Advocacy & Safety - Helmet

I have an Old Giro Hammerhead... It is the one with a procap cover (a cloth cover instead of the plastic(new Giro models))...

this helmet only weighs 8.5oz.(helmet specs on the box) while new Giro helmets weighs about 10-10.5oz. Its so light, I love it!

My question is, is this helmet as safe as the new ones? This has only been worn a few times and was put back in its original box.

Short answer: No.

Long version: I would worry about the foam getting brittle after so many years in storage, reducing the helmets ability to protect your head. These were good helmets in their day, but after one impact, you were left with a bag full of chunks of foam. Newer helmets will hold together after an impact, affording some protection from an impact from a different angle.

from :

http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm

"If you have one of the 1980's all-foam helmets with perhaps a cloth cover, we would recommend replacing that one. Lab tests showed some years ago that the foam doesn't skid well on pavement, and could jerk your neck in a crash. In addition, some of them had no internal reinforcing, and they tend to break up in a crash. That's not serious if you just fall, but if you are hit by a car the helmet can fly apart in the initial contact and leave you bare-headed for the crack on the pavement. "

Yea, what closetbiker said. :)

Originally posted by closetbiker
from :

http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm

"If you have one of the 1980's all-foam helmets with perhaps a cloth cover, we would recommend replacing that one. Lab tests showed some years ago that the foam doesn't skid well on pavement, and could jerk your neck in a crash. In addition, some of them had no internal reinforcing, and they tend to break up in a crash. That's not serious if you just fall, but if you are hit by a car the helmet can fly apart in the initial contact and leave you bare-headed for the crack on the pavement. "

Besides which, the style police will write you up if they catch you with one of those old helmets.

Originally posted by closetbiker
from :

http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm

"if you are hit by a car the helmet can fly apart in the initial contact"

which makes you wonder how those were approved of in the first place. There were critisisms of this happening when they were marketed in the first place and those critisisms were scoffed at.

thanks... I guess this will go back in the box.