If you’re into weightlifting, the name Pyrros Dimas should need no introduction. The 3 times Olympic gold medalist (one bronze) and 3 times world champion, who’s also director of USA weightlifting is one of the all time greatest lifters; it’s a wonder what took so long for him to get his own signature barbell. Such a legendary lifter would need a barbell made to his caliber, so leave it to Rogue Fitness to deliver the goods.
Build Quality/Construction – 6/6
Rogue just doin’ Rogue things. As per usual, this barbell is constructed to the incredible standards Rogue uses with all of their equipment. The shaft of the barbell is an American sourced 200k psi stainless steel, the same that’s found on the standard SS weightlifting barbell but with a different knurl pattern. Also in the fashion the Ohio SS barbell, the Pyrros bar uses chrome plated sleeves. This is supposedly done because the friction from the metal inserts on bumper plates can cause stainless to oxidize; though on my other bars this hasn’t happened. Stainless steel otherwise resists the elements the best out of any coating (except maybe Cerakote). According to my calipers the shaft measures at 28.05mm at the knurling and 27.95 at the smooth, which is pretty much as close as you’re going to get to 28mm; not even my Uesaka comp or Eleiko NxG are that close.
This bar is SOLID, there are no rattles and virtually any play in the sleeves. The endcaps sport a design that’s very distinguishable from the other weightlifting bars, donning Pyrros’ name surrounded a laurel wreath, paying homage to his Greek ancestry. Of course, the bar and all of it’s components are made in the USA to IWF standards, though the bar is not certified.
Early versions of the barbell had a pretty aggressive center knurling pattern that Rogue then later replaced for all original purchasers free of charge. I’m not going to knock them down any points from that because of the excellent customer service Rogue provided in getting the bars replaced.
Knurling – 5/6
The pattern used was selected by Pyrros Dimas and two other members of team USA weightlifting and while not radically different than the EU or normal WL bar’s, is more aggressive. The size of the diamonds is pretty much spot on compared to the other bars, but the depth is slightly deeper in both the center (corrected) and grip knurling. Honestly, the difference in depth might just be from the bar being uncoated. I personally prefer the less aggressive knurling on the EU bar more, but it’s all preference at the end of the day and I still think the knurling on the Pyrros bar is better than most of what’s out there. Apparently he’s a big fan of Uesaka’s knurling, which is very similar to this bar’s.
Since the barbell is stainless, the feel of the shaft is identical to bare steel. That in combination with the knurling’s pattern ensures a solid grip even without the use of chalk. The quality of the machining is second to none, the pattern is flawless throughout the barbell. If you’ve tried any of Rogue’s other WL bars and found their knurling to be too light, you’ll surely love the pattern of the Pyrros bar.
Spin – 5/6
Rogue opted for a more viscous lubricant for a more controlled spin per Pyrros’ preferences. It looks like they’re using white lithium grease instead of Tri-Flow, but I could be wrong. Each sleeve has 5 needle bearings that spin more subdued than the free spinning EU or WL bars, though the shaft rotates with better accuracy and still feels plenty fast for anyone’s standards. Once again, I personally prefer the spin on the EU bar because I feel like I can get under the bar faster, but that’s probably a placebo because I know it spins more freely. With this barbells that rotate this well, it really shouldn’t make a difference since there’s no locking or friction in the rotation of the sleeve.
Whip – 6/6
Since the shaft diameter is 28mm, it’s whip is excellent. The bar uses the same metallurgy Rogue used to make their record breaking Elephant bar. Originally the bar was launched with a 190k PSI tensile, but was later bumped to 200k – there’s no noticeable difference in performance either way and both should resist bending under any normal circumstance. Compared to the normal Rogue WL bar, the Pyrros does feel a little more whippy, but that’s just speaking from memory. It feels pretty much exactly like the EU bar, which felt like it whipped better than the normal WL bar. Either way, the difference between any bar is going to be pretty minimal unless you really start getting some weight on there.
Value – 5/6
Rogue priced the Pyrros Bar at $695 which falls right in line with the EU and SS WL barbells. Other notable barbells in that pricing tier are going to be the Eleiko NxG, American Barbell SS Comp, Vulcan Absolute, and Klokov Oly bar. None of which are going to be IWF certified and I’d consider them to be “training” barbells. The fact that this bar is stainless steel might be the reason you’re considering it since it’ll stand up to the elements better than half the bars in the same category. You’re splitting hairs when it comes to comparing performance of each barbell as they’re all amazing, so it really just comes down to knurling and brand. All of which are great companies, but another reason to pick the Pyrros bar is just the fact that it’s made by Rogue Fitness who, not to knock anyone else’s, has some of the best craftsmanship and customer service in the business.
Whether or not you need a $700 barbell is completely up to you. While I think it’s a fair price to pay for something you’re probably not going to buy a ton of, there are barbells that perform excellent for a lot less money. No barbell in the world is going to make you stronger or perform better.
Regardless, the Pyrros bar is one of the finest barbells I’ve ever used. It’s worth every penny and lives up to the legendary name it has on it’s end caps.
Total Score – 27/30
Highly Recommended
(Must buy if you’re willing to spend that much.)
Get your Pyrros Bar here!
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