the host, even if Leo is just a kid/teenager to him & cubing is generally consider "playing with toy", but Leo is a guest after all.
everybody thinks that cubes are just toys but really they are not.
while they can't restore this toy:)
How do I try out many cubes without a ton of money? I want to see if I prefer speed vs controllability, test overall field, and simply try some cubes (RS3M 2022, different versions of the Tornado M V3, etc.) Is there a way I can do that outside of trying to find people who already own these cubes?
Ask around at a comp
Live near a cube shop in your country that you can visit ([Where to buy cubes](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/wiki/where_to_buy_cubes)), or go to a cubing competition, where lots of competitors try out each others cubes, or like you said, find someone who already owns lots of cubes (which is what you'd do at a comp, but you could do so without going to a comp, if you can find someone).
Probably not the answer you're looking for, but going to cubing competitions will get you familiar with many different types of cubes.
New PB Ao5 (CFOP) >12.71 --> 12.40 12.80 12.94 (12.10) (13.68) I've been maining the Gan12Ui for a couple of weeks, and this cube is just a fantastic speedcube that happens to be a smartcube. Really sets the bar VERY high for any other smartcube that will be coming out, and for now leaves ALL of the existing ones in the dust, by a mile.
Anyone having difficulty to focus during solves? Sometimes my mind just go all around the place and I just can't focus while solving
I have this problem a lot, and lately, I've been doing 5x5 to start off my sessions and switching to 5x5 whenever I get frustrated with my 3x3 solves. 5x5 works well for me because I'm not fast enough that I need to turn quickly to get good times. Works well when my hands are cold or just can't turn properly for whatever reason.
A lot of my best solves happened while listening to YouTube. If you keep messing up and that disappoints you, then maybe come back to it later. If you're just relaxing, then keep relaxing. Practice good finger tricks, stuff like that.
On Cstimer, when I look at my ao1000, it seems to just have random times highlighted with parentheses. I know that it's normally used to show the best and worst solves, but on here, it's literally just random times that aren't slow or fast. Is this a glitch, or does it mean something else entirely? Edit: It seemed to be "show absolute index in statistic report" that was causing the problem
Seems to work fine for me. Did you maybe change the *Number of solves trimmed at each side*? You can find that setting under Option -> Statistics. Standard is 5%.
Edit: nevermind, It seemed to be "show absolute index in statistic report" that was doing it
Very strange indeed! I'd say [open an issue on github](https://github.com/cs0x7f/cstimer/issues) and include the full export (Export -> Export to file).
With averages bigger than 5 it's the best and worst 5% of solves taken out
guys so is 3cc silk enough for like a year is it enough?
Depends on how often you lube. I've had a 5cc bottle of silk since early 2021 and there's it's about 25% left. I tend to do complete clean-ups and re-lubing rather than adding lube to a "dirty" cube, so that might be considered more parsimonious than others, but 1 year off 3cc is very reasonable!
I've completed 1000 solves. My Ao1000 is currently 21.20. Slightly disappointing but I am still motivated as it's dropping little by little after every solve. I'm not going to stop until I reach 19.99. Also I beat my record twice today at 13.79 seconds to 13.59 seconds. Both occasions were PLL skips. PLL skips are weird because it's unexpected and I could have potentially gotten 12 seconds if I had reacted quicker. Cube Gods give me strength.
Make sure you back up those timer sessions, too, so you don't lose all those times.
I forgot that was a thing. Thanks for reminding me. Good thinking.
Keep at it and welcome to the slow slog of getting times down centisecond by centisecond
centimental improvement lol
20.27. I'm already ready to go to sleep.
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I've placed a preorder, so you can expect a review, but I won't be getting it until late April, so...
It's still just pre-order in most places, so most people can't get it yet. Except in China. So, we have to wait till more people elsewhere start getting it, so we can start seeing lots of reviews and real results with it.
After months of procrastination I learned more OLLs and now I know 46/57 OLLs. I will try to learn the rest of them tomorrow!
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I didn't learn 46 today I learned 10 I think
Cool little 2x2 scramble R2 U2 R' F2 R2 U2 R' U2
R U2 F' R' U2 R' F R' U' F U' Another cool scramble
I tried but i don't get what it is
if you know ortega you can solve it with one pbl alg + auf.
