Life of a shell/foam MTB helmet?
Discussion
How long before you should bin them (given no damage?) I had a long spell not riding & although my lid is in perfect condition it has been sat in a box in the wardrobe for 7 years. I am resigned to the fact I should bin it and get a new one, but when the wifey moans at me spending again & need some ammo to throw back LOL
I think you're being a little bit silly! Being sat in your wardrobe for seven years isn't really going to degrade your (bike) helmet now is it - it's not exactly comparable, for example, to seven years exposure to the elements cycling across the Gobi desert which would've rendered the helmet pretty useless!
I know that motorbike helmets are supposed to be replaced every 4 or 5 years, but I think that's mainly due to exposure to the elements and UV light affecting the casing. I don't think that applies to cycling helmets, so you should be fine. In any case, I doubt there's much UV in your cupboard.
Of course, if you WANT a new one, I'm sure you could justify it. :-)
Of course, if you WANT a new one, I'm sure you could justify it. :-)
Replaced mine the other day after 9 years. i hadn't had any major offs, but quite a few minor ones. Coupled with scratches and scrapes from things like low branches it looked a bit of a state.
I'm a lot more precious with my motorbike helmets, but I rationalise that due to the higher speeds, harder landings and more dangerous environment. The stats of friends injured whilst cycling / mtbing vs friends injured motorbiking do not support this viewpoint
I'm a lot more precious with my motorbike helmets, but I rationalise that due to the higher speeds, harder landings and more dangerous environment. The stats of friends injured whilst cycling / mtbing vs friends injured motorbiking do not support this viewpoint
scubadude said:
On the other hand- cycling helmets are dirt cheap these days compared to what they used to cost, if you know for sure your missus hasn't knocked it off the cupboard shelf in those 7yrs then use it but a single drop will have rendered it useless.
That's complete and utter b
ks - a fall from a cupboard shelf to the floor will not render a bicycle helmet useless, I expect the helmet suffers much more "trauma" than this during the shipping process from the manufacturer to the retailler and to your home after you've bought it. Come on people, it's a bicycle helmet not an ancient vase from the Ming dynasty!7Llewelyn said:
That's complete and utter bks - a fall from a cupboard shelf to the floor will not render a bicycle helmet useless, I expect the helmet suffers much more "trauma" than this during the shipping process from the manufacturer to the retailler and to your home after you've bought it. Come on people, it's a bicycle helmet not an ancient vase from the Ming dynasty!
I always wear a Ming* dynasty vase on my head on the commute. Risk compensation ya see: any mistake and I'll write off a priceless vase, so I ride more sensibly. Sort of like the 'nine-inch spike on the steering column' idea.ks - a fall from a cupboard shelf to the floor will not render a bicycle helmet useless, I expect the helmet suffers much more "trauma" than this during the shipping process from the manufacturer to the retailler and to your home after you've bought it. Come on people, it's a bicycle helmet not an ancient vase from the Ming dynasty!- I lie: it's actually Han dynasty.
paranoid airbag said:
I always wear a Ming* dynasty vase on my head on the commute. Risk compensation ya see: any mistake and I'll write off a priceless vase, so I ride more sensibly. Sort of like the 'nine-inch spike on the steering column' idea.
I only wear my priceless vase helmets when I'm riding on my own, and a normal helmet when I'm in a group. - I lie: it's actually Han dynasty.
You know what they say: strength in numbers, Han solo.
7Llewelyn said:
That's complete and utter bks - a fall from a cupboard shelf to the floor will not render a bicycle helmet useless, I expect the helmet suffers much more "trauma" than this during the shipping process from the manufacturer to the retailler and to your home after you've bought it. Come on people, it's a bicycle helmet not an ancient vase from the Ming dynasty!
Sorry but that ^^^ is nonsense.ks - a fall from a cupboard shelf to the floor will not render a bicycle helmet useless, I expect the helmet suffers much more "trauma" than this during the shipping process from the manufacturer to the retailler and to your home after you've bought it. Come on people, it's a bicycle helmet not an ancient vase from the Ming dynasty!If you drop a helmet (unboxed with no head in it) from the top of a cupboard (6ft+) it will be damaged- FACT, you might not see it, could be interal damage in the polystyrene structure but you'll never know.
During shipping helmets are inside boxes, (which is normally inside a couple of other boxes)
The difference in shock inside the helmet between a small drop unpacked and a similar or larger fall correctly boxed is considerable.
(In my previous employment we spent months shipping goods with G-meters inside to confirm what the average shocks where so future packaging and products could be designed to withstand this (as it was the greatest shock loading they'd experience in their lifetime.) Properly packed goods get surprisingly little shock compared to poorly or unpacked items)
Bearing in mind we're talking about something costing as little as £20 to protect your brain is it worth messing about?
Scubadude please can you show me the scientific tests and documentation (by way of a http link) that prove what you're saying is indeed FACT. What you're writing just defies logic and common sense in my opinion. If it was true bicycle helmets wouldn’t be “fit for purpose” as minor knocks and stress are to be expected in normal MTB usage and when new they’d be packaged in hermetically sealed thick bubble wrap to ensure they hadn't be rendered useless, (which in your opinion could be invisible), before they'd even been used in anger!
Your statement that the polystyrene structure could be ruined internally but the outer surface would appear undamaged also is also untrue as the material doesn’t behave in this manner. The dense polystyrene used in the manufacture of cycling helmets has almost zero flexibility and doesn’t “spring back into shape” hiding internal damage; a major impact would result in a permanent indentation at the very least but more likely visible surface cracking at the impact site.
I suspect you either work for Giro or Bell and are perpetuating an urban myth to assure future sales or you’re taking an “old wives’ tale” as gospel.
Your statement that the polystyrene structure could be ruined internally but the outer surface would appear undamaged also is also untrue as the material doesn’t behave in this manner. The dense polystyrene used in the manufacture of cycling helmets has almost zero flexibility and doesn’t “spring back into shape” hiding internal damage; a major impact would result in a permanent indentation at the very least but more likely visible surface cracking at the impact site.
I suspect you either work for Giro or Bell and are perpetuating an urban myth to assure future sales or you’re taking an “old wives’ tale” as gospel.
scubadude said:
On the other hand- cycling helmets are dirt cheap these days compared to what they used to cost, if you know for sure your missus hasn't knocked it off the cupboard shelf in those 7yrs then use it but a single drop will have rendered it useless.
What!? god some ste gets spouted around here. OP it will be fine, if it's a case of is this outdated I need another new shiny helmet then by all means carry on but please don't bin it because it has been sitting unused.scubadude said:
Sorry but that ^^^ is nonsense.
If you drop a helmet (unboxed with no head in it) from the top of a cupboard (6ft+) it will be damaged- FACT, you might not see it, could be interal damage in the polystyrene structure but you'll never know.
How will it be damaged, and how will that damage effect it's ability to protect you in a crash? If you drop a helmet (unboxed with no head in it) from the top of a cupboard (6ft+) it will be damaged- FACT, you might not see it, could be interal damage in the polystyrene structure but you'll never know.
My last helmet lasted about 8 years and quite a few crashes/drops and it still protected my head just fine when I had a big enough crash to break it. When your helmet looks like this, then it is broken.
found this http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm
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