fourwinds

I'm returning to biking after some years away. When I've been test riding bikes the salesepeople have told me I really should replace my helmet. One said the glue gets old so if you're in an accident the helmet shatters. Another told me the foam degrades so won't provide the same protection. I don't see any evidence of damage or wear in my helmet. Is it hard sell or truth?

I-Like-To-Bike

Hard sell, based on promoting/goosing helmet sales.

If helmets really significantly degrade with no visible evidence, they are even less useful as a safety device than believed by many.

ridelikeaturtle

I'd say there's some element of truth to this, with a big caveat: the "hard sell" comes with spending €150 when you really only need to spend €50. Anything beyond fitting well and being comfortable is fluff - it could be important fluff, like the number of vents or how easy the adjustment or strap works; and of course, the color!

But can the salesperson point to any independent testing that empirically shows a degradation in helmet effectiveness over time, something not simply a manufacturer's recommendations? Probably not, and as far as I can see, there's not much (if anything) out there.

In any accident, your helmet will "shatter", absorbing G-forces, and will (obviously) need to be replaced.

Less obvious: how often has your helmet bumped against the desk, a wall, the floor? This would fall under "improper use" and would degrade your helmet, and these events are more likely to occur the longer you have your helmet. Also, how much exposure to weather has your helmet endured (temp changes, moisture, humidity, etc.)? This would likely degrade your helmet.

To what degree that affects how well your helmet will protect you in a crash, is a guess.

Given the low cost of a new helmet, it's not a huge expense to get a new one, if you've had your current helmet for 5 or more years. Many manufacturers recommend replacement after 3, some 5.

prathmann

There's the study published in Biomechanical Engineering based on studying 675 old used helmets up to 26 years old and comparing crush data with how those helmet models performed originally. The conclusion was that there was only very minimal degradation in performance over time and almost all of the helmets still met the standards.
EPS Foam Liner Performance With Age

fourwinds

Very interesting testing shows minimal degradation. So the manufacturer's recommendation seems like a CYA and of course aims to up the sales.

Hokiedad4

Depending on the age of your helmet, it may not meet current standards. Check for an ASTM or Snell sticker.

I also find that my new helmet is way more comfortable than the one it replaced.

canklecat

Your old helmet is probably safe, but inspect it carefully. Depends on storage conditions. Many plastics will degrade faster when exposed to sun, heat, ozone, etc.

I've seen plastics degrade frighteningly when exposed to ozone from malfunctioning home and office electronics. One of my elderly neighbors was a chain smoker. Residue from her heavy smoking left a sticky film over every surface. While visiting her one day I heard her TV crackling. She complained about poor reception. I turned the TV around to inspect it and the plastic shell crumbled apart in many hands! Her smoking residue had gummed up the electronics and it was spewing ozone that destroyed the TV's own plastic shell. I threw it away and gave her my old Sony portable that still worked fine for free cable and antenna TV. I inspected the rest of the electronics in her apartment to be sure there were no imminent fire disasters waiting to happen, but she didn't have much besides the TV.

There's no telling what that amount of ozone was doing to her health, but she was a tough old bird and may have had immunity from being work-hardened, tanned and pickled.

That was a pretty extreme case. I've seen plastics yellowed and bulged from ozone before but never anything like that.

Me, I'd get a new helmet just because there are plenty of good quality helmets heavily discounted. Nashbar and other online retailers often discount new/old stock Bell and other familiar brand helmets for around $20. These helmets are usually already two or three years old. I got my low end Bell Solar helmet from Nashbar for $20 in 2015 and it was already a year or two "out of date". Good basic helmet, but lacks the external plastic shell to completely protect the softer "styrofoam" from dents and dings in the back and lower edges. For $25-$50 you can buy heavily discounted higher end Bell, Giro and other new/old stock helmets. Check Nashbar, Jenson, Performance, Niagara, many others.

CliffordK

HOW OLD is your helmet?

10 years? 20 years? 30 years? 40 years?

I'd probably just use what you have, depending on your riding. If you really get back into the riding, then perhaps try an update.

One of the biggest recent changes is MIPS that wasn't around a decade ago. Expensive, but coming down in price.

So, not necessarily "old", unless you get to the extremes, but new ones may be "better"

I've also got strap mounted taillights on one of my helmets. They eat up the little button batteries, but are at least better than nothing.

CB HI

Can you point to any government agency with a mandatory helmet law, that fines cyclist for using an older helmet not having a newer ASTM or Snell sticker?

