I was wearing one BITD (Bell Biker - qualifies easily for this forum). Had "the crash". Wish I had been wearing a modern helmet as I suffered real injury from the rebound of my skull inside the helmet from both the shell and foam being too hard. But I lived and am not a vegetable. I did go to a neurosurgical IC, spent 5 days there in a coma and years rebuilding my life. And have memories of wandering around my post-IC unit, looking into rooms of patients in far worse condition. No helmet - if I was lucky, I could have been one of them.

The modern helmets are far better, even the cheap ones. The new slip technologies, MIPS being the most prominent, reduce injury from the head being twisted around by the helmet while sliding on the road. I haven't planted a helmet since I got my first MIPS so I haven'[t tested the technology but I will stick with it or equivalent.

As a first user, go to a store that carries several brands. Try them on and study the fit. Like shoes, different manufacturers tend to cater towards different head shapes. Most can be adjusted either with foam pads and velcro or an adjustable band but a good basic match to your head goes a long ways for comfort. Bring any cap or hat you are likely to wear under the helmet. I buy mine large enough to fit a slim wool winter hat under.

There are knowledgeable cyclists in 2022 who don’t wear helmets?

Go figure…:foo:

Phew!! I snuck in while the thread was still C & V! Just barely. With my post about a helmet that truly was C & V.

Just like every year before 1985. "Go figure."

I've never fallen off my Catrike Expedition. I doubt that I ever will. I doubt that I will ever wear a helmet.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2a31b8b726.gif
My preferred brain bucket

I guess if my head was at bumper height I wouldn't waste money on a helmet either.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9c214c6783.jpg
I took this photo at a distance out of respect for the victim. In the distance is an ambulance an a firetruck at a skatepark I pass nearly everyday. Up close I saw some EMTs working down in one of the bowls and bringing a gurney. I hope the kid was wearing a helmet, but had the sick feeling they weren't

I always wear my helmet. My much-fitter-than-me boss was riding a gravel trail this year with his sister, who hit a pothole at a good clip, flipped over the bike, and ended up in the hospital with broken wrists if i recall....wearing a helmet minimized the impact to her skull.
My sister doesnt like to wear a helmet for short rides; i simply refuse to ride with her unless she does!

It might be their way of achieving a solo ride.

haha no not really. I just got her cycling again and she’s just starting her journey. Normally she rides very short 1-2km rides, but last year I helped her fulfill a 20 year old bet and she managed a >40km ride with a head wind the entire way. :)

Helmet Resurrection
 

I really like my helmet: lightweight & great air flow. After years of sweating in it, it was becoming less comfortable.

I was going to purchase a new one but instead purchased replacement pads off Amazon.

It’s like I have a new helmet for $5.

Except...you don't. The conventional wisdom says that after several years the composite breaks down and it loses it's integrity. I'm going through a similar situation with a motorcycle helmet I have.

The conventional “wisdom” is a myth. Old bike helmets don’t lose their protection capability.

Big helmet strikes again!

I hope you've been rinsing that sweat off your helmet after every ride. Otherwise you might need a new helmet just to rid yourself of the funky smell about you.

I use moleskin tape to replace worn-out pads and also to make the helmet fit better to my noggin.

Depends how old. Some older helmets don't have UV inhibitors to protect the shell and then shell breaks down and becomes brittle over time from UV exposure.

Follow the science:

https://helmets.org/replace.htm

Good thread.
Helmets are about as variable as anything designed for human use. My activities almost all have helmets as a major element of safety/protection.
'Science' as relates to educating, testing or discovering is an important thing, but it's not infallible. It is limited in scope because there's no way to completely cover the complexity of 'real' life/situations. So we need to make our decisions, with the aid of science findings.
Maybe you've seen, as I have, that quite strong/dense packaging foam deteriorates fairly quickly with just some short term time in the sun/environment. So it's not really a long life material.
Sure, it's covered and protected by a shell - but not completely. The environmental conditions still affect the primary 'cushioning' material.
Given 'science', the balance of various expert recommendations, good fit and comfort, wear and tear, I tend to keep my helmets for a while. But I'd rather 'retire' a helmet, than 'Test' the longevity while in actual 'use'.
And I do a couple things to encourage 'longevity'. A Helmet used for 4-5 rides gets a 'shower' with me, and a tiny bit of shampoo for the pads. I have 5 cycling helmets in use at any one period.
They vary for type of coverage, a few have either fixed visor and 2 have a flexible, flip up/down visor for those rides when low sun is probable. Helmets for when most ventilation is needed and helmets for cooler rides. Rotating helmets gives them longer life spans.
Given the difficulty of me finding a good fitting helmet, I'll buy 2 when one proves to be excellent - and put the 2nd in my closet, for later use.
I'm not one who needs 'new' every year, or even 2, 3 or 4 yrs, but I have replaced pads, especially the forehead pad - that one seems to go south, sooner.
It's your ride... and your head.
Ride On
Yuri

I had an earnest LBS associate tell me if my helmet was over five years old, I had to replace it. I pointed out that the helmet I was holding had a build date of six months before and asked if she'd prorate the price. She blinked twice and said helmets age differently in the shop. ;)

Virginia Tech Five-star rating, now $9.95

https://helmetsrus.net/bike-helmets/...-graphics.html

​​​​​​https://helmets.org/up2103.htm

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/...8.2021.1929943

Mein Gott, how long would that take? 3000 years?