i know some people don’t think it’s necessary or whatever, but yeah you’re not really supposed to use a helmet for more than 3 or 4 years or something and should replace for safety reasons, right? Well, what do you then do with the old ones? do you just chuck ’em in the rubbish, or do you keep them (either to display in some weird mancave type shrine to protection or just pile them up on the hoarded mass of bike crap that will eventually force you to go live in a tent in the garden as there’s no room in the house for you)?
I have a couple of 5+ year old giro hex and xen lids that i’ve not worn for about 2 years, and i probably should get rid. is there anywhere that takes them back to recycle somehow or anything?

Put a hammer through them and bin them

Hanging basket

crash replacement schemes

Take them to the recycling centre.

They’re just compacted polystyrene so should be ok in the plastic bin.

Codpiece.

I use a hammer on them to take out some of my frustrations, of which I have many.

as weird as it sounds, the hanging basket idea is actually quite an intriguing one…

crash replacement is surely out, as they’ve not been crashed on, just past their recommended safe lifespan?

Cut the straps off/out before either landfill or recycling whichever your local HWR Site offers.

Cut the straps off/out before either landfill or recycling whichever your local HWR Site offers.

Sod that.
I’m making hanging baskets with mine 8)

Is it really a safety concern or just built in obsolescence?

What is it that’s supposed to degrade?

If its just age i’ll have one, after all its just what i’m wearing anyway and I could leave a light permanently fixed to it and not be a nuisance in the day.

crash replacement is surely out, as they’ve not been crashed on, just past their recommended safe lifespan?

Alright then, something like the Specialized Helmet Amnesty. Take in any old helmet and get £50 off the price of a new one. That’s what I did.

I always planned to saw them in half, then mount them all up in order of use on the inside of the bike workshop. Another one on my to do list….

sandwicheater – Member
Codpiece

Like a Cameo tribute band?

“We are often asked ‘For how long is a helmet safe?’, or ‘how often should I replace my helmet?”’ Until now it has been difficult to find any reliable figures to help answer these queries. MET have now developed a series of tests which are conducted on aged helmets to determine a ‘best before’ date (unless the helmet is involved in an accident. In that case it should be replaced immediately.). The results indicate that, if used properly accordingly to our owner manual, our helmets will still do their job up to eight years after they have been made. Not only is that good news for the customer, it’s great news for the environment!”

We applaud MET for undertaking an actual testing program on helmet life and for making that statement. We regard it as a triumph of integrity over marketing. MET’s helmets are made with industry standard shells and liners, so there is no reason we can see that their recommendation should not be good for many other helmet brands as well. If another manufacturer comes up with a testing program that shows earlier deterioration in the protection from their products we will review this page.

In sum, we don’t find the case for replacing a helmet that meets the ASTM or Snell standards that compelling if the helmet is still in good shape and fits you well.

I do like the hanging basket idea though

Don’t you come around here with you fancy fact and figures, Theres some serious BS to be perpetuated.

So what do we do to get rid of the sweaty smell that ensues from the pads n liner,tried washing in mild detergent ,no effect.

I sell them if they are not been hit.This is a good question would you smash up your £500 Rossi replica helmet after 4 years???.Your suppose to keep them out of direct sun light!!!Bit difficult on a nice suuny day on the road?

They’re plastic and not subject to any real stress. Why would they ‘go off’? Sounds like MET just want us to keep buying new ones. Mines 10 years old

Hang it up in the garage in case it comes in handy.

they’re plastic and not subject to any real stress. Why would they ‘go off’? Sounds like MET just want us to keep buying new ones. Mines 10 years old

Ultra Violet light degrades plastics over time, makes most brittle. Try leaving a polypropylene box in the sun for even a few months and then hit it.

9 years on my old Xen…

The UV makes the polystyrene goes brittle.

I had an old Met one that I’d kept under my desk at work for maybe 2 years after upgrading it. Nowt wrong with it per se, I just *had* to have a Spesh Air Banshee. Anyway, we were moving offices, so as part of the clearing out process, I tossed the old lid into the bin from about 6′ away – a gentle throw for accuracy, NOT a full “lets destroy this” violent effort (think dropping it from waist height onto the floor). I kid you not, the lid shattered on touch down into 10 or 12 bits. I was really surprised how fragile it was.

I’ve been a bit more proactive about lid replacement since then…

How do you know it wouldn’t have done that when new?

bin them, had a big clear out leaving the UK which made me wonder why I’d kept so much crap int he first place.

wilburt – Member
How do you know it wouldn’t have done that when new?

I’d take a guess that in it’s normal life time it took some knocks as most lids to when you carry them round etc. and didn’t shatter.

Burn them!

Sell them to tortoises as full body armour.

But not that exact knock so it doesn’t prove anything, it’s subjective anecdote.
My bicycle broke when going down a kerb, therefore all bicycles will always break when going down kerbs.

Met themselves say their helmets are good for at least 8 years is there any actual science showing the lifespan is shorter and if so shouldnt manufacturers be recycling them otherwise we’re going to end up with a world of helmet shaped flower baskets!

In short, I claim it’s BS.

Sell ’em on classifieds with the words “worn once or twice”.

I kid.

I’ve always crashed in them after a few years so have never had a helmet for 8 years. I stomp on them before binning them. Good for getting rid of frustrations. I did cut one in half to show my physics classes and discuss changes in momentum and head injuries.

Replacing my 1 year old Flux now it has 3 massive dents in it and infinite smaller impacts, it seems sound but just can’t trust it now knowing the knocks it’s taken. Think I’ll be chopping it in half and sticking it on the wall

Sell them on…….

Gave my last one (Giro Indicator) to my 8 year old daughter to destroy…lot harder than we’d expected as we set about it with hammers but the mattock finished the job nicely 8)