How many years can you expect to get out of a helmet?? I have had a Giro for about 5 yrs now and have read that after 5 yrs of regular use, you should replace it.
No crashes or visible damage, however, would alot of sweating into the helmet corrode some of the material??
What about “chain life” - how many kms would you expect from a chain??
Cheers.
I think the owner’s manual says 3 years. Hang on, I’ll check…
Hmm, they’re kind of vague about it. Here it is from the Giro Owner’s Manual:
“A helmet has a limited lifespan in use and should be replaced when it shows obvious signs of wear.”
-Giro Owner’s Manual, version 06/01 revision “E”, page 6.
Thxs Tom,
I think i may need to upgrade.
Since the helmet spends 99% of it’s life not being used, the real reason to replace is when you see a new one that you can’t live without.
As far as chains, there’s an article on slowtwitch about chains.
" By holding a ruler along the chain on the bicycle, align an inch mark with a pin and see how far off the mark the pin is at twelve inches. An eighth of an inch (0.125) is a little over the one percent limit while more than a sixteenth is a prudent time to get a new chain."
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/maintenance/chain.html
Whooops…I’m still using 3 Specialized Sub-6’s. They don’t even make them anymore. I’m sure they are at least 12 years old…oh…and all three have been custom painted and crashed!! I actually have a new Rudy project T-Rex I wear alot, too. Not custom painted or crashed, though!