bars for Olympic plates

[NordicMan]

I've been using my standard York bar with York weights, and a trap bar with Olympic sleeves.

One bar, which uses Olympic plates, that gets my interest, is the Black Iron Strength thick bars, with the revolving collars. Has anyone used these, and how did you like it?

And on a different line, for an Olympic plate bar, how have people here liked the Werksan? I know that is more expensive than many, not so much as an Eleiko, but still.

How does a bar like this, with its spring, affect squats? Balance? I know it would obviously be good for Olympic lifts, which is one reason I am interested, but that is looking farther down, I just want something that I can use for a long time and not outgrow.

[ZenMonkey]

I dont know about the spring in the bar but you are seeing a price jump due to the needle-bearings in the sleeve of the true O-WL bars.

[NordicMan]

Yes, the needle bearing type bars that allow the spin surely do make things cost more. That and the fine quality steel that goes into the high end bars.

What bar did you get? I see that you had another thread going about this.

The Black Iron Strength bars, I think, will not spring much, those are for having a thicker bar, like the old fashioned strong men used, yet which have the revolving sleeves, so that you are less apt to injure your wrists. They are not solid thick bars.

I just wanted to hear from folks who use Olympic bars with spring. I don't see anything like that around here to where a person could try it out. I suppose if I knew someone at one of the colleges that are 50 miles away who had to do with the weight rooms I may be able to try these things out.

[ZenMonkey]

I have this one: http://www.pendlaybarbell.com/penebucl.html

It looks like thve got some decent priced needle bearing bars too
http://www.pendlaybarbell.com/penebecl.html

They also have a PL bar