Helmet lifespan?

glasgowbhoy
glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
edited July 2013 in Road buying advice
What's the general consensus on a helmet and its
Lifespan. Have been using a kask vertigo for about two and
A half years now on a daily basis and was interested to know when
people generally replace them? Is it usually just after an impact, fashion or when
They start to disintegrate from all the sweat inside ?

Comments

  • stinger53
    stinger53 Posts: 135
    once you crash.. (if you do)
  • team47b
    team47b Posts: 6,425
    water, sweat or even salt water has no effect on the foam used, helmets are not affected by UV.
    my isetta is a 300cc bike
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    If you use your helmet like you use lines, you have plenty of spare :-)
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • Mindermast
    Mindermast Posts: 124
    The plastic and foam will degrade in a few centuries perhaps. The inside probably becomes disgusting after a while, so, if you can take it out, do so and get it cleaned.

    I am not sure about certification requirements in sport events. If they change eventually and then you will need a new compliant helmet, if you like to participate. Old-style leather helmets are definitely ruled out.
  • brandonformanes
    brandonformanes Posts: 3
    Rule of thumb is to replace after 3-4 years, but if you ever crash and impact your head, you should replace it immediately.
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    smidsy wrote:
    If you use your helmet like you use lines, you have plenty of spare :-)

    Posting from a smartphone can be a pain in the arse

    Thanks for all the other posts.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    brandonformanes wrote:
    Rule of thumb if you are a helmet manufacturer with a keen eye to your profits is to replace after 3-4 years, but if you ever crash and impact your head, you should replace it immediately.

    Fixed that for you :wink:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • dnwhite88
    dnwhite88 Posts: 285
    Most manufacturers recommend replacing it after 5 years even if you haven't crashed with it which I think is a good idea-you would hate for it to fail when you needed it.
    "It never gets easier, you just go faster"
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    My last helmet lasted 12 years before the retention mechanism broke. I'll be keeping the new one till I crash.

    OT, but I noticed that when I was unpacking my new CR1 frame & fork, one of the many Scott labels said something along the lines of consider replacing any carbon components (ie the whole bloody thing) after 3 years :shock:
  • jameses
    jameses Posts: 653
    Was wondering about this recently. A couple of months ago I noticed the retaining belt on my helmet (Scott Fuga) had broken half way through on both sides and after a couple of rides had gotten a lot worse. In the course of attempting to repair this, I found a split right through the foam of the helmet where it sits just above the right ear :shock:. I had been using this helmet for 3 years and it had never been crashed or dropped, so can't see how this developed.

    I know built-in obsolescence is a sad reality of modern manufacturing, but it seems massively irresponsible in a safety product. Hope mine was just a one off and nobody else discovers the same flaw the hard way!

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