Rings/knurling on the sleeves of a barbell, why?

[pgoreham]

I have a straight bar with sleeves that have grooves and I have a SSB with sleeves that are smooth. I can't speak to the intent of the grooves but I can tell you without doubt that my SSB requires clips or the plates will slide around.

[Fulcrum]

The 'rough' bar sleeves grip collars better as well.
Particularly, cheap poorly made collars, which, are the majority of whats out there these days.

Whole thing seems like a non issue.
Lifted with many different kind of bars.

Whatcha gonna do when you run old Russian grooved bars?
mindblown.gif

[samking7185]

But the real problem with grooves on the bar sleeves is that the plates slide too easily, because less surface area is actually in contact with the surface of the plate bore.

I may be wrong about the reason, but I am not wrong about the phenomenon.

Basic theoretical principles do not always equate to real life scenarios. An example would be, when you take a hard left turn in a car, why do you slide away from the turn while you're actually accelerating into the turn?

And similarly, the "smooth" surface you're looking for isn't all that smooth. It still has plenty of "knurling" albeit less extreme and much more plentiful.

[Jeremy King]

Mark is 100% correct. I have one bar with ridges and and one that is totally smooth. The plates slide easier on the ridged one.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have a straight bar with sleeves that have grooves and I have a SSB with sleeves that are smooth. I can't speak to the intent of the grooves but I can tell you without doubt that my SSB requires clips or the plates will slide around.

And the situation is even more multivariant, since periods of high humidity change the interface between the plates and the bar: when dry, the sleeve polishes and gets slippery-er, and if it's been raining, the plates don't slide as easily on the oxidizing sleeve surface. So, it may depend on where you live.

[JTT]

I've been in contact with Rogue's customer support and I asked if I could exchange my barbell for one with smooth sleeves, but apparently every Ohio bar has grooves:

"Our apologies, but all have those grooves. They make it possible to do cleans/DL/BS/FS/bench/press without collars.
If you have seen Ohio barbells without grooves, those sleeves have worn out and become smooth because of usage."

Well, the grooves really keeps the plates in place IMO, especially when you want to load it with plates.. I think grooves are a way to save money and it's marketed as a "perk" of not having to use collars. Guess it's business as usual but I'd happily pay extra for smooth sleeves if cost is the issue.

[TastyBeans]

Basic theoretical principles do not always equate to real life scenarios. An example would be, when you take a hard left turn in a car, why do you slide away from the turn while you're actually accelerating into the turn?

Acceleration is defined as a change in velocity. Velocity is defined by the speed and direction of an object. So acceleration can happen through a change in speed or direction. In the case of turning to the left in your car your velocity stays the same for a moment until you hit the side of your car and start accelerating as your direction is also changing. You aren't accelerating until a force is affecting you, in this case the door pushing you (and you pushing the door with equal force )Hope that clarifies the situation.

[skid]

I have a straight bar with sleeves that have grooves and I have a SSB with sleeves that are smooth. I can't speak to the intent of the grooves but I can tell you without doubt that my SSB requires clips or the plates will slide around.

My SSB with the smooth chromed sleeves is the same. If I don't use clips the weights slide around. My IPF approved bar made by Bull has smooth machined sleeves (not chromed) and the weight sticks to them. Maybe the chrome is so slick the weights slide??

My Rogue bars have a very slight grooving in the sleeves and they are somewhere in the middle of the SSB and the Bull bar for weights sliding around.

[bjvinson]

I checked in with Rogue before buying a bar, here's their reply:



I don't buy that it helps the plates grip in normal use either, at least with iron plates. Having used their bars now, it only helps when you don't want it - when removing plates they have to be slid perpendicular otherwise they grab. We have the OPB and the Ohio Bar, both are excellent except for this one 'feature'.

Rogue told me the same thing about my B&R 2.0 bar. My B&R 1.0 bar doesn't have this feature. I haven't had any problems with the plates sliding around I just don't like the way it looks.

[samking7185]

So acceleration can happen through a change in speed or direction.

In the case of turning to the left in your car your velocity stays the same(?) for a moment

Seems to be a contradiction here