When to Replace a Helmet?
06-23-23, 11:07 AM
#26
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06-23-23, 04:24 PM
#27
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Here is an "ethics" question:
I have the helmet (and bike) of my kid's 18yo friend in the garage. He crashed. I went over the bike fairly thoroughly and paid to have it inspected and the wheel re-trued. His helmet has a big crack in the (replaceable) jaw guard. He was out cold, and spend 6 or 8 hours in the ER, before being discharged. He is in total denial that he was out cold, and we are all fairly sure he will keep riding with the same helmet, rather than replacing it. The helmet itself (as opposed to the jaw guard) appears intact (Giro Switchblade MIPS).
Do we give it back to him as is, or lose it, or cut the straps, or what? He is 18, but his judgement perhaps is lagging in development. I don't want to be too heavy-handed, but I also don't want to see a repeat, or worse. I could go buy him a new one, but I think it goes for $250 to $300, and I would rather he gets a new one via crash replacement (if applicable) or something different (hopefully better).
I have the helmet (and bike) of my kid's 18yo friend in the garage. He crashed. I went over the bike fairly thoroughly and paid to have it inspected and the wheel re-trued. His helmet has a big crack in the (replaceable) jaw guard. He was out cold, and spend 6 or 8 hours in the ER, before being discharged. He is in total denial that he was out cold, and we are all fairly sure he will keep riding with the same helmet, rather than replacing it. The helmet itself (as opposed to the jaw guard) appears intact (Giro Switchblade MIPS).
Do we give it back to him as is, or lose it, or cut the straps, or what? He is 18, but his judgement perhaps is lagging in development. I don't want to be too heavy-handed, but I also don't want to see a repeat, or worse. I could go buy him a new one, but I think it goes for $250 to $300, and I would rather he gets a new one via crash replacement (if applicable) or something different (hopefully better).
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06-23-23, 04:26 PM
#28
ignominious poltroon
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The mother wouldn't even come to the ER, so my wife had to wait there 8 hours.
I'm probably going to go with the first suggestion.
06-23-23, 06:26 PM
#30
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Here is an "ethics" question:
I have the helmet (and bike) of my kid's 18yo friend in the garage. He crashed. I went over the bike fairly thoroughly and paid to have it inspected and the wheel re-trued. His helmet has a big crack in the (replaceable) jaw guard. He was out cold, and spend 6 or 8 hours in the ER, before being discharged. He is in total denial that he was out cold, and we are all fairly sure he will keep riding with the same helmet, rather than replacing it. The helmet itself (as opposed to the jaw guard) appears intact (Giro Switchblade MIPS).
Do we give it back to him as is, or lose it, or cut the straps, or what? He is 18, but his judgement perhaps is lagging in development. I don't want to be too heavy-handed, but I also don't want to see a repeat, or worse. I could go buy him a new one, but I think it goes for $250 to $300, and I would rather he gets a new one via crash replacement (if applicable) or something different (hopefully better).
I have the helmet (and bike) of my kid's 18yo friend in the garage. He crashed. I went over the bike fairly thoroughly and paid to have it inspected and the wheel re-trued. His helmet has a big crack in the (replaceable) jaw guard. He was out cold, and spend 6 or 8 hours in the ER, before being discharged. He is in total denial that he was out cold, and we are all fairly sure he will keep riding with the same helmet, rather than replacing it. The helmet itself (as opposed to the jaw guard) appears intact (Giro Switchblade MIPS).
Do we give it back to him as is, or lose it, or cut the straps, or what? He is 18, but his judgement perhaps is lagging in development. I don't want to be too heavy-handed, but I also don't want to see a repeat, or worse. I could go buy him a new one, but I think it goes for $250 to $300, and I would rather he gets a new one via crash replacement (if applicable) or something different (hopefully better).
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06-24-23, 05:07 AM
#31
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06-24-23, 08:09 AM
#32
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My neck hurt a bit for a week or so…aggravated a neck injury from football 60 years ago…but I’m okay. Caught the end of a branch on a trail that I’ve ridden 100s of times. Drove it straight in to the helmet and came to a dead stop. Never even fell over. Had to sit down for a bit.
I’m never lucky enough to lose consciousness in crashes…even when I bash my head. I hit a curb at about 30mph when I missed a curb cut. Went over the handlebars, did a Greg Louganis layout on my forehead and ended up with my feet going in the direction I was traveling. I remember every detail. I even bashed my head with a fence post driver that has left a dent to this day and I didn’t knock myself out. Oddly enough, the fence posts were for a bicycle helmet/head injury prevention event.
