Bike Helmet Age?

[Mattonsea]

Is there an known life span of a helmet, with average use and wear and tear. ? Motor bike helmets I think, correct me if Im wrong cant be older than a certain age. So is this comparable to cycling.

 

[fossyant]

Yes and no.

Depends how often you use it, and how it's looked after.

My commute 'lid' is coming upto 5 years old - I've given it to my lad and bought a new one of the same model. Swapped over the 'pads' from another helmet into my old one as the pads had worn out.

There are no laws to helmets for cyclists - it's usually down to how tatty it gets or damaged before you replace it.

 

[Sittingduck]

A BC coach told me on Sunday, that you should apparently change your helmet after 3 years because of manufacturer warranty. This was the first I had heard of this and I'm not sure how much notice I will pay to it. Suppose it would be used as a legal loophole, in certain extreme situations.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Until it crashes. I still have an old Bell "light bulb" helmet from the 70's or 80's, as well as an old Avenir, but only drag them out in historical context. Otherwise, 3 years sounds like a good lifespan for something so important.

 

[Koga]

This link may be off interest : http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm

 

[fossyant]

It's the manufacturers that tell you to replace them. As for essential safety equipment, well....

 

[Koga]

It's the manufacturers that tell you to replace them. As for essential safety equipment, well....

That is the conclusion of the above referenced article (http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm) as well. On the same web page there is also an article testing cheap helmets and expensive helmets interesting reading as apparently there are no significant differences in safety performance.

 

[fossyant]

Expensive helmets look better though !

 

[Koga]

Expensive helmets look better though !

Indeed and in accordance with MattObrien's law (see New wheels are faster, fact) they therefore make you go faster !

 

[XRHYSX]

Until it crashes. I still have an old Bell "light bulb" helmet from the 70's or 80's, as well as an old Avenir, but only drag them out in historical context. Otherwise, 3 years sounds like a good lifespan for something so important.

Careful what you say around here, You'll open a whole can of worms

 

[Gravity Aided]

I was hoping to sneak that in on the sly.

 

[classic33]

Isn't something to do with the damage done to the outer hard shell by UV light.
So where its used & when as well as how its stored would all have to be factored in.
Some skateboard helmets have a life of around two years, provided there not otherwise damaged, same people are making cycle helmets in some cases.

 

[Cyclopathic]

What are motorbike helmets made from? Is any motorbike helmet technology transferable to the cycle helmet?

 

[jazzkat]

What are motorbike helmets made from? Is any motorbike helmet technology transferable to the cycle helmet?

You're supposed to replace motorcycle helmets after a couple of years too.

 

[SpareSprocket]

On the same web page there is also an article testing cheap helmets and expensive helmets interesting reading as apparently there are no significant differences in safety performance.

That's certainly true but I think in most cases that's because manufacturers make their helmets to exceed the BS EN 1078:1997 (which is also sometimes shown as EN 1078). There's no incentive to massively exceed it, just as long as they exceed the requirements.

The main difference between a cheap helmet and an expensive one is the weight of it. Expensive helmets are usually lighter but since the materials that all helmets are made of vary very little in strength to reduce weight they have to take some of that material away and replace it with something stronger and lighter. This takes time and money to develop and probably results in higher manufacturing costs too. Hence the price difference.

Just my 2p :-)