Bought new Giro other day after a terminal to old Xar helmet crash. Nice Giro Xar, old colours, well discounted from wiggle. It has obviously been in stock a while and internal sticker is dated Oct 12. Does this have any bearing on how long it will be good for, assuming I don’t break this one ! ?

My Giro Xen still has a sticker on saying Jul 03. Only just replaced it this month. It’s been fine up til now

I am assuming the date is either when its made or a yr thereafter, and as its been in a proper closed box in a warehouse its irrelevant ?

Death trap, if medium send to me for destruction 😉

Yep, as above. Warehoused stock is pretty much OK for a good few years.

Once out of the box and in use, the rule of thumb is that a helmet lasts roughly five years OR one big knock! Preferably the former, of course!

Good stuff. I am under instructions from the Boss to try not smash this one 🙂

My two penny’s.

I had a Giro E2 for 5 years untill last year, decided to replace it as it was accumulating the susual small scuffs/knocks and the plastic adjutable bit was begining to split round the back. But I was happy enough to wear it. I’ve had other helemts in the meantime but random luck meant this one handn’t been crashed in.

To see how it fared I decided to stand on it (a test I’d be reasnobly cofident a new helmet should survive, im tempted to get a cheep one and see actualy). It didn’t so much crack, but split into 5 or 6 pieces! Not exactly the sort of load it’d get in a crash, but in 13 years of MTB [i]crashing[/i] and coutless helemts (averageing one every year-18 months) I’ve never had one do that in an accident, the most they’ve suffered is a single split round/through a vent with the rest deforming plasticly. The polystyrene had just turned brittle and wasn’t absorbing the force IMO.

Since then I’ve decided just buy £50 helmets for £50, rather than £100 helmets half price.

TINAS – they are all made to same safety standards I think, the more pricey ones are down to branding/fashion/comfort/features.

I liked my Xar so happy to replace with same, but I do accept that it is unlikely to perform to its price tag in a crash

As CFH says, the rule of thumb was always 5 years but depends on storage etc- uv can degrade some of the materials frinstance. My brother’s using a helmet that must be 10 years old now and you can feel the foam is harder and more brittle than it was, no way it’s working as well as a new helmet would. He won’t replace it though.

Thanks, I do tend to replace mine after 5 yrs useage, however a little unsure here when buying a new one with a date 14 months in the past.

What’s the science behind degradation? Isn’t it just light exposure (which must be minimised by the coloured shell anyway?)

thisisnotaspoon – Member
To see how it fared I decided to stand on it (a test I’d be reasnobly cofident a new helmet should survive, im tempted to get a cheep one and see actualy). It didn’t so much crack, but split into 5 or 6 pieces! Not exactly the sort of load it’d get in a crash, but in 13 years of MTB crashing and coutless helemts (averageing one every year-18 months) I’ve never had one do that in an accident, the most they’ve suffered is a single split round/through a vent with the rest deforming plasticly. The polystyrene had just turned brittle and wasn’t absorbing the force IMO.

I’d say that’s too unscientific a test to be worthwhile.

TINAS – they are all made to same safety standards I think, the more pricey ones are down to branding/fashion/comfort/features.

That was (maybe, maybe not) the point, the cheep one should be adequate in a crash, but it’s not already 1-2 years old. I was quite shocked how baddly the ‘old’ helmet just fell apaprt. I definately won’t be riding with one over say 3 years old from now on. I’d rather a cheep new helemt than an 18 month old expensive helemt.

And I’m quite careful about storing them (in a box in the spare room, so dark and dry so it’s not like it had had above average heat or UV damage).

I’d say that’s too unscientific a test to be worthwhile.

I agree, but I think the result was bad enough to make it significant even accounting for errors and assumptions. If it had just cracked/deformed I’d have binned it and thought nothing of it.

I’d rather a cheep new helemt than an 18 month old expensive helemt.

hmmm, that’s got me wondering…

I suspect oxidation is also a factor – it certainly is in the degradation of stored tyres.

polystyrene oxidises?

OK, I checked with Giro. As it’s brand new, never been out of original box and been in a warehouse it’s as good as one with today’s date

hmmm, that’s got me wondering…

Me too. Am wondering what a helemt is.

Is it pure polystyrene? Well if not that, attack by some other atmospheric gas – I am admittedly speculating here.

Polystyrene can explode if you go too fast,

either that, or there is some other explanation

http://www.bicyclesource.com/safety/helmets/helmet-standards-compared.html

cynic-al – Member

What’s the science behind degradation? Isn’t it just light exposure (which must be minimised by the coloured shell anyway?)

I don’t honestly know but I don’t believe it’s just light exposure- frinstance, my brother’s helmet lives in a dark cupboard and doesn’t really get that much use, but has still deteriorated. My mtb helmets see more daylight in a year than it probably has in 10 without ill effect.

Less useful comparison possibly but we found a bunch of old poly packaging in the attic, at a guess 15 years old… It’ll have been subjected to no daylight, no outrageous temperatures (some subzeroes and some uncomfortably warms) and no chemicals that aren’t in fresh air, but it’d still gone crumbly and very brittle.