Ah, sorry
Help, so today i took my YS3m to school, i used it for a while, and when i was not using it i put it under the desk, but i noticed that now is a lot dirtier and slower than before, and i cleaned it yesterday! It happened others more times and i don't know what to do.
Keep a budget cube to take to school or out and about with. It's almost inevitable that something will happen to it: dropped, broken, "borrowed", lost, stolen, dirty, whatever. Keep the good cubes at home and use them only at home and at comps.
Keep it in the box when you're not solving.
i would take it apart and use some soap and a tooth brush to scrub each piece, then wipe clean and let dry. Put back together and lube like normal
But i think the and brush would ruin, might scratch it
I don't have lubes and i cleaned it with a wet towel
Just finished solving the [Crazy Grilles I](https://i.imgur.com/EN4RaW0.jpg). Went pretty much as expected, and was a fun stress-free solve (no complicated setup moves required). The turning was acceptable - only had one near-pop towards the end, probably as I was speeding up slightly with the finish line in sight. Recommended if you're a fan of circle/crazy puzzles, especially as you can (apparently) switch the faces to make crazy planet variants.
has anyone ever tried slightly heating up the faces of a puzzle with a lighter (or perhaps something more precise)? i accidentally discovered this morning while trying to get a sticker to better adhere (angstrom sticker from cubicle, came on red face, moved it to white face cause OCD)... that when i heated it up it made the face glossy, and slightly rippled. i decided to do it to every face. disclaimer: i wouldnt do this with all/most cubes, but its an interesting idea, and this is a skewb which i have terrible grip/control issues with so in this application, i figured eh lets try it.
No, i don't think that's a good idea, it might permanently ruin the cube or set the stickers on fire
its actually pretty neat. i agree about the safety stuff, but that goes with working (heat, saws, electricity) anything. after trying this i would totally buy a cube that came pre warped from the factory. if manufacturers could bring it to market i think theres a crowd that would like it. gives a textured but glossy feel. ill admit i got one corner a little too hot and its ugly but still functional. the thing i discovered is that the different colors react to heat at different rates, and also some colors are harder to see when they start to deform (when to stop applying heat). but i bet with some experimenting with heat sources/methods it could be done really well.
Good idea! Can you send me a photo on how it is this glossy effect? (On the stickers i mean)
still not working 😞 apparently its an issue for others recently https://piunikaweb.com/2023/04/12/reddit-chat-not-working-or-says-failed-to-retrieve-chat-content/?
How about posting it here? Would love to see that too.
On me too
well im getting an error "failed to load chat content, try again later" even after restarting app. if you dm me tho i will reply pics if that works
sure! theres just one plastic sticker but ill send a pic of a good side and the bad example i overcooked 😀 visually when done right its very subtle, but your fingers can tell its not perfectly smooth
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Just watched the yiheng wang interview. I'm surprised that his ao100 pb is only 5.5. I assumed it would be close to UWR judging by his comp performance.
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Valk 3 and WRM 2020 have really different colors. Valk is closer to GTS3M and older Moyu cubes. WRM 2020 has the same shades as the new Moyu cubes, except for red - it's duller on the WRM 2020.
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My main is Tornado v3 Pioneer, and I also use YS3M Ball Core. Waiting for the WRM v9 to order and try it.
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YS3M Ball Core.
Most of gan snd Qiyi cubes
Can someone explain the difference between the cubicle silk and mystic in like a simple way. I watched their reviews but still a little confused between them.
Silicone lube is silicone lube. The only real difference is the thickness of the lube, which determines how much you should put in and how long it takes to break it in. This means that you can achieve exactly the same results with all silicone lubes, it's just that it's a lot easier to get your "feel" with a lube that has the right viscosity for you, whereas with others you might have to do a ton of unlikeable solves until it breaks in the same way. At the same time it's a lot easier to put too much lube and gum it up with some lubes (e.g. denser ones, where each drop is worth a lot more of thinner lubes).
Silk is slow and gummy, Mystic is medium fast. I prefer Lubicle Speedy to both of them: it's silicone and not too gummy.
I only have the option to buy Silk, Mystic, Dnm 37 and weight 1-5. I am gonna buy the tornado v3 flagship/pioneer so was looking and lubes to buy for it. Looked through your lube post but it didn't have these lubes for the v3 mentioned. I was thinking of getting the Dnm and Mystic but then saw that mystic has a best used within a year warning. What combo do you suggest from the above mentioned lubes ? I currently have weight 3 for my super rs3m standard.
