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New Olympic Bar?

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  • 31-12-2016 4:33pm
    #1
    DS2017
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭


    Hi Guys,

    Happy new year!

    I used to be a member on here about 7 years ago, but can't remember any username/log in details

    Anyways... I am looking for a new Olympic bar and a few more bits for my home gym but have a question about the Elite black oxide bar from D8 Fitness


    Has anyone got one?what is the shaft flex like? How long have you had it etc...

    I was just going to order the Bastard bar from StrengthShop.ie as it's what I'm looking for but I would appreciate if anyone had any info on the D8 elite bar as it would save me a few quid


    Cheers


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    #2
    DylanJM
    Registered Users Posts: 1,468 ✭✭✭DylanJM


    No experience with that bar specifically, but I had this bar (http://www.d8fitness.com/product/7ft-olympic-lifting-bar-20kg/) for a couple of years and it was fantastic for the price. I was mainly using it for weightlifting but it would be a very good bar for general strength training as well. To get a bearing bar that stays straight over the long term with repeated dropping from overhead (with bumper plates on a lifting platform ofc) for €185 is pretty amazing. One problem with it though was that the end caps would come loose from the dropping but I was able to fix that by drilling and tapping out a small hole and inserting a small grub screw. However they may have changed the end cap design at this stage but I don't know.

    Always had good service from D8 Fitness as well.


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    #3
    Black Sheep
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 3,070 Mod ✭✭✭✭Black Sheep


    I have bought from D8 before and agree they are a good business from a customer service point of view. I also think it's nice to support a Dublin based business that still has a bricks and mortar presence. I have no experience of any of their Elite bars but - on the basis that they would probably sort you out if there was a problem - yes, why not try them...

    Previously they sold the Wolverson bars, which might be worth looking at if you can stretch a little further from a price point of view.

    Re: Strength Shop. I like them as a value option for different bits of kit, particularly if you can get something that is included in one of their weekly sales or which is offered as a 'b grade' product. However, it seems like they do have a few lemons that get through when it comes to the 2028 and the Bastard bars. I've read some reviews that were a bit negative when it comes to longevity, consistency of knurling etc. Although it must be said that they have good customer service so would likely make right any problems.

    A few weeks ago the Strengthshop.de site had a pair of b-grade Bastard bars for sale at a good reduction. They had defective sleeves which had been replaced. I emailed to query and they said that the bars were otherwise 100%. I guess they had been using them in the warehouse or something because they mentioned that there was chalk on the bars, which I would actually take as a good sign, less likely to be complete lemons if they were being used. They were gone by the end of the day. Worth remembering the .co.uk and .de Strength shop sites have different stock and different sales.

    An option worth considering might be the ATX range, which is German made and seems to aim to offer barbells competitive with the likes of Rogue, Texas Power Bar, but at a lower price point. Do they succeed? I hope so, because I am in the process of ordering one of their Ram bars. The Irish distributor is Fitness Fit Out, who don't list their prices, but will give you a quote via email. Slightly annoying but I think / presume it's because their business is mainly gym fit outs and not small purchases. One hopes that if it's German made it can't be too far off the mark. They make a lot of power bars but I gather their Bull bar has bearings that would indicate it's more suitable for hybrid use or the quick lifts than the others.

    I looked at Rogue EU or importing from the US directly (Vulcan, Okie) but in all cases it was just too expensive from a shipping / tax point of view. Although it does seem like - when it comes to importing from the US - there are some interesting options if you could go in together with people on a group purchase and ship several bars on the same pallet.


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