Helmet Life

[mauisher]

Hi Everyone,

How often do you replace your cycling helmet? I'm considering replacing my 2008 Giro Atmos helmet, which has seen a lot of miles. However, it still looks OK and hasn't been crashed. What do you think about the need to replace it? Thanks!

[Tri Girl]

I get a new helmet every 3 years whether it's been crashed or not. I don't know if that's the norm, but it's what I feel best about. I figure that all the time in the sun, the accidental drops of the helmet off the bars or whatever warrants replacing fairly frequently. I feel better about it anyway. Plus- at roughly $30 a year (for a $90 helmet replacing every 3 years), it's cheaper than most other bike maintenance and it's my brain- so I don't mind spending the money.

[OakLeaf]

The manufacturers now say three years from first wearing on some of the newer helmets, and that makes sense to me, with the increased surface area of lightweight helmets. The surfaces are what get exposed to body acids and oils, UV light, ozone, and all the other things that degrade EPS.

Neither Snell nor BHSI has revised the five-year rule that has been the recommendation since before they even had websites.

Do be aware that the clock starts from first wearing, not from manufacture, assuming a helmet has been kept in the box, not displayed in the sun and not tried on excessively. If you're buying a hat that's obviously been on the LBS shelves for a while, I probably would go from the manufacture date (and try to negotiate a discount accordingly).

So between those two ... I don't know that anyone here has the expertise to really say. I'm with TriGirl, it's my head, I've landed on it or near it enough times to not mess with it. I don't start panicking when three years have gone by, but somewhere between three and four years I'll replace it (assuming I haven't landed on it sooner ).

[Catrin]

I just replaced my lovely blue Bell from last year because it looked pretty beat up to me. I didn't have any falls with it, but it has fallen enough off of the car, in the apartment, etc. I figured it was best not to take chances. Hopefully I can take better care of my lovely new purple Bell


Not that my helmets have to match my bike or anything...

[PscyclePath]

The manufacturers say to replace helmets every three years, but then they're in the business of selling helmets, sort of like the car dealers who want you to trade in just about the time you get your old one paid down enough to be almost tolerable ;-)

Helmets are made from extruded polystyrene foam, pretty much the same stuff that those foam coffee cups are made from. It doesn't break down from exposure to sunlight, or oxygen, or much of anything else. You can dissolve it in an organic solvent, or melt it if you apply enough heat (~85 degrees C). The coffee cup you throw away today will likely be perfectly usable when they dig it out of a landfill 500 years from now, provided that you wash it up a bit.

So the foam in the helmets doesn't degrade. What I have found out is that some of the ancillary stuff, like the plastic coating on the foam might get scuffed up a bit, or more likely the headband/suspension system will wear out or get all ratty-looking.

Replace your helmet if you crash it, or you drop it in a situation where it might compress or crush the foam. Replace it if the parts start to get all ratty and worn out. Replace it if you get a better deal on a helmet that you like better. But there's not really a time limit on the foam degrading, other than when it gets crushed.

[OakLeaf]

The coffee cup you throw away today will likely be perfectly usable when they dig it out of a landfill 500 years from now, provided that you wash it up a bit.

You've obviously never done park or beach cleanup...

Those coffee cups do crumble. No telling how long they've been out there of course (within the past year I've found pop/beer can pull tabs, that haven't been used since the 70s), but they crumble.

And body acids and oils? Cosmetics/hair products/sun protection products based on vegetable or mineral oils? Various types of organic solvents...

[mauisher]

Thanks for all the input. The pads inside the helmet are all ratty and I know they're replacable, but I think I'll look for a helmet on sale! Thanks, again.

[Desert Tortoise]

My husband got a new Giro Ionos helmet and I love it. It has lots of vents and feels so light. So I got one one too in my size. He ordered his from Amazon and later, ordered mine too. They were each $117.

He asked what year the helmets were manufactured and they replied 2011. Sure enough his was May 2011.

Mine, size small, says manufactured May 2010. I checked the box and helmet, everything looks very new, packaging in tack, helmet not tried on, even has a slight new smell smell.

Giro says to replace every three years. This is 1 1/2 years old. Does anyone know if this too far back, even for a new helmet?

Thanks!

[OakLeaf]

Well, from what we now know about Amazon's warehouse, it may have been exposed to extreme heat. But I think it's primarily the body acids and oils that degrade helmets; IIRC even if the helmets were in those particular warehouses, the temperature topped out around probably 120°F.

Moto helmet manufacturers usually talk about the hats being good for five years from first wearing or seven from date of manufacture, whichever is earlier. I wouldn't worry about it (but I probably would consider warehouse conditions as another reason to buy a helmet from a LBS whenever possible - and I'd probably replace it after you've been wearing it for three years, rather than try and stretch it a year or two as a lot of people do who question why certain bici helmet manufacturers changed the limit from five years to three).

[Desert Tortoise]

Umm, I don't know about Amazon's warehouse. And the receipt says realcyclist.com. So when ordered from Amazon and there is a company listed below, doesn't it come from that company? But then, why is there free shipping on some items and not others? I don't get this system.

[OakLeaf]

Ah. Yeah, if it was another company just using Amazon's payment system, then it wouldn't have been in Amazon's warehouse. And if it's not sold by Amazon, then they don't control the shipping costs, either.

Anyway I wouldn't worry about it.

[goldfinch]

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (whoever they are) has this opinion, contrary to the so called three year rule: http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm

[Desert Tortoise]

Thanks for info and the link! That link has a lot of good information. I will refer to it when I replace my son's helmet.

I wore the helmet around the house last night. What a difference a properly fit helmet makes. It can be adjusted up and around. And it just seems so much...breezier. Of course, our cold weather has arrived but summer should be here in less than 2 months. Ok, a bit of exageration but Spring should not be in the 90s.

Anyway, thanks again for the help.

[Gypsy]

I have a question about mine. Today I noticed that the foam was perforated and it looks like it fell on my gear (the marks are perfectly spaced and little rectangles).

I read the links above and I'm not sure if those "holes" are considered damage and if I should replace the helmet?

Does anyone know? My friend suggested I take it to the LBS and ask them, but I wanted to check if anyone knew here first?

I'd be sad if it was something like that, because I don't remember the helmet falling on my bike hard enough for that to happen. But I also don't want to find myself thrown off my bike and have my helmet fail.

[OakLeaf]

I wouldn't trust it, personally, but it probably depends on exactly where the holes are, how deep they are, and what other damage it might have sustained in the fall.

Some helmet manufacturers will inspect helmets for free (moto helmets anyway, and I assume bici helmet manufacturers do the same) - of course that means sending it away, but if it's an expensive helmet you really like, you could buy a cheap one for the interim.

But ... how many marks, and are they on both sides? Is it possible they're the holes where a visor is supposed to pop in? My helmet has those even though it didn't come with a visor - I suppose that means Specialized sells the exact same liner in "road" and "MTB" trim.