Matte finish helmet - Problem?

[Fredwina]

I've got a 2005 Specialized decibel that's a Matte silver finish. Recently the matte finish has started to wear off(I've had for less than year).
I've ordered another helmet ( a pink giro animas) to replace as my primary helmet, but was wondering if I should trash the decibel, or put it on back up duty?

[Zen]

It's not that old and you haven't crashed in it but you do a lot of long rides.
Sunlight is probably the cause of the color wearing down and I wonder if that would break down the composition of the helmet itself?

I guess that's what you were asking, isn't it?

[Trek420]

I replace my helmet once a year, or every crash whichever comes first. Luckily there has been no crash in a while. But I keep the old one and usually the one before that.

It's nice to have a back up for a guest helmet or just a day when you can't find the new one .... I'd keep it.

The finish sounds like cosmetic damage only, nothing that would hurt strength/effectiveness. Enjoy your shiny new helmet but keep the old one for a while.

[boy in a kilt]

The UV will fade the paint over time, but the foam will hold together for quite a bit longer. EPS is surprsingly durable stuff.

Replacing it every year is excessive, even the helmet companies only recommend replacing it every three years and they HAVE to be paranoid because if a single helmet out of the gazillions they make every year fails due to just plain wearing out, their reputations are pretty much in the gutter.

If it's less than a year old, doesn't have any cracks or big holes in it, you should be in good shape.

If you just don't like that helmet anymore and you just wanted a new one, well, that is what it is.

[Trek420]

If you just don't like that helmet anymore and you just wanted a new one, well, that is what it is.

I'll keep the one I just got for a while, maybe two three years as the main one. Maybe I should have explained that my helmets have played part of psyching up for each AIDS ride. Buy a new helmet, train, get to the ride and deserve that number.

Once I registered for the next ride, getta clean numberless new helmet, don't the ALC number till the next ride.

Think I'll keep this one a while and slap some other stickers on it

[boy in a kilt]

I'll keep the one I just got for a while, maybe two three years as the main one. Maybe I should have explained that my helmets have played part of psyching up for each AIDS ride. Buy a new helmet, train, get to the ride and deserve that number.

Once I registered for the next ride, getta clean numberless new helmet, don't the ALC number till the next ride.

Think I'll keep this one a while and slap some other stickers on it

That is so cool. Do you keep them all as reminders? It would be really inspiring to have them all lined up and at the beginning of each year you have reminder that you earned all those old ones, you can damn skippy earn the next one.

[KnottedYet]

And then give the old helmet with the old ALC number to some cute little kid riding in your neighborhood without a good helmet!

That's my sweetie! Protecting lil' brainpans everywhere she goes!

(can you post a pic of the cutie 4-year-old who has your last helmet now?)