Cycling Equipment · Public discussion

Do helmets go bad over time?

Started by RS · · Last activity · 27 posts · 736 views

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Cycling Equipment
Published
13 June 2006
Last activity
13 July 2006
Original author
RS
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  1. Roger said:


    Scrumpy Joe said:

    I would dispute that. My hard-hat for site work has a 'not to be used
    after
    date' stamped into it. I would have no reason to suspect that my bike
    helmet plastic would not be subject to the same UV degradation over time
    as my hard-hat is.

    But one would assume that a work helmet expiration date must assume
    that the helmet may be in use e.g. 10 hours a day 6 days a
    week....possibly in sunnier climates ;-)

    I think cycle helmets get a lot less exposure.

    True enough, I queried the stamp on initial training and was told, rightly
    or wrongly, that it was regardless of exposure to UV and that simply
    storing it in a dark locker for the same period would still mean that it
    would have to be replaced if the date had expired. I have learned over the
    years never to apply the logic and judgement of an engineer to something as
    fickle and seemingly random as a risk assessment.

    Who am I to question my H&S masters ;-)

  2. Scrumpy Joe <[email hidden]>typed

    Quoted message said:

    True enough, I queried the stamp on initial training and was told, rightly
    or wrongly, that it was regardless of exposure to UV and that simply
    storing it in a dark locker for the same period would still mean that it
    would have to be replaced if the date had expired. I have learned over the
    years never to apply the logic and judgement of an engineer to something as
    fickle and seemingly random as a risk assessment.

    Quoted message said:

    Who am I to question my H&S masters ;-)

    I'm no expert, but it strikes me that plasticisers and other chemicals
    slowly leach/evaporate over the years, causing degradation.

    Some of my household plastics are not the same now as they were at the
    time of purchase.

    They just get replaced when I judge they've 'had it'.

    They aren't safety-critical (or as pricy as a lid). They get replaced
    without any H&S input. You H&S masters may have a point though.

    --
    Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
    Edgware.

  3. Werehatrack said:
    Quoted message said:

    (BTW, the impact absorbing bumper on any modern car is made of the same
    stuff. I note that Ford doesn't tell you to replace your bumpers after
    5 years.)

    I've taken a number of impact-absorbing bumpers off of cars, and
    pulled the remains of many more from the street, but I have only found
    one that employed any kind of foam in its structure; the rest use a
    remarkably different, generally non-sacrificial impact absorbing
    technology.

    Well, perhaps it varies with the model of car. The two cars my
    daughter drove both had bumpers with hearts of styrofoam - big blocks
    of the stuff. Admittedly, I haven't looked at all bumpers on the
    market, just the two cars on which I had to do some work on that area.

    - Frank Krygowski

  4. "jtaylor" <[email hidden]> wrote in
    news:[email hidden]!nnrp1.uunet.ca:

    I've had my helmet for just over 45 years and it is stronger than it was
    when it was 10 years old. It was probably at it's peak at 20 years old, but
    I haven't noticed a significant degradation since then.

    --
    Stuart

    "end user" v. A command regrettably not implemented in most systems.

  5. Tunku wrote on 18/06/2006 18:07 +0100:

    Quoted message said:

    "jtaylor" <[email hidden]> wrote in
    news:[email hidden]!nnrp1.uunet.ca:

    I've had my helmet for just over 45 years and it is stronger than it was
    when it was 10 years old. It was probably at it's peak at 20 years old, but
    I haven't noticed a significant degradation since then.

    I would imagine the leather is getting a bit old by now.

    --
    Tony

    "Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using
    his intelligence; he is just using his memory."
    - Leonardo da Vinci

  6. Tony Raven <[email hidden]> wrote in
    news:[email hidden]:

    Quoted message said:

    Tunku wrote on 18/06/2006 18:07 +0100:

    Quoted message said:

    "jtaylor" <[email hidden]> wrote in
    news:[email hidden]!nnrp1.uunet.ca:

    I've had my helmet for just over 45 years and it is stronger than it
    was when it was 10 years old. It was probably at it's peak at 20
    years old, but I haven't noticed a significant degradation since
    then.

    I would imagine the leather is getting a bit old by now.

    Yes, but massaging it with oils keeps it young.

    --
    Tunku Stuart

    "end user" v. A command regrettably not implemented in most systems.

  7. <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:
    RS said:

    So I walked into a LBS today and while making a minor purchase the
    sales guy looks at my helmet and says that it looks more than 5 years old
    and the foam goes bad, it just crumbles and I should buy a new helmet.
    Is this true or is the LBS owner have another boat payment coming
    due?

    Rick

    Dear Rick,

    Ignoring whether it does any good or not, Bell recommends that you buy
    a new Bell helmet every 3 years:

    'Course they do.

    They're the ones that saw a way to make money from foam hats in the first
    place.

    They are not interested in saving lives, just in making money. If they
    thought they could get away with recommending you buy a new one for every
    ride, they'd do so.

    If they thought they could get a law passed that forced everyone riding a
    bicycle to wear one, they'd do so.

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