I'm a "beginner" cuber. I can solve a (sufficiently tensioned if not also lubricated) Rubik's cube in about 30 seconds, using a tweaked "beginner" (one layer at a time) method. I'm studying an F2L method, but it bores me. I'd much prefer to peak out the simpler (fewer algos) "beginner" method. As it is, I'm slowly evolving my own "opportunistic" F2L habits, so we'll see how far I can push that vs. learning a pile of patterns and algos dry/rote.
I have a 5x5 and a 7x7 I'm learning how to solve slowly, as an every-now-and-then hobby, as well.
That's a moderately impressive time for using beginners method. I never actually learned beginner's, I just went straight to Fridrich method, with which I currently average about 20 seconds. I'm getting better quickly though. I recommend you learn F2L, but not with algorithms. You can learn it intuitively, which is what I did, and I think it makes cubing a lot more fun. You then have to figure out the most efficient way to create and insert F2L pairs, which adds an experimental aspect to cubing. It's currently what I most enjoy.
To people who have mentioned bigger cubes, what are your favorites? I have everything up to a 5x5, plus a few more weird ones (mirror blocks, megaminx, 3x3x9, fisher cube). I've been thinking about getting a 7x7, although they're fairly expensive. I'd probably get it to make patterns, as you're pretty limited on a 5x5. I feel that at a certain point, larger cubes get boring. I'd say 7x7 is probably the cut-off point. What I mean is that you're no longer adding difficulty, merely making it take longer to solve and be more tedious. That's why I tend to opt for things like the 3x3x9 (
this), because it adds a considerable amount of challenge. Still, the hardest cube I've solved has actually been the Latch Cube, which is really just a 3x3 with an interesting mod (I recommend looking it up).
