Helmet life

[RickH]

I keep my helmet in a soft black bag (a freebie helmet bag that I was given at some point). I took it out recently & it doesn't seem to have deteriorated since it was last briefly worn in 2019 (I took my bike on a trip to Vancouver to visit family & wore it then in deference to the local laws & sensibilities of the relatives there).

[drossall]

I may have mentioned that I keep my helmet in a proper helmet case. That helmet has lasted decades. It's too precious to wear much, mind you, which is why I have the case.

[Jesper]

Brico helmet from the late 80s used only for time trials (illegal now).
It never served the purpose for safety only speed.
Nothing more than a teardrop shaped "eggshell"!
Would I wear it again? Yes; but just to be odd.
Would it help me in any way? No; I am not fast enough now to matter. Maybe it could get some chat from the girls.
Would I toss it out? Never; its probably a museum piece!

[Jesper]

A helmet I use today is a Kucharick from the early 70s. Comfortable, and cool (temperature wise).
I use it for slow rides about the town. I guess it is about 45 years past its "best if used by" date; but no expiration tag so who cares. No deterioration; leather in excellent condition.
It goes well with my 1970 Sports, except when using that bike for riding beyond its normal design (mountain biking or weird bike "time trialing").

[Hartwoodman]

I agree with audax67. UV degradation will only affect the external millimetre or two, and will be blocked by the skin of the helmet. Industrial hard hats are only a few millimetres thick and they are translucent so the UV affects all of the helmet. Not so for cycle helmets.

My advice is to scrap them when they are damaged by impact – and I’m interested to learn about the damage that solvents can cause – and otherwise don’t worry too much. However, I have scrapped all my old helmets because I think that MIPS is a real advance in helmet safety.

[Jesper]

Just a note: I am posting in this thread as a response to using old helmets (helmet lifetime), as well as the style (helmet fashion life).
I like old helmets as much as I like hats in general so it makes it easy to wear them without getting too engaged in the safety pro/con debates.
I do wear helmets in order to provide a modicum of safety, both relating to accidents and my lacking much hair on top and avoiding sunburns and skin damage (I prefer riding in long sleeve shirts also due to my sensitivity to the sun).
Here is my cold weather Bulgarian paratrooper helmet. It is old (early 80s), but in great condition, super comfortable, and quite warm for cold weather riding. In many respects it is a fully closed "hairnet" style, but with better rear protection. It doubles as my motorcycle topper.

[Ayseven]

I go a couple of years, by which time, I have seen something cooler, which will be even more comfortable, and more aerodynamic, thus allowing me to go faster. Which is apparently what it is all about.

[softlips]

Change mine about every 3 years. I do buy a premium product and each time i'm amazed how much better the new one is.

[drossall]

I go a couple of years...

Change mine about every 3 years...

As I may have mentioned, it takes some of us longer than that to find one that even fits.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I find that I need to change helmet when the foam pads wear out.
(or if god forbid I bang it)
I wash the inside every use to prevent gunge!
I have a supply of fresh helmets as I have a funny shaped head

[Pete Owens]

I suppose the best way to get value out of the limited life of a helmet would be to wear it 24/7 rather than just the small fraction of time you spend on your bike.

[Pinhead]

There is no "sell by date" on helmets therefore..................

You can buy NEW quality helmets such as BELL, Specialised, MET off the shelf that have a "made in 2020/21 sticker inside NOW

So when does the age/swap date start, from manufacture or wear ?

[tenbikes]

I replace after crash impact.

Which is often.

Once was 15 minutes.......

Maybe I should slow down a bit?

[pjclinch]

There is no "sell by date" on helmets therefore..................

You can buy NEW quality helmets such as BELL, Specialised, MET off the shelf that have a "made in 2020/21 sticker inside NOW

So when does the age/swap date start, from manufacture or wear ?

Looking at the "Heads Up" article originally written for CUK's Cycle mag by a chap that tests them for a living (see https://ecf.com/sites/ecf.com/files/Sta ... ts-etc.pdf...

REPLACING A HELMET
Expanded polystyrene, the principal material from which cycle helmets are manufactured and the bit that protects you, is not known to deteriorate with age. However, you should avoid putting anything heavy on top of the helmet, or exposing it to unnecessary knocks.

You will get greater useful life from a helmet if you: (a) reserve a safe storage place for it when not in use, preferably in a strong small box; and (b) if your helmet gets a good soaking, you allow it to dry out for as long as is practical, at a dry room temperature.

Most manufacturers recommend that a helmet be changed after fi ve years – a fair guideline, if you’re unsure about checking your helmet yourself.

Working from that, I would say probably wear.

Pete.