B&R Bar Info / Rogue Customer Service Props

[Twodogs]

Here is some product info that some of you may find useful.

I ordered a B&R bar from Rogue a few weeks back. After my third session with the bar, I noticed that it appeared to be bent. I contacted Rogue and told them these details, and sent the following video which they shared with the manufacturer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fph9OYdzGCI

3 business days later, Rogue notified me that a new bar was on its way. In fact it had already shipped and was received the following day. Here is a video of the new bar, which is substantially straighter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re8-tBsDd_Y

In summary, Rogue customer service was exceptional. They didn't have to replace this bar - it would have been reasonable for them to conclude that the bar was bent during use. Instead, they got me a replacement bar asap. As for the B&R bar, everything you read is true - nice spin, awesome knurl, a bit whippy. Not sure about the manufacturing tolerances, since my replacement bar still appears to have a very slight bend.

Disclaimer: this review is not representative of the product as a whole. these are my conclusions based on two bars and a pretty hokey testing method (see vids), results may vary indeed.

[hatmanii]

Nice! They shipped me out a new bar when the one I received had been damaged during shipment. Not even their responsibility, but they took care of it like professionals. Cannot recommend Rogue enough.

-Hat

[AdamW]

How do you like the B&R bar? I really want to purchase a new bar from Rogue and that bar fits all of the criteria better than any other option, but I would prefer a bar actually manufactured by Rogue themselves so I'm leaning towards the Rogue Power bar. Seeing that even your new bar is bent makes me skeptical of buying any of the non-Rogue bars because the Rogue bars I've used have all been fantastic.

[Dastardly]

Just get a texas power bar. They are bad ass. A new one might be a little rough on the fingers, but its good to HTFU sometimes.

[AdamW]

Who makes the actual Texas Power Bars? The nice thing about Rogue is they actually have a distributor in Canada and you don't pay any customs/brokerage fees. Ordering big stuff from the US fucking sucks.

[Twodogs]

How do you like the B&R bar? I really want to purchase a new bar from Rogue and that bar fits all of the criteria better than any other option, but I would prefer a bar actually manufactured by Rogue themselves so I'm leaning towards the Rogue Power bar. Seeing that even your new bar is bent makes me skeptical of buying any of the non-Rogue bars because the Rogue bars I've used have all been fantastic.

The bar is great all around, I opted for B&R for the raw steel. I would expect all of the bars in the $300 price range to be quite similar, so next time around I may try the Rogue bar. The Texas bar is available from Elitefts, appears to be on sale at the moment.

Edit: and to Dastardly's point, the knurl on the B&R bar is a little finer than I was expecting, but it is very precise and feels great. I understand the TPB will give you a more coarse feel (deeper/sharper knurl), which is nice for benching and may suit your preference.

[Tom Campitelli]

I just purchased a B&R bar from Rogue. I've had four sessions with it and it's really good. It is a precisely machined piece of equipment. I have been using shitty bars for so long that cleaning with the B&R really came as a surprise. Having a bar that spins well makes a very pleasant difference. It feels good in the hands on the presses and pulls and is solid during squats. The knurling is excellent. I like it and I am kind of kicking myself for not getting one sooner.

[shaddix]

mine is covered in rust

[Dastardly]

Who makes the actual Texas Power Bars? The nice thing about Rogue is they actually have a distributor in Canada and you don't pay any customs/brokerage fees. Ordering big stuff from the US fucking sucks.

Buddy capps in texas. If you buy one direct from the factory they are very cheap. Once they get distributed/exported to other places the price pretty much doubles. They spin just fine for the quick lifts, I think they are 29mm like the B&R bar. Grip is coarse, but knowhere near as coarse as a texas deadlift bar which is quite frankly ridiculous.

[AdamW]

Thanks for the info, I am going to call up Capp's Welding in Texas tomorrow and find out if they ship to Canada. My only concern is with it arriving bent from the factory, which is the same concern I have for any bar really... With Rogue at least I know I can have it replaced with no issues. Almost worth the 6 hour drive to Ohio to buy the damn thing in person.