helmets gone bad

Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

My helmet is about 10 years old and, other than supplementing various
business coffers, I would like to know if there's a reason to replace
it. It's a Bell.

Please, no helmet wars posts. Thx.

yirgster wrote, On 6/29/2010 5:26 PM:
Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

My helmet is about 10 years old and, other than supplementing various
business coffers, I would like to know if there's a reason to replace
it. It's a Bell.

Please, no helmet wars posts. Thx.


Now you've done it! Here comes the flames...

--

Paul D Oosterhout
I work for SAIC (but I don't speak for SAIC)

On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:26:40 -0700, yirgster wrote:

Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

[snip]
Please, no helmet wars posts. Thx.

The rationale is that the foam becomes brittle with age and loses its
shock absorbing properties.

Stephen Bauman

On Jun 29, 4:26*pm, yirgster wrote:
Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

My helmet is about 10 years old and, other than supplementing various
business coffers, I would like to know if there's a reason to replace
it. It's a Bell.

Bell has historically used fear to increase sales. This is just lather
and repeat type of advice from them. That understood, a helmet can
protect you from some contusions. If it's not falling apart, it can
still do that.

On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:26:40 -0700 (PDT), yirgster
wrote:

Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

My helmet is about 10 years old and, other than supplementing various
business coffers, I would like to know if there's a reason to replace
it. It's a Bell.

Please, no helmet wars posts. Thx.

Dear Y,
http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm

Alas, the Italian study mentioned in that article isn't too clear
about what the 8 years of helmet life means:

5. Facciamo importanti sforzi per prolungare la durata di vita dei
nostri prodotti.

Ci viene spesso chiesto “Dopo quanto tempo si dovrebbe cambiare il
casco?”. Fino ad ora non c’erano dati propriamente affidabili su
questo argomento. Abbiamo quindi deciso di sviluppare una serie di
test su vecchi caschi in modo da determinare in maniera scientifica
una “data limite di utilizzo*” per i nostri caschi. I risultati
dimostrano che i nostri caschi continuano a rispondere in maniera
soddisfacente in caso di urto otto anni dopo la data di produzione.
Non è quindi indispensabile cambiare il proprio casco ogni due o tre
anni, e questa è una buona notizia per l’ambiente. Il nostro sforzo
punterà d’ora in avanti su un ulteriore prolungamento di
questa durata.
http://www.met-helmets.com/home.jsp?idrub=2192

It's not clear if the helmets were just 8-year-old stock from the
shelves, never exposed to normal use . . .

Or if the company actually asked riders to contribute 8-year-old
helmets . . .

Or if the company has been making helmets for only 8 years . . .

Or what the tests were . . .

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

yirgster wrote:

Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

Replace? No. Augment? Personal choice. (I use 4 regularly, and own 7 or
8. Others mostly mtb models.)

From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

Like any product, things wear out. Rotating helmets, shoes, gloves, etc.
allows longer use IME. YMMV.

My helmet is about 10 years old and, other than supplementing various
business coffers, I would like to know if there's a reason to replace
it. It's a Bell.

Mediatate on it. (Just not sideways.)

Please, no helmet wars posts.

Yeah, right.

Thx.

YW.

BS

On Jun 29, 5:26*pm, yirgster wrote:
Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

I very much doubt it.


From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

If Bell were selling sledge hammers, they'd probably tell you to
replace it every three years to prevent metal fatigue.


Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

The brief answer is this: No, the magic will not have leaked out of
your helmet.

The longer answer: From the most prominent helmet _promoting_
website: "The Snell Memorial Foundation has tested motorcycle helmets
held in storage for more than 20 years and found that they still meet
the original standard. EPS is a long-lived material little affected by
normal environmental factors. Unless you mistreat it we would not
expect it to "dry out" enough to alter its performance for many
years."

Some people think that, since their helmet is not in permanent
storage, but is instead subject to sunlight and sweat, that the above
would not apply and that their helmet must need frequent replacement.
But really, how much do you ride in a year? 3000 miles would be way
above average. That's a maximum of perhaps 300 hours of sunlight, and
sweat has no effect (as explained in that website). There are nearly
9000 hours in a year, so your 300 hours of riding time means your
helmet is sitting on a shelf 97% of the time.

