zwel

I know that I should replace my helmet if it has had impact or if it looks like it should be replaced, but should I replace it because of age? Does the protective material deteriorate? My helmet has a manufactured in 2002 tag inside it.

Thanks for your help.

JeffS

Snell recommends a 5-year replacement. I don't think the other groups mention it.

John E

Every 5 years is perhaps overly cautious, but I have seen 10-to-12-year old helmets start to crumble, which would probably compromise their effectiveness. Storing your helmet in a protected, clean, cool environment would probably lengthen its shelf life at least somewhat.

Da Tinker

When the pads start falling apart.

Have you noticed how many helmets no longer come with replacement pads & the manufacturers no longer sell them?

John E

Yup. The trash society and planned obsolescence win yet again!

closetbiker

This is a recurring topic and a good thread was

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...hlight=replace

You don't have to replace a helmet unless its damaged and recomondation for replacement are usually based on the damage criteria. If manafacturer sells more helmets than needed, that a bonus for them.

I remember when helmets came with no time-based recommendation for replacement , then the recomondation was for every 7 years, then it was every 5 years and now it seems the recomondation is for every 3. seeing how the basic standards, materials and construction hasn't changed much over the years I wondered what's the deal?

I checked one of the biggest helmet promotion site on the web (BHSI) and they posted

Newer helmets from the late 1980's and the 90's may or may not need replacement...Deterioration depends on usage, care, and abuse... Occasionally somebody spreads rumors that sweat and ultraviolet (UV) exposure will cause your helmet to degrade. Sweat will not do that... 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...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... Way back in the 1980's the Snell Foundation tested a [Bell] Biker for us that was about ten years old, and had yellowed from the sun. It still performed essentially like a new one at that time...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.

I emailed the BHSI for confirmation of this information and the director emailed me back and said if there were problems with older helmets not working, the BHSI would know about it, and they haven't found any problems with older helmets. The director also added he uses a helmet he bought in 1992 and considers it better than many of the newer helmets because of it's rounder design.

Bacciagalupe

FWIW, I usually replace mine every 2-3 years. Sometimes I keep the old one around as a spare. I'm sure I can get more time out of them, but I don't exactly treat my helmets with kid gloves and keep them in a convenient place rather than a protective case.

Besides, helmets aren't all that expensive, especially if you get one on sale. I rarely spend more than $50 on mine.

rabidchicken

When the style you have isn't cool anymore.

miamijim

What about helmets from the late 90's and 2000's?

trekker pete

Is it possible, make that financially feasible, to rehab old helmets by installing new styrofoam?



I have an old vetta from about 1986 which is still wearable, but, the styrofoam is pretty tired and has lost chunks.



I like this helmet because unlike today's junk with a paper thin skin, this thing has an actual shell.



Does it function better?



Dunno, but, I would hate to be in a wreck with my new helmet where I might come into contact with a sharp object. I am certain it would slice through a new lid like warm buttah. That old vetta, on the other stand would fare better, IMO.



I have actually thought about playing around with that expanding foam in a can stuff.



Wonder if this might work?



Put a tight fitting bathing cap on.

Smear vaseline or silicone on the outside.

Spray foam into helmet shell.

Plunk it on head.

Have a beer or three.

Carefully peel helmet off head.

Remove bathing cap.



After it is fully cured, cut some ventilation holes or maybe leave as is for a cold weather lid.



Viola. Custom fitted old school vetta helmet.



I think I might actually try this just out of curiosity.

dynodonn 

Even at $100 US dollars, the last helmet I purchased is still a relative bargain compared to what it could possibly save me in medical bills. I too like to keep my all my old helmets as well, I still have a couple of my custom painted/pinstriped motorcycle helmets from the 70's, but they now are not in any shape for actual use since the inside foam has severely deteriorated.

So far, at my current rate, my oldest bicycle helmet ,in use, is two and a half years old.

joshandlauri

I vote for this one, or if they come out with a full carbor fiber helmet, weighing 40 grams, my 200 gram styrofoam helmet hurts my heck..ha ha

closetbiker

well the savings in medical bills are a guess, but a guess on how much profit can be made with each sale can be found at

https://www.helmets.org/helmcost.htm

What does it cost to make a bike helmet?

Materials would be a tiny fraction: some EPS bead, a small sheet of PET, tape or glue to attach the shell, some plastic fittings for the straps including the buckle. Then there is the strap material, nylon or polypro or whatever. The total of all that is maybe in the range of 40 cents. Add another 25 cents for internal pads or more for a ring fit system.

they figure all costs (including design, marketing, overhead, quality control, third party lab certification costs, legal insurance, profits for shareholders, etc.) add up to under $5. More, if you want a more fashionable (but not any safer) model.