OP is just fine with his old helmet. All my Hawaii helmets are old 10+ years, the helmet I bought while in Colorado for 2 years is 3 years old.

kickstart

My instinct is it's a hard sell, but one time when buying a new motorcycle, they said that in good conscious they couldn't let me use the old helmet I brought, and handed me a new helmet gratis.

If it's a decade or two old, then it's probably a reasonable suggestion.

Myosmith

Plastics, especially expanded foams, degrade with time (more accurately with ozone and UV exposure). Helmet manufacturers may say replace your helmet every 2-4 years but unless you store it in the sun on top of an electrical generator, a decade or so is probably reasonable. More important is that materials, designs and manufacturing methods have advanced, so if you are looking at a 20 year old helmet, it might be worth replacing just for that reason. Of course, if the helmet has been through a hard impact, it should be replaced.

Good helmets can be had relatively inexpensively, there are a lot of quality models in the $35-50 range, a few decent ones even cheaper. Looking at a 10-year lifespan it's a pretty small investment, so unless you are really seriously strapped for funds, there's no reason not to replace your helmet every few years just to be on the safe side. Not counting my winter helmet, I have two helmets that I keep around, my newer helmet for daily riding (on its second year now) and the one it replaced (about six years old), which I keep in a bag with an old pair of cycling gloves that I keep in the back of the truck for impromptu test rides and as back up in case my primary helmet gets damaged. The helmet that was a predecessor to these two was donated to a bike co-op still in decent condition and still better than nothing for someone who genuinely can't afford a new helmet. None of my helmets are expensive models but all of my current helmets are SNELL approved.

FBinNY 

A key "problem" with bike stuff is that much of lasts too long. If the industry depended on only selling the first copy then replacing what wears out or brakes, i would shrink considerably.

So, like with computers and cell phones, great effort is put into convincing you to trade up to something somehow better (which it may well be) before you might if left to your own initiative.

The helmet is a good example. There's good evidence that it's protection doesn't degrade over time or, if so, it's very slight. But helmet makers can't wait until you bat it up, so folks need to convince you to replace it.

Of course the new helmet may be better in the sense that's lighter, more comfortable, has a nicer retention system, and so on. But the fact of the matter is that the mandatory standards that define protection haven't changed in 20+ years, and though a new helmet may have certain advantages, you shouldn't let folks use false fears to talk you into buying a new one until you ready.

kickstart

About 15 years ago, I was going through some old boxes, and found my first helmet from the early 80's, it was in bad shape. The foam pads were crumbling, the foam shell had splits, and the outer shell was heavily crazed.

Chris0516

Some will say I am full of bologna, when I agree with the salespeople. Just for a different reason.

If you ever had an accident in a helmet where you hit your head. The protection inside the helmet gets' compromised as a result of a crash where you hit your head. The protection inside the helmet will not 'bounce back' to its' previous effectiveness. It will stay compromised.

That will heighten the possibility of it shattering. Even if it is not beginning to separate at the seams.

Cyclist0084

The helmet I use most often, which I've had now going on three years, doesn't have an ASTM or Snell sticker in it, but only because my sweaty hair rubbed it off due to frequent use last summer. So in this instance, the absence of a sticker would not be a good determining factor as to how old my helmet actually is.

churnman

IMHO and as an ex-retailer who hates hard sell. I had an accident that almost killed me last season, out for 2 days and 3 weeks hospitalized. The age of the helmet was at least 10 years and the foam did appear to be degrading but it saved my life.


Found a new replacement for my XXL head and it is the best fitting one I have owned in 30 years.


Funds for certified helmets are never mis-spent. My new helmet was >$80 and I hope I will never need it.

genec

I find it somewhat amazing that we are discussing the spending of 50 to 80 bucks to protect your noggin... hell folks shell out 20 bucks for crappy baseball hats all the time.

MRT2

Depends on the number of years we are talking about, and maybe how it was stored.. I just had this conversation with my wife's best friend. She has been riding with us consistently for about 2 years, and rides a fairly old helmet. So I ask, when she bought that helmet. Don't know, she says. Maybe 10 years or more. So I tell her about foam and plastic degrading. Finally, I say she will never know for sure if her helmet is past it until she falls on her head. And if money is a concern, there are helmets you can buy on sale for $25 or less, so no excuse taking a chance.

Long story short. She bought a helmet on Nashbar using one of their 30% off coupons.

wphamilton

The glue holds the skin on, and doesn't otherwise prevent the helmet from shattering.

