Help me decide on a bar

[yorick]

I'm thinking of buying a fairly cheap bar - probably either the B&R bar, or the Rogue multi purpose bar, both from Rogue.

The possible cons of the Rogue bar are the coating and lack of center knurling.
On the plus, it is cheaper and has a good warranty. I believe it is some type of lifetime warranty, although I don't know exactly what all that includes. Also, it has the power and Olympic markings on it.

For the B & R - I believe it is a stronger bar, has center knurling, is uncoated, possibly stronger than the Rogue bar. On the other hand, it has, I believe, a one year warranty.

Is the coating a factor? I've wondered if the coating adds anything to having a fairly maintenance free bar, or will the B&R bar (which lacks coating) "age" without much work like the way Rip mentioned in his barbell article? (I've seen some people say these bars need to be wiped down or cleaned once a week) Does coating help a little for grip to make up for the lack of center knurling when squatting? Is it worth going for the Rogue bar just because of the longer warranty?

I don't understand a lot of the nuances regarding the actual differences in how they are built. So, is one engineered/designed better as far as how they spin, etc?

[JT in MD]

Also look at the Rogue Power bar. I think it's $20 cheaper than the B&R bar. It's 28.5mm as opposed to 29mm, has a center knurl, but is coated. Other than that, I'm not able to offer anything. I'm in the market for a barbell as well and haven't decided which of those two I'm gonna go with.

[shaddix]

If you live in the southeast I would stay away from the B&R. I bought one and it rusts like crazy. I quit using chalk because of it and it still rusts unless I oil it after every session.

[yorick]

If you live in the southeast I would stay away from the B&R. I bought one and it rusts like crazy. I quit using chalk because of it and it still rusts unless I oil it after every session.

Thanks. I actually decided against the B&R because I am going to be using it in my slightly humid basement. I got the rogue bar with both power and olympic marks. It's cheap enough to where if I screw it up anytime soon then I can get another one in a couple of years. I figure for my first real barbell purchase, and for the high reviews I've seen of it, as well as their warranty, I couldn't go wrong with that bar.

[Alberto Velazquez]

From what I heard about Rogue, don't think you would go wrong with their products