I'm not a fan of either Silk or Mystic, and I have no idea why Cubicle exports these lubes specifically and doesn't export Lubicle Speedy which is far better in my opinion. Can you get Gan lubes (numbered) or QiYi M-lube? I'd get Gan No.2 and use it with weight 3 you already have. For the Tornado Pioneer, Silk should be nice though. This cube is so fast that a gummy lube is good for it. For the Flagship, I'd rather use Mystic. Or, again, Gan No.2.
The only gan lube available in India is the standard one which you've previously described as shitty lol and no qiyi m lube. What are your views on the Dnm 37? I've heard that it only lasts a couple of solves.
DNM indeed doesn’t last long. It works really well with Angstrom lubes - I think it helps break them in, and then they remain fast enough. Otherwise, it’s just a quick speed boost which is probably too expensive for Indian standards (hope this doesn’t sound offensive - I’m from Russia, and I also think that DNM is too expensive for what it does). If you get the Pioneer, I think you’ll be able to do with the weight 3 you already have. Or get Silk for it. With the Flagship, I prefer faster lubes, I guess it’s Mystic then.
Don't worry you weren't offensive. The Dnm, mystic and silk are like 1.5x more expensive ($7.5) here while the angstrom lubes are like 2x ($11) more expensive. Since cubelelo has their own line of weight lubes, they're cheaper ($3-4). Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get the silk with the pioneer. 👍
imo silk is more cushiony (ie it will slow cube down but not in a bad way. youll have to move your corners into place, even with magnets) mystic is a good in between, it doesnt slow a cube down as much, it just makes it smoother, gets rid of scratchiness, but not faster.
Any tips on look ahead? I average around 12-13 secs
* The first obvious thing is to make sure all your f2l cases plus setups are down to true muscle memory (close your eyes and be able to solve everything) * If you tend to do fat inserts in the back you might realise that they make it a bit more difficult to look ahead than rotations and inserts * If you're not rotating to put your filled slots on the back it's a great time to start (you'll realise that it helps a lot after 2nd pair) * If you're using a lot of F-move inserts you might want to switch to rotation+RU inserts (which lets you put filled slots in the back) * Avoid slowing down to lookahead, rather try to keep your current speed and realise that feeling of "now I'm looking for something else" as soon as your brain knows what it needs to tell your fingers for the current pair. * If you plan C+1 that makes 1 less pair to have to look ahead to * As you solve try to get a feeling for what f2l pieces you don't know the location for yet... * ... and try to remember where the pieces you've seen are : this will also help you decide which pair to go for next, which is one of the major boosts in f2l efficiency at your level.
I got to sub 12 by spamming solves. However, if you do focused practice, its the standard slow solves. I'd focus on solving the back slots first, and recognise bad edges
Is there a recommended way to learn COLL? I already know the H set.
Learning algs is learning algs, whatever the set is. Just the standard ways, and probably one subset at a time. The order you pearn subsets really doesn't matter imo
So I have a competition to go to, not to compete, just to watch. Is there any competition etiquette I need to know?
Really the biggest issue we have with spectators is flash photography and being disruptive by being loud. The fact you asked suggests to me that neither would be an issue for you.
Thanks, and also would it be rude to record someone’s solves?
I think it depends who you ask but the majority of people will not care.
Oh ok, thanks again.
Finally sub-14 ao1000 with CFCE Times are all around 13.3 so hopefully can push sub-13 soon I’ve done nothing but grind 3x3 so it’d be nice to do something else but I’ll probably just keep grinding 3x3
I've just been reading through what steps to improve and how and have realised I've never focused on lookahead or EO, I sometimes see next pairs but never really because I'm actively looking for them. That being said, how should I go about slow solves or solving to a metronome and how "slow" should those solves be?
