Rogue Castro Bar

Rogue Castro Bar

The Rogue Castro Bar is a bare steel multipurpose bar at an attractive price point.

It’s built using the same specs as the popular Ohio Bar, but it’s made with a bare steel shaft and bare steel sleeves. It has a 28.5mm diameter shaft, dual knurl marks, a 190,000 PSI tensile strength, and bronze bushings.

Priced at $275, it’s slightly cheaper than the least-expensive Ohio Bar (black zinc and e-coat), and it also comes with a lifetime warranty.

Here are some further details about the bar:

Features & Highlights

• Bare Steel – Bare Steel is the most cost-effective “finish” available because… well… it’s not finished in anything. Because of that, it ranks very highly in the ‘feel’ department. You’ll get a completely raw texture that provides outstanding grip. It also takes chalk very well. The downside to bare steel is that it’s very prone to oxidation. There is no preventing it, although 3-in-1 oil or similar is commonly used to mitigate it. 
• 28.5mm Shaft – The 28.5mm shaft on the Rogue Castro Bar is comfortable in the hands and provides a nice balance between rigid and whippy, making it ideal for a variety of lifts.
• No Center Knurl – This bar does not offer a center knurl, which is useful on high rep training sessions and/or in cases where a lifter wants a more comfortable bar.
• Grooved, Bare Steel Sleeves – The sleeves on this bar have fine grooves that help keep the plates on the bar better when you’re not using collars. The downside is that grooved sleeves make an audible zip noise when loading/unloading plates. Again, you can expect some oxidation over time. It’s recommended that you oil the surface of these sleeves on occasion.
• American Made – This bar is made in America.

What They’re Saying at Roguefitness.com

The Rogue Castro Bar receives very good feedback from users. With an average rating of 5/5, here are some of the things people are saying at roguefitness.com:

Positive

• “I wanted a bare steel bar for general crossfit use and this bar worked perfectly. Good knurling, but not uncomfortable. Good amount of whip.”
• “The bare steel has an excellent feel in my hands. The knurling provides a nice grip but doesn’t tear up my hands. I expect this bar to last for a very long time.”
• “Received this as a birthday gift from my wife and children…..one of the best birthdays ever……matches up nicely with my raw Ohio Power Bar & raw Ohio Deadlift Bar. Now if Rogue could offer the 28mm training bar in the RAW!!!!”
• “I had a crossfit buddy help me pick out my own barbell so I didn’t have to share with others. As a female, the grip was important and of course the look too (which is nice and shiny)! I’m so happy with this bar! The grip is so perfect and so comfortable I don’t typically need gloves or chalk. I’m always yelling, “The shiny bar is mine…step back from my bar, please!” LOL!”
• “Really impressed with Castro bar – bare steel, knurling just right – not too aggressive yet clean and solid grip.”
• “I bought this barbell about a month ago to outfit a decent home gym. It is an excellent bar, I really love the knurling.”
• “I bought this bar used, 3 years ago with 260 lbs of bumpers. This Castro bar gets used heavily. I work out 3-4 times a week. My teenage son and his friends are in the home gym banging away 4-5 days a week And my wife gets out there at least 2 times a week(she has a bella bar but uses the Castro for dead lifts). Central Virginia humidity is rough on bare metal. I take this bar out side and scrub/oil it twice a year. It’s got a nice dark brown look to it and a fantastic feel. I put it on the floor today and did a spin test. It is still straight. I could not ask for more.This is a great feeling barbell and has handled everything from crossfit workouts to basic power lifting.”
• “I have had this bar for about a year. I work out in a detached garage in the humid south. I was worried about the bare steel, but I give it a little attention every other week or so. It has developed a nice patina. If you want a bare to shine like new forever, this might not be your bar. But, for awesome spin and unmatched feel in the hands this is it. I use it for everything and it holds up to whatever we throw at it.”

Critical

• “My only issue with it was that it had some knicks and dings on it, especially on the end caps, and I had pretty high expectations on aesthetics with it being a Rogue bar. “
• “It’s a fantastic bar, holding up great, developing a good patina, and I really only have one little gripe/annoyance- the knurling is offset by about 3/16″. I didn’t notice it at first, but there it is. I can easily compensate, and it’s not a huge deal, just annoying.”

Garage Gym Lab Review

Garage Gym Lab has not yet reviewed this bar.

Other Options

The below barbells were picked as alternatives to the Rogue Castro Bar: