MTB Helmet Advice

roof30

I am new(ish) to MTB, although not new to cycling. I used to have a 2002 Specialized Hardrock, and used a Giro Hex (which fit my awkward shaped head). Donated my bike to Bikes for Africa when I got in to road cycling three years ago - and am now regretting it.

Skip forward to this year and I have finally made the decision to buy a new MTB to add to my ever-growing stable. Cannondale Trail 4 being delivered this coming week, and I have decided to go for a Giro Hex again as it fit well. Ordered a 2017 in my size online; however, the date inside the helmet says June 2014. Needless to say I have contacted the company and am going to be returning it. I have always been lead to believe that the date in the helmet is the date of manufacture, so June 2014 is well into a helmet's lifespan. The company I bought the helmet from disagree and have said this is the date the helmet concept was designed (which is bs as I used to own a 2004 Hex). Who is right here and am I right to be returning this, considering I thought I was buying a 2017 model?

Thanks in advance.

slc123

Ultimately you have the right to return it anyway providing the terms and conditions stated allow returns which in this day and age I imagine they do. I doubt they are disputing the return.

If you don’t feel confident in what they are saying, I would just return it and find an alternative from somewhere else or the same one somewhere else and see if it’s the same case. Alternatively a quick email to the manufacturer will give you the correct answer!

roof30

Thanks. I guess what I'm asking is that if the date label inside the helmet isn't the date of manufacture, then what is it?

I've contacted Giro but won't hold out for a response.

slc123

I couldn’t say, only giro will know. Perhaps it’s when they updated the design, doesn’t mean it’s the date they were first produced. There is a lot of safety considerations around helmets so it could be to do with that.

david7m

Sounds suspicious. If it's not production date, then how else could you identify the age if your brain like a sieve/ other things going on?
Dave

CitizenLee

My IXS Trail RS has 2013/08 on a sticker inside, which makes sense as that's the year they came out and I bought it in December 2013.

You could send a Tweet to @GiroCyclingUK and see if you get a faster response. I don't use Twitter myself, but a friend does when he needs to moan at a company and he always seems to get results (companies tend not to like negative PR!).

roof30

Thanks for the info all. I've sent the helmet back this morning as I'm certain this is the date of manufacture and I'm not paying for a helmet that's already more than four years old. To be fair the company were very apologetic, but didn't seem to accept that this was a manufacture date. I'll be buying it from elsewhere, but checking the date label with them ahead of time.

Matty2B

A quick Google found this... Apparently a study was done which showed no evidence that cycle helmets age in the box or even when used provided they are not involved in a crash. Doean’t mean you can’t exchange it of course if you don’t want to, that is your right under consumer law, but it doesn’t seem there is any real reason to do so.

Bottom briquettes

The 2014 sticker indicates the model year. That remains the case until the manufacturers update the design and / or materials. So a lid marked 2014, could well have been produced recently.