If you have the sense to store it somewhere other than inside an oven,
and away from solvent fumes, your helmet will last damned near
forever, no matter what Bell says.

Bell used to say to replace it because of possible loss of
protection. Then their lawyers apparently woke up and stopped that.
Last I looked, Bell recommended replacement "to take advantage of
improved designs" or some such claptrap. Similarly, in the 1960s, one
American car company based its ad campaign on the question, "Wouldn't
you rather have _this_ year's model?" It's consumerist bull****.

Statistically, your helmet is worthless. When it's ten years old,
it's no different. Save your money.

- Frank Krygowski

On Jun 29, 3:14*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:26:40 -0700 (PDT), yirgster



wrote:
Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

My helmet is about 10 years old and, other than supplementing various
business coffers, I would like to know if there's a reason to replace
it. It's a Bell.

Please, no helmet wars posts. Thx.

Dear Y,
*http://www.bhsi.org/replace.htm

Alas, the Italian study mentioned in that article isn't too clear
about what the 8 years of helmet life means:

5. Facciamo importanti sforzi per prolungare la durata di vita dei
nostri prodotti.

Ci viene spesso chiesto “Dopo quanto tempo si dovrebbe cambiare il
casco?”. Fino ad ora non c’erano dati propriamente affidabili su
questo argomento. Abbiamo quindi deciso di sviluppare una serie di
test su vecchi caschi in modo da determinare in maniera scientifica
una “data limite di utilizzo*” per i nostri caschi. I risultati
dimostrano che i nostri caschi continuano a rispondere in maniera
soddisfacente in caso di urto otto anni dopo la data di produzione.
Non è quindi indispensabile cambiare il proprio casco ogni due o tre
anni, e questa è una buona notizia per l’ambiente. Il nostro sforzo
punterà d’ora in avanti su un ulteriore prolungamento di
questa durata.
*http://www.met-helmets.com/home.jsp?idrub=2192

It's not clear if the helmets were just 8-year-old stock from the
shelves, never exposed to normal use . . .

Or if the company actually asked riders to contribute 8-year-old
helmets . . .

Or if the company has been making helmets for only 8 years . . .

Or what the tests were . . .

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Thanks for the bhsi link! As for the Italian, maybe it's time for me
to return to school.

In article
,
yirgster wrote:

Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

My helmet is about 10 years old and, other than supplementing various
business coffers, I would like to know if there's a reason to replace
it. It's a Bell.

Please, no helmet wars posts. Thx.

Since you know the predispositions,
you are being deliberately provocative.
You are starting a helmet war.
Getting replies is not proof that
people are bad and disobeying you;
but proof that you are an arsonist
standing next to the flames with your
tool in your hand. As for your helmet:
crumble it and eat it with your granola
and Bulgarian yogurt.

No thanks are necessary.

--
Michael Press

On 29/06/10 2:26 PM, yirgster wrote:
Is there any reason to replace a helmet after X number of years if it
hasn't been subjected to crashes or the like.

From the Bell website faq: Bell has a general recommendation of
replacing a helmet every three (3) years.

Is this marketing advice or does it have some reality behind it? For
example, does the 'styrofoam' become brittle and less shock absorbent
after a number of years.

There is deterioration of a helmet's components over time, which is what
leads Bell to make that general recommendation.

Snell recommends that helmets be replaced after five years (assuming
it's not stored in extreme conditions). Whether Bell's three year
recommendation is a CYA move, or an effort to sell more helmets (or
both) is something we'll never know.

See "http://www.smf.org/faqs.html#10".

My helmet is about 10 years old and, other than supplementing various
business coffers, I would like to know if there's a reason to replace
it. It's a Bell.

10 years is getting up there. it should probably be replaced. Try to
find a Snell certified replacement helmet (won't be from Bell though).

Please, no helmet wars posts.

Aw come on. We haven't had a helmet war in days! It's a good question
you asked though, and I probably will add it to the web site.