Do helmets go bad over time?

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

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 23:35:39 -0700, RS wrote:

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:

WHEN SHOULD I REPLACE MY HELMET?
How often should a helmet be replaced under normal wear and tear?
Bell has a general recommendation of replacing a helmet every three
(3) years. If you have any questions as to the condition of your
helmet please call us for information or to set up a free inspection.

http://www.bellbikehelmets.com/helmet101.asp#6

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

No, but their detractors do.

eg :-P eg :-D eg

RS wrote:
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

Years ago (like '93 or '94) my Garneau rep went to great lengths to
explain why their zowie new technology extended the life of a helmet
from three to five years. No idea if it was all bull or not but if it
was bull he wasted a lot of time.

My helmet is going on 13 years old .. it is one of the zowie ones
mentioned above that I was comped..

I had the soft foam inserts crumble in my helmet. Not the whole helmet
styrofoam structure.
Lots of old foam rubber perishes over time. It doesn't need to be sweated on
all the time to do it. It just does.
Regards Wilfred
wrote in message
oups.com...

RS wrote:
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

Years ago (like '93 or '94) my Garneau rep went to great lengths to
explain why their zowie new technology extended the life of a helmet
from three to five years. No idea if it was all bull or not but if it
was bull he wasted a lot of time.

My helmet is going on 13 years old .. it is one of the zowie ones
mentioned above that I was comped..

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 23:35:39 -0700, RS wrote:

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?

Maybe.

Some foams (polyurethane in particular) will degrade with age; others
do not. Many types of foam are used; their characteristics vary, and
few 9if any) helmets are marked as to what kind(s) of foam(s) were
used in their construction.

My opinion, which isn't guaranteed to be well-informed in any regard,
is that if the foam seems squishy, sticky, or softer than it was
before, or if the surface has begun developing a grainy power-like
consistency, the foam's probably degrading and the helmet would be
best replaced.

None of my cheap helmets have displayed any degradation thus far.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 23:35:39 -0700, RS wrote:

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?

I'm not sure about the life expectancy of cycling helmet foam, but the
foam in my '70s era Bell Star (See:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3/racing/BMW03.gif ) has lost all
integrity.



jeverett3ATearthlinkDOTnet http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

RS wrote:
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


Snell standards recommend replacement after 5 years or a severe blow.
Bell suggest 3 years.

--
Tony

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

landotter wrote:
RS wrote:
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?

Boat payment.

Helmets might get some wear and tear over the years with heavy use just
from being handled and tossed about, but I've never seen one "crumble".


I've got one in the hall that I wear for charity events where they
insist that my jaunty Italian cap is out of place. It's 12 years old
and shows zero signs of breakdown.

Ask the LBS if you should replace your beer coolers every 3 years to
keep your brew safe.


Shoot, don't you run over your beer cooler with your boat trailer at
least every two years??

Pat Lamb wrote:
landotter wrote:
RS wrote:
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?

Boat payment.

Helmets might get some wear and tear over the years with heavy use just
from being handled and tossed about, but I've never seen one "crumble".


I've got one in the hall that I wear for charity events where they
insist that my jaunty Italian cap is out of place. It's 12 years old
and shows zero signs of breakdown.

Ask the LBS if you should replace your beer coolers every 3 years to
keep your brew safe.


Shoot, don't you run over your beer cooler with your boat trailer at
least every two years??

Amateur. I have a Snell rated beer cooler. It's a hard shell rated for
four sixpacks from a drop of 3 meters. :-P