Advocacy & Safety - When to Replace a Helmet

Not sure where to post this, so I figured I'd try it here, and if the mods want to move it they can.

Up until the mid '90s I used to do a lot of road riding, including commuting for part of the year. Always wore my helmet. Subsequently I developed some medical issues that kept me off my bike for a while, then life got in the way, etc. So, fast forward 10+ years later, I have decided to get back to riding again. Should I replace my helmet? It's never been crashed; never even been dropped. Always stored indoors in a fleece-lined helmet bag. It looks good, no scratches. The pads are still secure (it is one of those Bell helmets with the built in pump). In short, it looks and fits fine, but it is at least 15 years old. So, should I replace it?

Thanks,

KenshiBiker

You don't really need a helmet, except for specialized situations, so I would just leave it in the closet.

You don't really need a helmet, except for specialized situations, so I would just leave it in the closet.

Do you smoke cigarettes? If you don't, you ought to start. Don't believe the warnings from the Surgeon General and and other medical professionals. A pack or two a day won't do you any harm.

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute has a page on When To Replace Your Helmet (http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm).

Speedo

I wouldn't wear a cycling helmet that was more than four years old - no matter what the outward physical condition. Plastics "dry" out and become less effective then when new. And a new helmet costs about 1/30th of what an emergency room MRI costs ....

I wouldn't wear a cycling helmet that was more than four years old - no matter what the outward physical condition. Plastics "dry" out and become less effective then when new. And a new helmet costs about 1/30th of what an emergency room MRI costs ....

I've heard that claim before, and in the past it kept me buying new helmets regularly. Well, I'm no expert, but the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute says:

...

Occasionally somebody spreads rumors that sweat and ultraviolet (UV) exposure will cause your helmet to degrade. Sweat will not do that. The standards do not permit manufacturers to make a helmet that degrades from sweat, and the EPS, EPP or EPU foam is remarkably unaffected by salt water. Your helmet will get a terminal case of grunge before it dies of sweat. UV can affect the strength of the shell material, though. Since helmets spend a lot of time in the sun, manufacturers usually put UV inhibitors in the plastic for their shells that control UV degradation. If your helmet is fading, maybe the UV inhibitors are failing, so you probably should replace it. Chances are it has seen an awful lot of sun to have that happen. Otherwise, try another brand next time and let us know what brand faded on you.

At least one shop told a customer that the EPS in his three year old helmet was now "dried out." That is highly unlikely, unless the EPS is placed in an oven for some period of time and baked. The interior of your car, for example, will not do that, based on helmets we have seen and at least one lab crash test of a helmet always kept in a car in Virginia over many summers. EPS is a long-lived material little affected by normal environmental factors. Unless you mistreat it we would not expect it to "dry out" enough to alter its performance for many years.

In sum, we don't find the case for replacing a helmet that meets the ASTM or Snell standards that compelling if the helmet is still in good shape and fits you well.

Speedo

When you can smell it from across the room.

I wouldn't wear a cycling helmet that was more than four years old - no matter what the outward physical condition. Plastics "dry" out and become less effective then when new. And a new helmet costs about 1/30th of what an emergency room MRI costs ....

Ya mean a helmet negates (or even reduces) the need for an MRI or any other emergency room procedure in the event of a significent impact to the head? Who knew? :rolleyes:

When the tape holding it together gets old and starts to peel off.

a helmet with a pump deserves to be placed in a museum. get a new one, one without a pump, and put the pump in the pocket or on the frame.

When you can smell it from across the room.


I wash mine. :)

The outer shell is faded but the foam is in great shape so I'll keep it for a few more years(it's 3.5 years old now).

OP, you said something about a pump for your helmet? You have airbags in there?

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute has a page on When To Replace Your Helmet (http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm).

Speedo

I was browsing that site and ended up on a page about dog helmets (http://www.kangarooconnection.com/dogsonbicycles.html). That is hilarious!

