Rogue Chan bar vs Fraser bar
This is a comparison of the Rogue Chan bar and the Fraser bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
Overview and review Rogue Ohio Bar Fraser Edition
This overview of the Fraser bar was originally published in my comprehensive guide on which Rogue barbell to buy. If you are currently considering to buy a Rogue barbell it is worth a read to get input on the latest models. I update the guide on a yearly basis depending on Rogue's new releases.
Price 375$
Overview of the Fraser bar
This is my personal
favourite design from
Rogue to date. I am
harbouring between the
Fraser bar and Chan
bar as I prefer the design of this
bar, but also know that the Chan
bar as better value for money in terms of the material it is made of. I ultimately think I will end up buying the Chan
bar as I already live and breathe the motto hard work pays off.
Pros of the Fraser bar
The
Fraser bar represents the concept of the underdog who overcomes adversity to rise to the challenge. When this inspires you, this is the
bar to get. You will get a solid barbell which makes use of the most modern production techniques
Rogue has to offer. If you like the red and black
colours, even better. This is a well designed, reliable piece of equipment that will make you proud.
Cons of the Fraser bar
If you are a big fan of
Rich Froning you might want to invest your money in his
bar instead. As with the other updated versions of the
Ohio Bar the sleeves only come with Cerakote coating. This leaves this
bar more exposed wear and tear from metal to metal contact. Try to use
bumper plates instead of
metal plates to remedy this.
Conclusion
The Rogue Ohio bar Fraser Edition comes from a long line of solid barbells. The slogan "Hard work pays off" is priceless and if you look into the story of Matt Fraser you will agree that this is the barbell with the best story. If you are an underdog underground weekend warrior who is lying in wait to make it big, this is your barbell.
Overview and review of the Rogue chan bar
This overview of the Rogue Chan bar was originally published in my comprehensive guide on which Rogue barbell to buy. If you are currently considering to buy a Rogue barbell it is worth a read to get input on the latest models. I update the guide on a yearly basis depending on Rogue's new releases.
Price: 395$
Overview of the Rogue Chan bar
The
Matt Chan bar was the first
Rogue barbell to be introduced with an athletes name.
Matt Chan and
Rogue have been working closely in the last few years. You can see this in the many equipment demos done by Matt.
Matt Chan is a former firefighter and finished multiple times in the top ten of the Crossfit games. Since
Rogue updated their Cerakote range they had another go at the
Chan bar design.
The
Chan bar is an
Ohio bar on steroids. You get a better design, a
centre knurl and a stainless steel shaft for 395$. If you want to spend the extra 100$ USD compared to the
Ohio bar this is the all-purpose
barbell to get. The design was created to fit Olympic and powerlifting needs alike.
The bar comes in at 20kg of weight, 200K tensile strength
and a Good whip. The diameter is 28.5mm and the sleeves spin via bushing.
Rogue offers two variations on the sleeves, one being
cerakote the other chrome. It seems that cerakote does not respond well to metal to metal contact. If you want to use
steel plates with the
chan bar maybe opt for the chrome sleéves. The loadable sleeve length is 16.5 which is a bit longer than the other standard bars.
Pros of the Chan bar
This bar has a lot of pros and only a few cons. You get a
stainless steel bar for 100$ USD less compared to the
oly options. The bit of extra knurling helps with front squats. This is
the best value for money bar you can get above 300USD from
rogue. In addition, you also get a cool design. If you want to do everything in your home gym, this is the one to go for.
Cons of the chan bar
If you have to fit out an entire gym with 10 - 20 barbells 100$ a piece does make a difference.
This bar is also too pretty to be used in military installations or with beginners. For these scenarios, you are probably better off buying the
Ohio,
Castro,
C-70 or
operator bar. The training bar might also be a better option if you only want to do Oly lifts, as it has a better whip at a lower price. The bushing might also not be ideal if you are a competitive weightlifter. The bars you will use in your competition have the bearing.
Conclusion
Matt Chan has been with Rogue barbell and CrossFit for years. If a bar is allowed to carry his name you can rest assured that it is the best you can get for CrossFit or all purpose barbell training. This bar is a good value for money option in the Rogue line up. If you have to buy in bulk there is always the Rogue Ohio bar.
