Cracked helmet... Replace?
 

I got to work this morning and through a small comedy of errors managed to drop my helmet onto a concrete floor from the height of a tabletop... There's a small crack in the Polestyrene bit right at the front, but no damage to the shell. Its only visible to the eye if I flex the helmet with my hands. But its still compromised.

I'm thinking I'm gonna have to replace it right?

Whaddya reckon folks?

replace it

^yes

Uh. lol

Much cheaper to replace than your skull!

Well his skull isn't cracked yet.

YET being the operative word in that sentence! Replace it!

I have a helmet cracked in the back from dropping it last year. It is sitting on a shelf as my backup, and I bought a new one. I would suggest that a cracked helmet is better than nothing, but a cracked helmet should be relegated to emergency only use (if any).

eh, the health insurance will cover the cost of a new skull. just keep the helmet.



ok, that was a joke. I agree. replace the helmet.

You were kidding, right! I certainly hope so. I bet the helmet's 10 years old if you are asking a question like that for real.

Mezza, the concervative answer is, "Replace it." I agree with those before me who said to use it in lieu of NO helmet, but then relegate it to emergency use only once it is replaced. These helmets are intended to absorb the forces of a single impact and then be discarded. Of course that impact presumes your entire weight falling on it, and not just the weight of the helmet alone. Therefore, the miser in me says that the helmet has still 99% of its energy absorbing capacity intact. So balance that into the equation; but consider that your head is a lot more valuable than the helmet and that the fact that the helmet cracked suggests that it is not strong enough to rely on with your head inside, even before the drop. Is it a good brand? Is it less than five years old? Polystyrene Foam has a five year lifespan after which it can not be considered strong enough to protect you reliably, even with no collisions. How old is it anyway? If it is older than five years, it should be replaced anyway.

Better to have a cheap NEW helmet every five years than get a really expensive helmet which you rely on for 20 years because it would break your budget to replace it every five years.

Bottom line: if it cracked from being dropped just a few feet without any weight inside it, consider that a warning that it is not strong enough to be used on your head. If it is less than five years old, consider a different brand in the future. If it is older than five years, just replace it, it was past its use-life anyway, and the crack proves it.

Safe riding to you!

depending on age and brand, the company may have a replacement policy that would help you get another cheaper than buying it new. Might want to look into that.

At least your head was not in the helmet when you dropped it. :p

Use it as an excuse to upgrade.

keep both, use the new one for outdoors, and the cracked one in case you have an accident on your trainer. :)

Thanks for the thoughts guys.

I'll replace it. The reason I asked is that it seems like such an insignificant crack... But, I know, replace.

Also, its only a year old. Damn, gonna have to spend some $.