Use it -- it sounds like it is in better shape than any other helmet on the street.

Fleece-lined helmet bag?

Did you tuck it in at night, too? :p

An interesting few sentences from "When to Replace Your Helmet":

"As new styles have become more "squared-off" and designers have begun adding unnecessary ridges and projections that may increase the sliding resistance of a helmet shell, there is good reason to stay with one of the more rounded designs of the early to mid 90's. Those round, smooth shells like the original Bell Image that Consumer Reports rated highly in 1993 are more optimal for crashing than some of the newer designs. So think twice about "moving up," and look for a rounded, smooth-shelled design when you do."

OP, you said something about a pump for your helmet? You have airbags in there?


Actually I do - sort of. Back in the day, when Michael Jordan ruled the courts, Rebok came up with (actually I'm not sure whether they actually developed it, or just marketed it) the idea of using inflatable bladders to customize the fit of basketball shoes. There was a built in pump (shaped like half of a basketball and on the top of the tongue IIRC) in the shoe. You just laced up the shoe, then gave the pump a couple of pushes and off you went. How well did it work? I dunno, never had a pair - but you can see how prevalent they are these days. Anyway, Rebok licensed the same technology to Bell, who added it to some of their bicycle helmets in place of the velcro fit pads.

Do you smoke cigarettes? If you don't, you ought to start. Don't believe the warnings from the Surgeon General and and other medical professionals. A pack or two a day won't do you any harm.

I certainly agree that a helmet is worth wearing! I wouldn't be writing this if it weren't for my now split (as in mellon) Atmos that literally saved my life back in 2005 when I was rear ended by a car at an intersection!! Bad concussion & memory loss for a few months, but thanks to the helmet I'm still here and still riding!!

I don't even sit on a bike without one now.

Also, some interesting physics to consider:

It takes 10 lbs of pressure to fracture the human skull. A fall on your head from a bike (not moving) results in 12 lbs of pressure. Do the math!!

I reolize that we all are entitled to our oppinions, but such fool hardy advice should be stricken! There are too many NEWBIES who turn to this forum for REAL advice from supposedly more informed riders.
Telling someone not to wear a helmet when the medical evidence is irrefutable is just plain wrong! If you want to be an idiot and ride without a helmet that is your perogative. Just don't encourage others to do the same!!

Yea, this topic gets me fired up!! Sorry if I offend anyone.

Replace a helmet when you crash it, or when you detect a crack in the foam. Other than that, it's a good idea to replace it after three years' or so of regular use, since sunlight can degrade the polystyrene foam that makes the helmet do what it's supposed to do.

Do you smoke cigarettes? If you don't, you ought to start. Don't believe the warnings from the Surgeon General and and other medical professionals. A pack or two a day won't do you any harm.

Engage brain: just because you can form an analogy doesn't mean it is valid. (Although such arguments do have the advantage that you can deploy them without having to actually know any facts.) The statistical evidence for the dangers of smoking is beyond question; the benefits of helmet wearing are not. To further expand upon your ignorance and over confidence, each cycling death in the UK represents 3000 years of cycling - is that really a risk level that requires protection? Even if there was evidence that helmets reduced the risk of death (which there isn't.)

Replace a helmet when you crash it, or when you detect a crack in the foam. Other than that, it's a good idea to replace it after three years' or so of regular use, since sunlight can degrade the polystyrene foam that makes the helmet do what it's supposed to do.

And how does the sun reach the foam inside the helmet..?

An interesting few sentences from "When to Replace Your Helmet":

"As new styles have become more "squared-off" and designers have begun adding unnecessary ridges and projections that may increase the sliding resistance of a helmet shell, there is good reason to stay with one of the more rounded designs of the early to mid 90's. Those round, smooth shells like the original Bell Image that Consumer Reports rated highly in 1993 are more optimal for crashing than some of the newer designs. So think twice about "moving up," and look for a rounded, smooth-shelled design when you do."