That's quite an incentive to sell.

cyclokitty 

My helmet is about 4 years old. It's a bmx hard shell that I've worn nearly everyday from spring until early winter and aside from the funky smelling foam visually it's in fine condition. But, I have dropped it a number of times and today I noticed a fairly deep chunk of the shell has been carved out. Odds are from the latest drop on the ground. The helmet was only $20, and I imagine it's replacement will be similar so I figure it's worth more being on the overly cautious side and I'll buy a new one this week. I'll miss my old war horse helmet. I have it decorated with stickers I've collected over the last few years. Fits really well too.

uke

I'll replace mine every three to five years.

Darkrider23

Shell or no shell helmets have to pass safety standards just like they did in the past. A thin helmet will protect you as much as a thick helmet.

dynodonn 

Irregardless of what it cost to manufacture a helmet, the retail cost of any of my helmets is pale in comparison to a trip to the ER, and if my helmet can help decrease my chances of going to the ER, so much the better. If I hit my head as hard as I did in my last bicycle fall without a helmet, it would have been a trip to the ER for sure.

Bacciagalupe

Oddly enough, I've found these kinds of estimates to be rather misleading. It's like the neophyte who sees that a Trek Madone 6.9 Pro costs $9000, assumes that 90% of it is profit, and therefore owning your very own LBS "must" be a gold mine.

The estimators don't seem to look at the financials, consider the costs of capital, debt services, facility maintenance, legal fees, taxes, tariffs, storage and inventory costs, unsold goods, or factor in the competition. Not to mention that if you want to sell your helmet as widely as possible (read: Walmart), the retailer will be pitting you against a dozen other companies for price and dictating numerous aspects of production and distribution.

I.e. to imagine that it costs only $5 or $10 to make a Giro Ionos, and to assume Giro makes $210 in profit on each and every one they make, is slightly misleading.

A better way to figure out whether it's a good business is, if possible, to see how the company overall is doing. Easton-Bell owns a few helmet manufacturers (including Giro and Bell). Net income for Q2 2008 was $14.4 million. Sounds good, right? Keep in mind, though, that Q1 net income was $2.4 million (it's a seasonal business, of course), they have $115 million in inventory, and $440 million in debts.

So, the picture is a tad more complicated than you may assume.


Sure, money usually works as an incentive. But helmet manufacturers aren't claiming to be Doctors Without Borders; they manufacture sports equipment, just like the companies that make football or hockey pads.

And it's chicken scratch compared to pharmaceuticals these days....

Indie

The only way to be sure would be to run some tests on it after you'd built it, and see if it met the same standards.

For what it's worth, using a helmet with cracked foam just because it has a good shell is like driving a car with no brakes because it has a good seatbelt. You need both components to be in good working order for maximum safety. The foam is perhaps even more important than the shell, because it's the part that absorbs impact.

The shell protects the foam from minor dings in storage and carrying. I got rid of a thin-shelled helmet because I was actually able to compress the foam through it with my thumb. There are hard-shelled helmets still around -- look into the skate-style ones instead of the commuter/roadie types.

uke

I'm waiting for it to get cold so I can order a winter helmet:

closetbiker

gee, the link says right off the top it's just an educated estimate, but they did include what you listed that they don't seem to look at and even if you didn't read the link, I posted the costs include design, marketing, overhead, quality control, third party lab certification costs, legal insurance, profits for shareholders, etc..


I've got no problem with the free market. If people want to pay it, that's the way it goes, I'd prefer to put my cash into something more productive, but that's just me. I've never been the fashionable sort.

closetbiker

fair enough, but everyone has a different risk factor.

My helmet has not a scratch on it after 21 years.

StrangeWill

I usually lost them way before my helmet pads would actually wear out.

dynodonn 

My helmets constantly get scratched from normal wear and tear, and in asking others on the cost of a ER visit, I can afford to buy a fashionable helmet every year for a decade with the same amount of money. If I add in any other expenditures, such as doctor visits, time off from work, prescriptions, I could easily afford one every year in the time of your single helmet.

closetbiker

I'd be out the price of a new bike if bought helmets to replace mine that is just fine.

Not only have I not damaged the helmet, even if I had and the helmet prevented even a minor injury (I wonder what it costs in the US for a stitch or 2?), my medical cost would be $0.

Gotta love socialized medicine!