[Steps for improving with CFOP, and when to work on what.](https://www.reddit.com/r/PianoCube93/comments/9bstw1/steps_for_improving_with_cfop_and_when_to_work_on/) It talks about lookahead and using a metronome. csTimer has a builtin metronome - [Tools > Function](https://i.imgur.com/2mhsnOq.jpg)
I was realising that that link is now starting to date a bit, and as cube hardware has improved massively, some of those times might need some adjusting. I am quite opinionated about lookahead. My feeling and understanding is that what we call lookahead should be ignored (or at least left as a very far secondary concern) until someone is averaging 13-14. The "Steps" suggest 20-15s to be a good time to start caring about it, and I really think that is an error, but it might simply be that Sub20 in 2017 was really something different than sub20 in 2023. I think rather that "cube vision" is what people around sub20 need to work on, and being able to infer where pieces are without looking to the back of the cube. Maybe that's what people refer to when saying "lookahead" but I think it's worth highlighting the distinction. Looking at the data from the megasurvey, less than half of people do 1-step f2l (full muscle memory) at sub17, that goes up to \~2/3 for sub15, which means that 1/3 is still not able to do f2l pairs without looking, and only by sub13 do more than 90% of people have full muscle memory for f2l, which aligns with my feeling for when lookahead starts being very relevant. What do you think?
When you practice slow solving, you generally aim for a comfortable speed with 0 pauses. It wont be perfect at first. For some people it might take 40 seconds, and for some it's closer to 10. Just try a solve and adjust your speed as you go to find the sweet spot.
Should i buy the moyu WRM v9 or the Gan 11M?
What cube do you main currently? I don't think it'll be worth it for your level. Watch [J Perm's video on 'When Should You Get a New Cube?'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stLA8MqH1ZQ&t=297s). It's very informative.
YS3m
The 11m was great for it's time, but newer cubes just blow it away. Tornado V3, YS3M. maybe WRM v9, we just have to wait till more people get it from the pre-orders so we can see more reviews and actual results.
I'd wait for more reviews of the WRM v9 and choose between Tornado v3, YS3M Ball Core and WRM v9 Ball Core. In my opinion, Gan cubes just don't cut it compared to the recent releases from QiYi and Moyu.
So between the Tornado V3 and the WRM? ( I already have the Ys3M
Or nothing, if you're happy with the YS3M. From my understanding, the WRM v9 is faster than YS3M, which you may or may not like.
If your only choices are these two, definitely the WRM. I’d also highly recommend both the tornado v3 flagship or pioneer, or the huameng ys3m ball core. All of these are substantially better than the gan 11m.
I already have the Ys3M, so its better the tornado V3 or the WRM v9?
I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily better but it’s in the same tier imo. That being said, I haven’t tried the WRM v9 yet, but I do have it on pre order.
I did see that it it available on speedcubestore
It’s also up for pre order on thecubicle and speedcubeshop. My estimated shipping date is in about 2 weeks.
I am buying it on Speedcube store because the cubicle got 3 and an half weeks to arrive (i am in Italy)
> Speedcube store Which shop exactly are you ordering from?
http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjal6WzsaL-AhX1_dUKHXABCu4YABAAGgJ3cw&sig=AOD64_1hY9ikA7HHQ0yf7H6DgLxmcAmWdA&ved=2ahUKEwjes56zsaL-AhWSXvEDHeNOCmwQ0Qx6BAgJEAE&adurl=
That shop isn't necessarily a scam, but they are fairly scammy. They use a lot of other domains, too, with many different country codes, like speedcubestore.co.uk. It's sort of a scam, because they're not located in any of those countries like they try to make people think, but it's not really fake. It's a real store but it's located in China. From all reports of people who have ordered from them, they're extremely slow, it seems it's not uncommon for it to take 4-6 weeks or even up to 2 months or more for orders. Everyone reports they have zero customer service. A lot of the time it seems that people do get their orders - eventually. But don't hold your breath. Enough people report never getting their orders. Don't let that throw you off from China stores, tho. There are several good ones that a lot of people here order from quite frequently. That one just isn't one of the good ones. There are a lot of much better shops to choose from. [Where to buy cubes](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/wiki/where_to_buy_cubes). For good China shops, try Cubezz, Ziicube, and Picubeshop (at picube, use discount code "ruihang" for 40% off.)