Only a handful of modern helmets can still meet the old Snell B.90 cert. Impact resistance levels have been dumbed down because people are too lazy and stupid to check them - "If it's helmet shaped it's gotta protect me - believing anything is like believing cigarettes don't cause cancer!" Lower cert helmets are cheaper to make and easier to make look cool. When I came back from a break from cycling I expected helmets to have improved from being marginally useful to pretty good - me and my faith in the human race!

I certainly agree that a helmet is worth wearing! I wouldn't be writing this if it weren't for my now split (as in mellon) Atmos that literally saved my life back in 2005 when I was rear ended by a car at an intersection!! Bad concussion & memory loss for a few months, but thanks to the helmet I'm still here and still riding!!

If the helmet split then the liner didn't compress and you didn't actually benefit. Read
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1019.html and stop spouting nonsense.




Also, some interesting physics to consider:

It takes 10 lbs of pressure to fracture the human skull. A fall on your head from a bike (not moving) results in 12 lbs of pressure. Do the math!!


Speaking ex officio as a Dude With A Physics Degree: this is bollocks. Pressure isn't measure in pounds, and a fall from a given height doesn't result in a fixed pressure - that's a function of impact area and rigidity. And if a fall was hard enough to crack a skull, then even the highest certification bicycle helmet would fail. Well, street helmet - I haven't looked at the BMX stuff.



I reolize that we all are entitled to our oppinions, but such fool hardy advice should be stricken! There are too many NEWBIES who turn to this forum for REAL advice from supposedly more informed riders.


You know absolutely nothing. In fact you know less, because what you think you know is not just against all scientific and engineering opinion (no helmet manufacturer would dispute that your split helmet did NOT operate) but also shamefully ignorant - a schoolboy should know better than to talk pounds of pressure!



Telling someone not to wear a helmet when the medical evidence is irrefutable is just plain wrong! If you want to be an idiot and ride without a helmet that is your perogative. Just don't encourage others to do the same!!


..And the reason that your helmet didn't work may well be that you didn't know enough to wear it correctly. Most people don't, and you do seem particularly ignorant.


Yea, this topic gets me fired up!! Sorry if I offend anyone.

Stop blathering and read

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/papers/c2023.pdf

Personally, I'd replace it. I feel that helmet technology has made some leaps forward. For instance, with the "in-molded shell" the helmet no longer explode into pieces when it hits the ground. Newer designs also have better head restraints to keep the helmet better positioned on your head, and they are cooler, meaning that they do a better job at keeping your head cool.

Anything over $30 will be a huge improvement over the state of the art 10 years ago.

Just wear your old one. If these recommendation about replacement every 3 years is right then bike helmets should come with expiration date.

Oh that's right it's the direct sunlight that will degrade it not just sitting in the shop. :rolleyes:

a helmet with a pump deserves to be placed in a museum. get a new one, one without a pump, and put the pump in the pocket or on the frame.Wrong type of pump. The pump is for helmet fit, not putting air in tires.

You don't really need a helmet, except for specialized situations, so I would just leave it in the closet.Not even close to an answer to his question.

I wouldn't replace a perfect helmet. But I am sure the helmet manufacturers would like you to replace it every so often whether it is used or not.

You really got fired up don't you! I guess you like to argue a lot.

Excuse me: you're the person who posted saying that no one had a right to disagree with you, although you're completely ignorant of the subject. What sort of response can you expect? What sort of reponse can be worse than yours? What sort of reponse do you think you deserve beyond contempt?



First, By split, I didn't mean it actually came apart. The inner part cracked most of the way through after taking the impact of me falling and taking the initial impact with my head.
Then you should have said that.



Second, it was a new Giro Atmos and functioned fine because I am still here to respond to your post.
This is logic that isn't. I'm an ex-courier; I know a bunch of couriers who survived accidents without helmets - can we attribute their survival to being helmetless, reducing (as being helmetless does) the chances of rotational injury?

