Nahh, I’ve been using the same Giro Xen since 2007
It’s not my only lid, but I still use it.
That’s rare as I usually smash them up a lot quicker than that.

I too go on condition of a helmet, rather than dates.

My MET Parabellum was made in April 1999! I bought it around that time and it was a huge improvement over my sub 6 pro that it replaced. It seems in pretty good condition, fits my head well and will be used next time I go out on my mountain bike.

Just looked at mine, 2008. Specialized actually make spare pads so I’ve been through a fair few sets of pads in that time.

I like the practical focus of this thread. Wear and tear, UV degradation, fit, smell, rotting, but no mention of ‘I replace mine every time the season’s colours change’.

My last helmet was several years old. It must have been through a few tumbles but no significant crashes. Partly on the basis of wear and tear, and partly on the basis that I just wanted a new helmet, I went out and got one.

No, so far I have only binned helmets when they were crash damaged….. except the six year old, crashed dented and cracked example I’m still using for night rides because it has my light mount on it. I am not a good example

Reckon there’s got to be some wear, but that 3 years is marketing sh*te. So reckon I replace about 5-6 years. Two on the go, one ‘good’ one for proper bike rides and another for commuting.

Mrs was on an mtb leader training course last weekend – they’ve been told their own helmet has to be less than 3 years or points deducted at the assessment.

My newest helmet is 3yrs in June, but that spends most of it’s life in a cool dark garage so can’t see there being any great rush to replace.

Trimix – Member
Have you not read the thread then ?

….err, yes, I started the thread. Many saying replace at 3 yrs old. I ordered a new one and it arrived, box fresh, a year old…

You didn’t read it Iain.

Good to see the manufacturer bullshit is at last being disproved.

al, your webcam must’ve failed as otherwise you’d have seen me reading it 🙂

I do find it odd that a 2017 helmet was made in 2015 though..

So you take random uninformed internet posts more seriously than the studies posted above?

I read that study a while back, in fact I remember posting it up maybe a year ago on someone elses thread. In my OP on this one I specifically mentioned the Giro recommended 3yr replacement guidance…and then sought opinion from others. They may be uninformed, I don’t know, do you ? 😀

What normally happens is one day I look at my lid and it suddenly strikes me it’s looking a bit tired- few small dings and scratches, tatty (and smelly!) pads/straps. Then when the seed is there I start keeping half an eye out for a new one which might take a couple of months.

So far that’s tended to be at around 4-5 years I think, and I’ve not properly written one off yet.

Ian – unless BC change their guidance, you’ll only get 2 years from that helmet. These are the sort of details that were picked over in the recent court case in Surrey. For personal use I’d happily use a 5 yr old helmet if condition was good.

boxelder – agreed, that’s one of the reasons I am sending it back to CRC. Coaches are supposed to lead by example in helmet checks etc and given it’s ‘a year old’ then it’s not a good value purchase with 2 years coaching life left. I don’t doubt that it will be perfectly functional for a good while thereafter.

I am quite happy buying a helmet that has a manufacture date of say 3 months ago, but when it’s sold this week as a 2017 lid, but date stamped December 15 it’s a bit wrong.

iainc, I’d send that helmet back because it must be a forgery, given it is currently November 2016. How can a 2017 helmet possibly be in existence without time travel? 😉

I think my Met Testagrossa was coming up to 4 years old, when I had my RTA at the end of 2013, the bit of my head it protected came out far better than the bit that wasn’t!

I replaced it with a Bell Alchera around Easter 2014 and must admit, the thought of looking out for a replacement in the next few months or so had crossed my mind. I guess part of that is because Met is one of the few manufacturers that exceed the basic EU helmet standards, they use “Snell” IIRC.

Given I spent 30 years riding without one at all I not going to start changing them now because of some suggested marginal reduction in effectiveness when its effective range is already very narrow.

Load of bollox IMO.

iainc, I’d send that helmet back because it must be a forgery, given it is currently November 2016. How can a 2017 helmet possibly be in existence without time travel? 😉

totally 🙂

I wil be interested to hear the CRC reply, possibly delivered in a DeLorean stylee 🙂

I gave this some thought the other day, as my Fox Flux must be at least 8 years old now. In the end I decided to inspect it rather than throw it 🙂

Actually, just looked at the serial number and it starts with ‘2007/’,so I guess it a bit older than that 🙂

mine’s about 9 years old and the harness is held in there with bits of gaffa tape and staples.. I’ve given up on wearing it recently as it’s probably a health hazard in it’s own right

I’d get a new one if I could prioritise a bit of the monthly budget..

Sooooo, on that note – if anyone out there is wanging an undamaged lid in the bin, and you’ve got got a medium/large head size, chuck it my way and i’ll pay you the postage 🙂

Thanks

I’m totally happy to use a six or seven year old helmet but I’d never buy or take a secondhand one.

Not seen that study before, thanks for sharing. Good to have my personal suspicions on the subject confirmed.

I suspect the 3 year rule is borrowed from the construction industry, where it’s intended as a best practice policy to cater for low level damage, wear and tear and UV degradation.

Age per-se doesn’t affect polystyrene, but UV does and it also degrades most plastics unless they have stabilisers to make them resistant. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I tend to spend alot of my summer out in the open, so I think 3 years is precautionary and 4/5 years is about right for me, allowing for low levels bump accumulation, wear and tear and general use smelliness.

iainc, I’d send that helmet back because it must be a forgery, given it is currently November 2016. How can a 2017 helmet possibly be in existence without time travel?

Don’t send it back. Wear it to Joe Cockers funeral.