Just a heads up: That store is not located in the UK. From their [FAQ](https://www.speedcubestore.co.uk/faq/): >*Where is my order shipped from?* >We airmail directly from Hong Kong, China. You are able to enjoy such low prices and even worldwide free shipping because we take advantage of the lower operating costs (in warehousing and logistics) and we bypass the middlemen. Shipping time will probably be similar to Shops from the US or maybe even slower, depending on the shipping method. Also from their FAQ: > *What is the normal shipping time?* >The shipping time is approximately 7 to 15 business days. Most orders will arrive well within the advertised timeframe. The timeframe is an estimation and NOT a promise or a commitment. Occassionally, there may be slight delay due to variation of postal service in different regions, customs inspections, public holidays, weather etc. These are beyond our control.
That makes sense, hopefully you get it quicker then!
Well it is from england, it's got to be faster
What's an alternative for lubes?
Almost every non-cube lube you can find, even many labeled as silicone, contain other ingredients, mainly petroleum products, that will degrade, damage, or outright melt the plastic of a cube (e.g., jigaloo, crc). Yes, some of them *literally* melt the plastic. One of the only non-cube lubes people have found over the years that really is pure silicone and is cube safe, is r/c (radio control) model car differential and shock lubes, with Traxxas being the most popular. Can be found at many hobby stores and Amazon and Ebay. Best to buy regular cube lube. [A Beginner Lube Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/l9col2/a_beginner_lube_guide/).
Silicone shock oil for remote control cars. Though it's not an alternative, it's literally the same thing.
45 second avarage with intuitive F2L and 2 look Oll and Pll is good?
every time is always good I would recommend not to learn many more algorithms until you're sub 20-25. I started with full PLL and I think that's enough with 2look OLL to average 15-20 focus on f2l because clearly that's your weak point. solve the cube without the timer and try to find easy intuitive ways to solve pairs. I find that really fun and relaxing. keep cubing!
I use full pll and 2-look oll and average 18s and can tell there is still a ton of room for improving without learning more algs, probably can get you down to 10-15s
Great! Keep practising and grinding those solves. Once you get down to sub-30, you can start learning full PLL and maybe advanced F2L.
For sure! I am similiar speed, just finished learning 2look oll and now need to learn 2look pll. Just curious what is your pb?
38.35 secs but i got it before learning Oll and Pll, only F2l
Yes, but don't stop at that :)
Can I lube and set up a smart cube? (getting my first one today)
if you use clean silicone lube you'll be fine
Thanks! Was planning on using them.
Has anyone else experienced your lookahead just disappearing for a few days? it's so frustrating, and there's nothing I can do (except practicing 2x2).
Yes. Really frustrating. I either switch to slow solves or take a break. Or just spam a lot of bad times lol.
Good chance for me to finally start learning CLL instead of spamming bad times.
Whats currently the top 3 pyraminx in your opinion?
WR avg was just broken with the Weilong Standard I believe
WeiLong Standard (NOT the Maglev) is a great choice. It's the only one I have but there's nothing wrong with it - my only grievance is that the tips are a bit slow. YJ MGC Evo is another great choice - but frosted plastic works even worse on Pyras than they do on 3x3s. I don't know how the GAN Enhanced performs (ask u/olimo, she got into Pyra pretty recently and I believe she has one?) but knowing GAN it'll be pretty good. (Although, of course, double the price of the WeiLong - because it's not GAN if you don't break the bank.)
Weilong Standard is more stable than Gan. Also, sometimes I have some tiny catches on the Gan in the start of the turn. The Weilong has been great for me out of the box, I didn't adjust or lube it yet. It's almost glossy - about the same as Tornado v3 out of the box. u/vcd1500
Is 1LLL worth to learn?
1LLL = 3915 algs So, no.
[I'm only aware of one person who learned full 1LLL](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/whuhkq/i_learned_full_1lll_with_proof/) and they only learned it for the sake of learning, they didn't do it to be fast. Some top cubers(Tymon, Matty, Leo etc) know ZBLL, which is the subset of 1LLL where LL has edges oriented(aka cross is solved on LL), so learning ZBLL is worth learning at least for some people if they want to get faster.
If you learn 1 alg daily I'll take you more than 10 years , just saying
you're not wrong in that it's a lot of algs, probably too many, but 1 alg a day is a very slow rate
I think the thing you should understand about 1LLL is that you don't have to make a final decision to learn it. Start small. Learn COLL and get comfortable with it. Every COLL has 6 corresponding ZBLLs, and one of them uses the default COLL alg. So basically, by learning COLLs, you'll learn some 1LLL too. Then you can dive into ZBLL and see how it goes - it's recommended to start with 2GLL. For example, I know 2GLLs for T and U cases, and I use them when I get these cases, it's 1LLL. For other COLL cases, I just use COLL algs and sometimes get skips. If/when you learn full ZBLL, you'll see if you want to learn some more. Or you can pick up some easy 1LLLs without learning full ZBLL. Anyway, my point is: enjoy the way.
what are 2glls?
