Rubik's Cube




I used to be hooked. Best 2x2 time was ~5 seconds, 3x3 was ~42.
The Lars Petrus method (2x2 box->2x3 box-> solved cube) is efficient in terms of number of moves, but it's really challenging to learn on your own (without internet/friend).
I do the basic layer by layer method. Get first layer, second layer, and then third layer.
Make sure you get a speedcubing cube (instead of the crappy ones that are hard to turn) if you try to do it for speed. I used a crappy cube, and now I have screwed up wrists. Buy a DIY cube and lube it to death. You won't regret it, and you'll be much faster.
When you're starting to improve time-wise, you should try to work on "seeing ahead". This reduces the time that you spend imbetween sequences, and is a vital part of speedcubing. It's better to move almost without stopping (even at a slower turn speed) than do a sequence quickly only to finish it and have to find where to go from there.
If you have any other questions, feel free to message me.





Back in the early 80's I would routinely finish one in about 45 seconds, with my best time being thirty something. (32, maybe?) These days... well, I'm not sure I remember the patterns for the bottom. :( (I used the top, middle, bottom method.)
I always lubed the inner surfaces of mine with vasoline, which had the unfortunate side effect that if I got careless while doing a speed run the cube would sometimes fly apart. :)

Many of you people pay reference to the fact that you have been doing it since the eighties. I feel such a newbie. :(
Basically I have 7 steps in my routine:
1. complete a horizontal/vertical cross on one face (I generally start as white)
2. get the corresponding corner pieces on the bottom layer then bring them up
3. put the four middle layer pieces in
4. make a yellow horizontal/vertical cross but not necessarily with the correct colours matched up
5. switch the order of the pieces in the cross so they are the correct colours
6. get the corner pieces in the correct place
7. turn the corner pieces so that they have the correct colours
I have little algorithums at every step; in some steps I have more than one that I know. At the moment I am starting to improvise more on the first two steps to cut out some moves.

I remember a looooong time ago this very attractive co-worker was showing me how to solve the cube. I... paid attention.
I would come to work everyday for a month and solve rubics cube and tell her how fast i did it. She humored me for a while, but one day she acted like she just didn't care.
The reproach still burns.
I think I would have no idea how to do it anymore. I haven't seen a rubics cube in years. Amazing how popular they have stayed over the years though. Great toy.
By the way.. in case the story told in this post makes me sound completely pathetic... i must remind you... she was VERY attractive!
I have recently (less than a week) taking up cubing. I have done it in 4 and a half minutes with a dodgy cube that doesn't really turn properly. Any other cubers out there; if so, which methods do you use? A person tells me it is best to start with a 2 by 2 by 2 cube then working out from that corner; whereas I do it by doing a side first.
Discuss!