Egregiously false. The foam degrades so little, sans contact with certain chemicals, that it's a non-issue for years, and probably decades. Your helmet may be ratty and deserves retirement, but your salespeople are full of it.

phoebeisis

Any helmet-almost any-
provides a more protection than NO HELMET.
Now this even includes those laughable POS dinky hair covering things the pros used to wear 30-40 years ago-
They are mostly for low speed falls impacts
you know-get your feet tangled in toe clips-and tumble over bang your head on tha asphalt or curb-few fps impact-
wearing a helmet-barely matters-concussion at most
-NO HELMET- cracked skull-neurosurgery maybe die-brain damage
so just wear the most comfortable one-one you will actually wear-
I wear a $25 bell something or other i bought 15 years ago-5000 rides
Geez they-helmets-are goofing looking-but I'm short old(66) overweight so hardly matters
If the foam is crumbling- or obviously brittle DON'T wear it
buy a cheap new one that is comfortable
Luck
Charlie
PS If you ever find a NOT GOOFLY LOOKING HELMET- let us know(as long as it is under $40 or so-yes i am cheap too)

Camilo

It seems like you are debunking the sales person's hard sell to replace an old helmet, but then conclude by repeating the typical selling point that the manufacturers themselves recommend replacement after 3-5 years, without any substantiating evidence.

The question isn't the cost. If you believe in helmets, it's absolutely true that the cost is not or should not be a factor. The question is are bike shop sales people - and the manufacturers - trying to sell helmets on false pretenses. Why should you buy something just because some self-interested person or company tells you that you should?

My helmet's 8 or more years old. It shows no sign of damage or degradation to the foam or shell. I've replaced the pads and the new pads are pristine. The straps are in excellent shape because I clean them a couple of time a year.

I have no intention of replacing a perfectly good helmet until someone shows me actual independent evidence that there can be meaningful hidden degradation or damage - I mean degradation or damage that can't be detected by a normal person without any special knowledge or instruments (i.e. a normal helmet user).

The helmet scare in general is marketing BS. The danger implied by the selling of helmets as being necessary bicycling equipment is way overblown for the sake of selling every single cyclist a helmet. The helmet replacement recommendations are the same.

I-Like-To-Bike

^ Selling Helmet Kool-Aid: The Hard Sell Way ^

Unseen degradation requiring replacement? = More of the same, for the same reason.

ridelikeaturtle

This is a decision you need to make, not one you base solely on what you read here, as you are a) the one who is wearing your helmet, and b) you know more about your helmet's history than anyone else.

Do you know with certainty your helmet has not been dinged, bumped, kicked or dropped, even accidentally?

Knowing how a bicycle helmet works, that it's a one-time use and is ineffective after the first impact, should influence your decision. (It always surprises me how many people don't "get" this. Maybe you're one of these people, maybe not, we cannot know.)

Time alone may not be a significant factor in the need to replace a bike helmet. Great link to research, by the way, was provided after my first post. Here's another good link (it even references the MEA Forensic research), with a summary at the top for those who are in a hurry: When to Replace a Helmet?

But time, *along with other factors*, may necessitate the need to reconsider buying a new one.

It's not completely "black and white", and no one here can know what your helmet has gone through -- if it was made in 1956, used as a flowerpot by your wife, or starred in a home movie of semi-professional skateboarding by your teenage kids.

Go ahead and dismiss the salesperson's rationale, or not. Believe in a giant conspiracy by helmet manufacturers if you want. We (this forum) are just throwing in our 2 cents and experience; you need to make up your own mind.

wphamilton

I acknowledge that it's reasonable to not take my unvarnished opinion on it. But there IS some real data on this.

Age Does Not Affect the Material Properties of Expanded Polystyrene Liners in Field-Used Bicycle Helmets.

"Six dependent variables were determined from the stress-strain curve derived from each impact (yield strain, yield stress, elastic modulus, plateau slope, energy at 65% compression, and stress at 65% compression), and a general linear model was used to assess the effect of age on each dependent variable with density as a covariate. Age did not affect any of the dependent variables;"

There is some UV degradation as per https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4320144/ but what that doesn't explain is that the photo-degradation is entirely on the surface, and to such a depth as to amount to, literally, a layer of dust. This part isn't really even questionable.

mrodgers

This is why you don't listen to any salesman. There is no glue other than maybe some adhesive to hold the hard plastic outer shell on. EPS is steam molded into shape.

EPS will break down with UV rays, so you wouldn't want the foam to be stored in direct sunlight. It would probably be best to get a new helmet after many years.