I’m never lucky enough to lose consciousness in crashes…even when I bash my head. I hit a curb at about 30mph when I missed a curb cut. Went over the handlebars, did a Greg Louganis layout on my forehead and ended up with my feet going in the direction I was traveling. I remember every detail. I even bashed my head with a fence post driver that has left a dent to this day and I didn’t knock myself out. Oddly enough, the fence posts were for a bicycle helmet/head injury prevention event.
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06-24-23, 08:27 AM
#33
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My neck hurt a bit for a week or so…aggravated a neck injury from football 60 years ago…but I’m okay. Caught the end of a branch on a trail that I’ve ridden 100s of times. Drove it straight in to the helmet and came to a dead stop. Never even fell over. Had to sit down for a bit.
had a close call when a low hanging branch took out my helmet cam. was able to continue w/ a bar mount & another camera. if it doesn't trigger any PTSD, at about the :43 mark
06-24-23, 09:46 PM
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OTOH... if "something" happens to the helmet, is he just going to ride without one? (Since it sounds like he's committed to not spending the money and/or time to replace it?) Not that him using a compromised helmet is preferable, just saying that even if his old one mysteriously goes away, he still might not replace it.
06-24-23, 11:57 PM
#35
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Oh, it was completely immovable. It stopped me dead in my tracks. It was about 2” in diameter and stuck down from a larger limb.
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06-25-23, 12:21 PM
#36
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OTOH... if "something" happens to the helmet, is he just going to ride without one? (Since it sounds like he's committed to not spending the money and/or time to replace it?) Not that him using a compromised helmet is preferable, just saying that even if his old one mysteriously goes away, he still might not replace it.
06-27-23, 09:01 AM
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All I know is that I replaced my helmet when I went down a couple years ago. At first, I didn't think it was necessary, but then I looked at the front of the helmet and saw where some of the styrofoam had been scuffed off. I tossed it and got a new one, even though chances are it was perfectly fine to keep wearing.
06-30-23, 05:20 PM
#38
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Helmets aren't mysterious. They are typically a piece of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam covered with polycarbonate. EPS is essentially "styrofoam" -- like a styrofoam cup, but because it's thicker, it's more like one of those cheap white styrofoam coolers or a piece of white styrofoam that protects something in a shipping box. I'm sure everyone has broken a piece of that foam before. If the drop or hit wasn't enough to crack or break a piece of foam like that and there's no evidence the foam is cracked or broken, then it is probably just as good as new -- unless it isn't new. That foam degrades over time also, so it should probably be replaced after several years time and maybe sooner if it has endured a lot of wear and tear from frequent use. Some race sanctioning bodies will expire helmets after 2 or 3 years. I feel pretty good about my helmets out to 5 years. After that, the materials become suspect. I can't claim they're ruined, but I don't have a practical way to verify they're not.
07-01-23, 07:50 AM
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I've never understood that either. If you're going to own a helmet, why ride with it hanging from your handlebars? Or do they think that they'll only need to put it on when the road looks dangerous? You can go down at any time.
07-01-23, 07:59 AM
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What helmet? All I see is a mirror mount.
Last edited by Milton Keynes; 07-01-23 at 08:14 AM.
07-01-23, 08:40 AM
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It’s a hell of a helmet mirror, however.
EVT now makes a shorter mount which I’ve changed to on my new helmet.
EVT now makes a shorter mount which I’ve changed to on my new helmet.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
07-01-23, 08:44 AM
#43
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07-05-23, 08:42 PM
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Probably like me as a kid when I hated it-- helmet is on when you leave, once you're not visible from the house it goes onto the handlebars. Reverse procedure when coming home...
07-13-23, 12:54 PM
#45
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I don’t know if you think $100 is a lot of money, but I’m certain that a Giro Agilis MIPS helmet saved my life when I got broadsided by a car making a left turn across traffic who claimed he “didn’t see me” despite bright clothing and a blinking white front light. I slid up the hood and smashed the windshield with my head and left shoulder. I broke the shoulder and the side of my helmet was smashed flat but I only had a mild concussion. If my bare head had hit that hard, I’m certain I wouldn’t be typing this now.
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07-13-23, 02:54 PM
#46
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bike helmets rarely need to be replaced because they primarily get impacted in the frontal or occipital area as a result of low speed/impact falls in the other cases not only will you need a new helmet but most likely a new bike and a lot of rehab ......... most helmets are replaced for aesthetics
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