The answer is no. Because death in a bike accident is rare - the typical outcome of an accident like you described is concussion and that's what you got.



Third, the helmet was fitted and worn properly! Please don't assume because I disagree with you that I am an idiot!!
I'm not assuming that you're an idiot. I ***know*** that you're an "idiot" (I would have chosen a more tactful expression) because your grasp of basic physics would shame a 14 year old and your logical ability (as demonstrated above) is on a par with Hellen Keller's colour sense. More than that, a non-"idiot" would have responded to your accident not by assuming that his helmet saved him, but by checking helmet standards and technology to see if he could have had a better helmet that would saved him for concussion! You didn't mention certification levels, so you didn't, so again, you are an "idiot". (You were almost certainly wearing a non Snell B.90 helmet - if a lesser helmet did benefit you, then a Snell 90 helm might have saved you entirely...) Finally, you demanded that no one who disagrees with you should be allowed to do so publicly - this is as "idiot" as idiot gets.

Idiots assume; non-idiots check facts. Idiots yell and demand that their opponents be silenced; non-idiots debate, reason, and share research.



Fourth, what I said about lbs of pressure was told to me by a physician who works in a shock trauma center where they see way too many head injuries from idiots not wearing helmets (bikes and motor cycles alike). I hope you won't tell me that a fall at a given speed of a bicycle is any different than a fall off a motorcycle at the same speed.
Yes, I will, ***because bicycle accidents that happen at motorbike speeds reach that velocity because of interaction with a car***. And that adds a rotational component which changes the nature of the injury. I know this because I bothered to read the technical literature on the subject instead of deciding whatever I first thought of had to be correct. (Another difference betweeb "idiots" and non-idiots.)

And, obviously, you haven't read the data sheet with your helmet - or the links I gave you - that say it is only good for accidents at up to 12-15 mph and which don't don't involve a car. Outside of these limits you might as well be wearing a straw boater.

As for what the physician "said" about pounds of pressue - I doubt it; being an "idiot" you misunderstood.



I don't have a physics degree, but I think speed is the same no mater what mode of transportation is being used.
Well, you were wrong about that...



Lastly, learn to use the english language correctly or at least spell check your work!
"Lastly, learn to use the english language correctly" - to typo is human, to appoint oneself as an Agent Of The Grammar Police and to fail to capitalize correctly is the act of (your expression) an "idiot".

If you don't want to people to assume you're an idiot in future, do perform research, don't demand that no one disagree with you, do show that you graduated high school.

Originally Posted by wlevey

Where is the post from wlevey that you are quoting? Since he certainly sounds like how you describe him, it would only be fair to read what he actually wrote in total. You wouldn't be responding to a PM, would you?

I don't know about anyone else but here's what I think about when it's time to replace a helmet:

1. If I should crash and my head hits something upon impact, I replace the helmet. The helmet does its job in reducing the impact as well as preventing and/or reducing injury. However, the helmet may become compromised in the process.

2. If I don't crash with the helmet I'm wearing, the elements of temperature can change the helmet over time. At the end of each day's ride, I store the helmet in a closet or other suitable place where temperature changes cannot affect it.

3. I replace my helmet every four or five years. After this time materials in the helmet have been known to wear away or even break.

4. I don't replace a helmet for the sake of fashion or to help make a sale at the LBS.

3. I replace my helmet every four or five years. After this time materials in the helmet have been known to wear away or even break.



If this is true then you have major lawsuits since I don't remember any helmets with warnings.

Like most here, I'll replace a helmet if it receives a hard impact if I happen to fall off my bike, shows signs of excessive wear/deterioration, or if a better designed version comes along.

I must admit, I will buy a helmet for fashion's sake, but it's my money, and since I like to wear helmets I might as well spend it on something that tickles my fancy.