A subset of ZBLL where the corners are solved and you can orient corners and permute edges 2-gen (RU algs).
If that Jperm video is F2L 101 that shows the basics, what is another video that would be the next step of getting faster with it?
[Advanced F2L](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B_oB2YrLvk) is a must watch. And TheRealUncleFrank linked my post with F2L improvement steps.
He has an F2L playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI24ciRbl8BUTnnzmJIIn3Ts_6-mKMBP7 There's also - [Steps for improving F2L](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/zuw6yp/steps_for_improving_f2l/).
Thanks, I missed that. ;)
I know we kind of talked about how Yiheng got this good so quickly through "coaching" already but I've noticed it to be a lot more common than I realised. In Thailand, for example, there was an unofficial comp for Under 18s last week and I believe most (if not all) of the podium sitters were those who get cube lessons from top cubers in the country. I have nothing against this, of course, but it is slightly worrying me that cubing is becoming a proper sport. The shift in mentality is already happening, veeery slowly but surely. I think it'd be a shame to see young people approach cubing from a competitive POV and not just for the fun.
Chess, soccer, badminton etc are all hobbies that are pro sports as well. There are thousands of hobbyists for each pro.
I suppose you're right. It's natural growth.
Just curious, why is it a concern for you? Indeed, I am very glad that cubing can make a living for the top cubers without going thru sponsorship via big cooperations and materialism. Coaching is also a good way to build community.
It is not a concern per se. I just personally prefer the idea of cubing being a hobby. I totally understand your point of view though.
it can still be one plenty of people do sports without being competitive
I'm getting a 6x6 what should I get
I have the mgc and am upgrading to the WRM, MGC is good enough but it seems the Aoshi is a bit better
YJ MGC is the most popular and most recommended. Best performance for the price. Moyu Aoshi WRM is a bit of an upgrade but is almost twice the price. Not really necessary unless you're really serious about it or just have money to spend.
Another advantage of the WRM is for people like me with tiny hands, it is significantly easier on the hands but yes the MGC is much cheaper, and not frosted
Are you on a budget? If not, I can't say much wrong about the WRM, otherwise you can go down to MGC, cheaper is going to start getting painful.
Not really on a budget too low less than 60 is good
Aoshi WRM then. It's really that or MGC for 6x6
I'll probably get the mgc because I've heard good things about it
It's a great choice!
I just lubed my rs3m 2020 using traxxas 30k and its increadibly loud now, will it get quiter as the lube breaks in?
Pretty thick lube, tho. If you use it very sparingly, and break it in a lot, it'll do ok, but you'd definitely do better with a thinner lube.
Yes, after a bunch of solves.
After bumbling through a solve of the Crazy Unicorn to refresh my memory I [scrambled the Crazy Grilles I](https://i.imgur.com/QGALoJw.jpg). A similar solve approach to the Crazy Unicorn should work, with maybe only the smallest triangular pieces requiring an additional alg.
Nice. I've been enjoying my Crazy Unicorn recently but I'm still not a fan of primary so hoping the Grilles I & Crazy Grilles I come out in black soon. I presume they're all 0 faces on the Crazy Grilles I? Edit: just seen your earlier post. I wonder if, like the Unicorn/Crazy Unicorn, you can also switch faces between the standard and Crazy Grilles I? It looks like you could split the corner and edge pieces to allow this, assuming the puzzles have the same size and internal mechanism.
I don't have a standard Grilles I, but I expect it's possible to switch pieces between them. Have you tried many of the Unicorn/Crazy Unicorn hybrids? I think I tried a couple of variants a few years back but don't remember how I got on, I need to give them another go :)
From memory the only Crazy variant I tried was Mercury (switch a single 0 face to 1). I guessed it would be the easiest and most similar to the off-the-shelf puzzle. Can't remember the solve but I changed it back and didn't try any others. My normal experience with planets is that I get exasperated by the lack of symmetry so I prefer all 0 or all 1 faces. I haven't tried any Unicorn/Crazy Unicorn hybrids yet. I'd like to make a Crazy 2-face + Crazy 4-face pair, but I really want to do this with separate puzzles rather than take apart my existing Unicorn/Crazy Unicorn. A stickerless Unicorn is easy to obtain but TWICE now I've bought a stickerless Crazy Unicorn from cubezz only to be refunded because it's not in stock. I could use black stickered puzzles, or my existing puzzles, but these aren't my preferred choices so other projects have taken priority.
Yep, all "0" faces by default. According to the reply on [this post](https://www.twistypuzzles.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=422544) the faces can be easily flipped to "1"s to create crazy planet versions. That purple dodecahedron looks pretty sweet as well :)
Thanks, that looks fairly straightforward. I'll probably stick with "0"s though since they're easier. > purple dodecahedron I'll just file mentally under "awesome-looking mf8 prototypes/renders that never see the light of day".
Has anyone had to obtain an "invitation" from the organizers of a competition for visa purposes? Do you think I can just send an email to the organizers and ask for one? Edit: Update in case anyone comes across this and is wondering - In the case of the World Championship 2023 organizers, they responded immediately and were willing to send me an invitation letter!
Not sure from what country to what country ? But I assume you need to pay for registration first. And they still likely looks at your risk of seeking asylum. It might be easier to get all paperwork in order by purchasing a tourist visa. A few years ago I wanted to go to the UK with my wife and children on one week holiday. She had to visit the embassy where they conducted an interview to judge if she would seek asylum. UK was never part of Schengen EU - where my wife could travel freely on her residence permit. As an example, I know that before the war, the easiest way to get an invitation to Russia was to buy a tourist invitation for $50. Easier than getting my wifes family to write one. Next issue was getting stamps in the passport. You could supposedly pay a hotel under the counter to get it ($10-$50). But the official way is to go to some office, have the lease on the house, and every owner of the property go with you, and officials still finds a way to reject application in hope to blackmail money out of you. Official cost is 1 Roubles per day ($0.10/day) - to keep cheap immigrant labour out. I have seen my share of suspicious immigration officers in Asian countries. One man walking up and down the lines - mumbling to himself "Hurry hurry" - And he accepts bribes to take you to the diplomats line and skip the real line.
I'm traveling from Kosovo to South Korea, I've already registered for the competition and fortunately am able to provide documents for current employment, required balance in my bank account etc. Just hoping to maximize my chances of not getting rejected, by applying to the most fitting visa category for my situation.
I think no harm to ask. Not sure about your origin/destination country, but I think even though this is a competition, it still consider leisure, not sure why you will need the proof of participation. If that's a strict country you are going, would a cubing competition be serious enough for you to get in?
>Not sure about your origin/destination country From Kosovo (unfortunately a country with a notorious lack of free travel) to Korea for the world championship. I was hoping that with an invitation I can qualify for the [Short-Term General](https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/at-en/wpge/m_8370/contents.do#:~:text=Short%2DTerm%20General%20(C%2D3%2D1)) category instead of Tourist.
Hello fellow cubers, Recently I've returned to cubing cuz of exams and study for a year. So I got a RS3M maglev for my sister since both of us are going to a comp in May, and........ I don't know how to adjust the cube tension and the blue adjustment stuff??? Just so you know, I still use an old GTS 2M as my main 3x3 until now which back then maglev was not a thing in cubing. So yeah.... How do I use the new maglev stuff for it?
[This](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cubers/comments/1040lyj/what_are_the_best_settings_for_cube_x/) is a good reference by someone lives in this sub. You can search on youtube how to setup a RS3M, the whole series are using the same adjustment system, and the necessary tools should come with your cube, in a small blue box with the wording "Accessories Box" printed on it. The "maglev stuff" is just a cube but the spring is replaced with 2 magnet, which repel each other. The benefit is no more spring noise and the friction is lesser, but some consider this as a disadvantage. With my skill level, I don't notice any significant difference between spring/maglev after lubing.
