Bumper plates Uesaka-worn out?

[vobin]

Hello, I haven't gotten an answer in the Craigslist thread. I'm wondering if bumper plates wear out and if these are still good, if I should buy them and how much I should pay? Thank you.

[MGM711]

Hello, I haven't gotten an answer in the Craigslist thread. I'm wondering if bumper plates wear out and if these are still good, if I should buy them and how much I should pay? Thank you.

They don’t wear out per se, but the rubber can deteriorate over time and chunk out. Those look fine to me.

[vobin]

Cool, thank you for the response. I'll see if I can grab them.

[TomMutaffis]

Plates with larger metal inserts like these are usually very durable; I have seen them fail but from what I can see in the photo these appear to still have quite a bit of life left in them.

I would expect to pay $.50-$1.25/lb for this type of bumper in used (decent) condition... some things that can impact price are brand, condition, total amount being purchased, motivation level of the seller, etc.

[joontang]

Hello, I haven't gotten an answer in the Craigslist thread. I'm wondering if bumper plates wear out and if these are still good, if I should buy them and how much I should pay? Thank you.

These look like the Uesaka Athens series -- they're the style of bumpers with the rounded edges used in the 2004 Olympics and 2009 Worlds. They were discontinued around ~2010-ish. Really nice discs -- the hubs are super strong and the rubber holds up really well over time -- though with the rounded edges that means less contact area with the ground when dropped. The white 5kg bumpers are called "Air Discs" and are made of a foamy type of material...mainly intended as a teaching tool for novice lifters.

The rubber on these looks somewhat dinged-up, so they were probably was used for a number of years by a weightlifting club or commercial facility (like a Velocity Sports). If the hubs aren't loose (doubt it) and there are no cracks in the rubber, ~400-500 seems a fair price (might even be able to negotiate a bit lower). These are kind of a collector's item though, so just keep in mind there may be someone else out there willing to pay closer to what seller is asking. Do examine the 10s CLOSELY though, since they're extremely skinny even when compared to other modern-era 10s.

[vobin]

TomMutafis and Joontang, thanks for the info. Joontang, that is really interesting and good to know. I wondered about the 5s, I had never seen anything like them. I ended up getting the bumpers, metal plates, the squat stand and the plate holder for 400. The guy didn't want to sell just the plates. Husband was stoked.

The guy I bought them from owned a gym and when they shut down, he had 3 sets of these and these were the ones he kept, finally selling now. He said they were about 7 years old. The worst damage I can see is the picture I show on here, one of the blue plates, hopefully that is not a big deal. They seem like very solid plates and I'm glad to get them. Around here something like these are VERY hard to find used, hardly ever come up for sale and especially at a decent price. I've been watching CL for over 6 months, missed the last deal, though those plates weren't as good.

Again, thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

Edited to add: Everything I got is in the first pic. The old school squat stands in the back are Pro-Elite Fitness Systems brand and the small metal plates in front are Uesaka.

[vobin]

So now what bar should I get? Budget is as cheap as I can get but still get the job done well and will fit these bumpers. Thanks again.

[vonschnapps]

You have to get a good quality bar. The inside diameter of a competition bumper plate is precise, and the outside diameter of the sleeve on the bar also has to be precise. A cheap bar is ok for cheap weights as there is a lot of slop between the two, but I have a few cheap bars that won't take any of my bumper plates as the sleeves are too large.

[vobin]

You have to get a good quality bar. The inside diameter of a competition bumper plate is precise, and the outside diameter of the sleeve on the bar also has to be precise. A cheap bar is ok for cheap weights as there is a lot of slop between the two, but I have a few cheap bars that won't take any of my bumper plates as the sleeves are too large.

Thanks for the info. It's pretty overwhelming all of the different bars to choose from. I read some of the sticky on bars and that helped a little. I'm hoping to get a multipurpose one for $300 or less, a man's bar so my husband can use it as well. I'm assuming I can measure the inside of my bumper plates and make sure it fits before I order one.

[vonschnapps]

Thanks for the info. It's pretty overwhelming all of the different bars to choose from. I read some of the sticky on bars and that helped a little. I'm hoping to get a multipurpose one for $300 or less, a man's bar so my husband can use it as well. I'm assuming I can measure the inside of my bumper plates and make sure it fits before I order one.

Here's a link to Rogue's Barbells, https://www.roguefitness.com/weightl...s/barbells?p=2
it's a safe bet that any of these would be fine. However, you are now entering an entirely different realm, i.e., what bar diameter, what type of knurling, black oxide or chrome, yada yada yada. For under $300, I'd recommend the Ohio Bar, don't get caught up with all the other stuff as everyone has an opinion but you'll have to find out what works for you.

[vonschnapps]

Here's a link to Rogue's Barbells, https://www.roguefitness.com/weightl...s/barbells?p=2
it's a safe bet that any of these would be fine. However, you are now entering an entirely different realm, i.e., what bar diameter, what type of knurling, black oxide or chrome, yada yada yada. For under $300, I'd recommend the Ohio Bar, don't get caught up with all the other stuff as everyone has an opinion but you'll have to find out what works for you.

Or the Rogue 2.0 Bar is also a good choice.

[tanksoldier]

Check out Rogue's boneyard for factory seconds. Good deals on nice bars.

[vobin]

Or the Rogue 2.0 Bar is also a good choice.

I was just going to ask about both of those bars. Thank you.

tanksoldier - Great to know, I will definitely check that out!

[vobin]

Looking at the Boneyard-28mm or 28.5?

[vobin]

After checking closer, I see the 28 is for Olympic lifting only and 28.5 is a multipurpose bar. I will get a 28.5, I was thinking a 28 would be easier for my smaller hands to grip, but I'm sure will be fine.

[aaronn25]

Did you end up buying these ? If so would you be willing to sell them. I would pair a fiat price for the whole set!

[lilred23]

@Vobin do you still have these Uesaka bumpers? I am willing to purchase the whole set off you as well as the change plates. Would you be willing you sell them?

[lilred23]

TomMutafis and Joontang, thanks for the info. Joontang, that is really interesting and good to know. I wondered about the 5s, I had never seen anything like them. I ended up getting the bumpers, metal plates, the squat stand and the plate holder for 400. The guy didn't want to sell just the plates. Husband was stoked.

The guy I bought them from owned a gym and when they shut down, he had 3 sets of these and these were the ones he kept, finally selling now. He said they were about 7 years old. The worst damage I can see is the picture I show on here, one of the blue plates, hopefully that is not a big deal. They seem like very solid plates and I'm glad to get them. Around here something like these are VERY hard to find used, hardly ever come up for sale and especially at a decent price. I've been watching CL for over 6 months, missed the last deal, though those plates weren't as good.

Again, thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

Edited to add: Everything I got is in the first pic. The old school squat stands in the back are Pro-Elite Fitness Systems brand and the small metal plates in front are Uesaka.

@Vobin do you still have these Uesaka bumpers? I am willing to purchase the whole set off you as well as the change plates. Would you be willing you sell them?