Bike Helmets - Do you need to replace them after some years?

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi all,

I wonder if it is recommended to replace your bike helmet after a few years.

I guess mine is at least ten year old - but I never crashed with it and cleaned the pads regularly.

Take care
YouYou

2

I’ve read recommendations (from magazines & manufacturers) that say to replace helmets every 3–5 years. Not sure how much marketing is behind that recommendation but, allegedly, perspiration breaks down the impact absorption abilities of the foam in the helmet.

3

In addition to perspiration, I thought UV light also degrades the foam, causing it to provide less protection.

I always end up replacing my helmets after 2-3 years simply because they get a funk in them I can’t wash out. :\

4

Things like time and UV light and sweat will eventually take their toll on the material of the helmet making it brittle and putting you at risk. I wouldn’t push too far past the recommended switch out time.

5

I guess the big question you should ask yourself is are you or does your family think you are worth $85-150?

I saw a demo once with a ~ 5 year old helmet. The guy stomped on it and it broke. Took a new helmet out of the packaging stomped on it and it didn’t break.

6

Let me guess the helmet he crushed just happened to be the competitors helmet. one way to crush the cmpetition :slight_smile: I do agree though 2-3 year’s should be the max. But something is better then nothing.

7

Polystyrene lasts for decades. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute a helmet from the 1980’s doesn’t need replacement if it was certified to modern ASTM or Snell standards and hasn’t been crashed or show visible signs of damage.

http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm

8

Again, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm

“Occasionally somebody spreads rumors that sweat and ultraviolet (UV)
exposure will cause your helmet to degrade. Sweat will not do that. The
standards do not permit manufacturers to make a helmet that degrades
from sweat, and the EPS, EPP or EPU foam is remarkably unaffected by
salt water. Your helmet will get a terminal case of grunge before it
dies of sweat. Sunlight can affect the strength of the shell material,
though. Since helmets spend a lot of time in the sun, manufacturers
usually put UV inhibitors in the plastic for their shells that control
UV degradation.”

9

Don’t know what you saw, but there are probably old-timers on the forum that have many helmets decades older than 5 years still going strong. Out of curiosity, I crushed two twenty year old helmets just now. I’ve had them since childhood. I can’t discern any difference between them and one I crashed last year, except the newer one has a carbon fiber layer that the older helmets never had. I like the newer material, but age doesn’t seem to be the issue with the kiddie helmets.

10

Neither time nor the heat of being left in a car damage helmets substantially. EPS is a long-lived material little affected by normal environmental factors. The Snell Memorial Foundation tested helmets after 20 years and found that they still meet the original standard.