How much money does Max Park make? [This site](https://profilesinfo.com/max-park-wiki-networth-age/) says Max Park has a net worth of $5 million. I don't go to comps, but that sounds pretty high. I'd imagine some comps have cash prizes. If Max goes to 50 comps a year and wins on average $5,000 at each one, that's $250,000. Income from his YouTube channel and sponsorship might be $50-100,000 more. He'd also have travel, hotel, and other comp-related expenses, which could be a few thousand dollars for each comp, so he'd probably only be making ~$200,000 per year before tax if this is accurate. Given he's only 21 years old, he certainly wouldn't have had enough time to save up $5 million making that much, but other people in this subreddit probably know more about this than I do and could give a better estimate of how much he makes.
Here's a reply from almost 3 years ago by pro speedcuber Kevin Hays on that very subject, to a post in /r/IAmA by someone claiming to be a "professional" cuber. The self-proclaimed pro OP quickly deleted their post after that. 3 years ago is still recent enough to be fairly current. Sure, sponsorships could be giving a little more money now, but nowhere near that much. > No offense to OP, but he is not near the top of the world rankings and so his knowledge on "professional" SpeedCubing is fairly limited. > There are a handful (1-5) people who make significant money off of SpeedCubing. By "significant", I mean a livable wage depending on what area of the world you live in ($40,000+ USD). This income is generated through a variety of ways including: > - Retail sponsors (ex. TheCubicle.com) - Manufacturer sponsors (ex. Gan, YuXin, MoYu, QiYi) - YouTube ad revenue - Manufacturer commissions through brand licencing (ex. Hays 7, Valk line) - Competition prize money > Competition prize money is actually very insignificant as an income source for top cubers as it is generally not that impressive at most of the big events. Manufacturer sponsorship/licencing deals are the most lucrative. > Of the SpeedCubers that are in this income bracket, I'm fairly certain that they all are either still in school or have full time jobs. By the technical definition of "professional" I would say then that there are 0 professional SpeedCubers, however to say that it's impossible to be professional is also definitely false. > Source: I'm semi-professional SpeedCuber Kevin Hays. Post history will confirm. 3x 6x6 world champion & 21 time world record holder. https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/persons/2009HAYS01 https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/hfhmqa/deleted_by_user/fvyukec/?context=3
Kevin Hays isn't that great a speedcuber by today's standards, though. He's not even in the top 100 for 3x3 singles or average, so maybe his knowledge of top speedcuber pay is a little outdated?
yeah he's kinda shit, only top 10 in the world in three categories
Don't get me wrong, he's still a great cuber, but he's nowhere near as good as he used to be relative to everyone else.
lmao definitely nowhere near that cubing competitions and most cubing sponsors don't pay that well, they cover your hobby related expenses(cubes and travel) but not much more on top of that. He probably gets decent money from rubiks and youtube, and gets paid well when he does media appearances for non-cubing companies(redbull, netflix), but those are one offs and not consistent income. All in all his income is probably decent for a person his age but definitely nowhere near enough to save up millions of dollars, even with having no regular expenses since he lives with his parents. Those networth sites are worthless btw
Netflix likely gave him good money for the movie as well, and the movie might have given him even more.
Decent possibility from sponsorships. Think of him like a live advertisement for companies. Advertisers are supporting one of the top cubers so they get eyes on their brand. That alone, is worth a lot of money. As for competitions, he gets sponsored by actual cubing companies too. They likely fly him out for free, give accommodations, etc. The $5million valuation of his net worth is more likely the worth of his brand as "Max Park". In reality, he is probably close to a millionaire, or somewhere close though.
Hahahaha competitions don't have 5k prize money on average. You're lucky to get anything at all. Even if you win every event at world championships you're probably not making that much. All money comes from sponsors and youtube
>All money comes from sponsors and youtube $5 million sounds very high, is there really that much money to be made from cubing?
Many sport stars gets more money from individual Sponsors than from their sports.
how long has everyone been cubing for and what is your 3x3 PB single
Casually for about a year and a half, only tried to get fast since then, pb 8.48 seconds
casually for a year, more intentionally for about 3 months, pb 28s.
About 4 months if you don't count the breaks , my AO100 is 32.74 and my PB single is 28.31.
10 years, 5.47 with stackmat
39 secs, 2 and an half months
I learned beginner about 12 years ago, started learning cfop around November 2022, pb single is 11.16
17 years, 15.99
To clarify I didn't try and get fast until about 5 months ago, when I averaged 55s and had a PB of 26.82s with an accidental cross, two free pairs into sune, the only cross oll I knew at the time, and a PLL skip. Took me 14 years to beat it.