Should I Replace My Helmet?
07-27-21, 07:40 PM
#26
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More recent analyses suggest that is unnecessarily frequent...Which many have long suspected, given that the recommendation came from the helmet manufacturers.
If your helmet shows no visible damage or other loss of integrity, and has not been impacted, it's fine. Now, it might still make sense to replace it occasionally in order to take advantage of improvements (e.g., MIPS), but an undamaged older helmet is fine.
If your helmet shows no visible damage or other loss of integrity, and has not been impacted, it's fine. Now, it might still make sense to replace it occasionally in order to take advantage of improvements (e.g., MIPS), but an undamaged older helmet is fine.
07-27-21, 07:42 PM
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I would not put anything (other than maybe a sticker or decal) on my helmet. Helmets are designed and tested against impact against a more or less flat surface and not against something smaller that could potentially penetrate the helmet or focus the force of the impact. There has been a lot of debate regarding helmet-mounted cameras and accessories since Michael Schumacher's skiing accident, and I have not seen any definitive studies showing that it is safe. Of course, there are mounting positions that are less likely to be the point of impact, but the issue is, what if the impact is at the mounting point?
Anything that prevents the helmet from rolling on pavement will potentially cause your head to remain in one plane while your body rolls after an impact -- which potentially injures the neck. In addition to never attaching anything (lights, cameras) to my helmet, I look for helmets that do NOT have those very pointy rear ends, which might catch on pavement.
07-27-21, 11:25 PM
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More recent analyses suggest that is unnecessarily frequent...Which many have long suspected, given that the recommendation came from the helmet manufacturers.
If your helmet shows no visible damage or other loss of integrity, and has not been impacted, it's fine. Now, it might still make sense to replace it occasionally in order to take advantage of improvements (e.g., MIPS), but an undamaged older helmet is fine.
If your helmet shows no visible damage or other loss of integrity, and has not been impacted, it's fine. Now, it might still make sense to replace it occasionally in order to take advantage of improvements (e.g., MIPS), but an undamaged older helmet is fine.
07-28-21, 08:37 AM
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Buy yourself a new helmet. Your head will thank you.
07-28-21, 02:53 PM
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I banged my head hard enough in a crash to get a mild concussion (and didn't know it at the time of the crash) with the foggy head feeling lasting a week and I didn't replace my helmet since the damage was so minor and was almost not noticeable. Every crash is different.
In the case of the OP, there are obvious signs of impact, and there's a good chance that there's cracked foam under that part.
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07-28-21, 04:18 PM
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The part that would bother me is, you don't know if it caused any cracks in the foam underneath the shell or somewhere else where you can't see them. That could lead to the helmet breaking apart too quickly on the next impact. Probably a small risk when you don't see any damage on the outside, but peace of mind is worth the price of a new helmet to me.
In the case of the OP, there are obvious signs of impact, and there's a good chance that there's cracked foam under that part.
In the case of the OP, there are obvious signs of impact, and there's a good chance that there's cracked foam under that part.
07-28-21, 04:23 PM
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Do you value your brain more than the cost of a new helmet? There's the answer to whether or not you should buy a new helmet.
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07-28-21, 04:56 PM
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The same fear of unknown cracks in the helmet also makes me fear the carbon frame, forks, or bars having the same unknown cracks. Thankfully that helmet was retired and replaced due to the tightening system breaking. But I'm still riding the same frame and bars, and won't be spending $2k to replace them, nor the ~$500 to have it x-ray'd, but that's a topic for another thread.
07-28-21, 05:04 PM
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The things people come up with about carbon fiber are hilarious. You know that bike helmets and bike frames aren't made from the same materials, right?
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07-28-21, 06:42 PM
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The same fear of unknown cracks in the helmet also makes me fear the carbon frame, forks, or bars having the same unknown cracks. Thankfully that helmet was retired and replaced due to the tightening system breaking. But I'm still riding the same frame and bars, and won't be spending $2k to replace them, nor the ~$500 to have it x-ray'd, but that's a topic for another thread.
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