You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Bijou spud is home from bikes at school this week. It seems they’ve all been advised that helmets over 2yrs should be replaced.
Obvs we have the filter of the 11yrs old here, but it seems a little extreme? Is that really a thing?
Bikeability instructor here.
Not as far as I know, we're trained to look for obvious damage, but that's all. I think the "replace your helmet after X time" myth has been thoroughly debunked.
Sounds like an arse-covering exercise to me.
APF
I got a bikeability instructor banned from primary school because they were so poor. Shouting at scared child was the final straw for me. They couldn't even explain how to fit a helmet properly so I would take their advice with a pinch of salt. Just look at their videos on YouTube and you can see how much they know about helmets. Or riding a bikee.
Three years was standard when i worked in bike shops. Motorbikes and helmets I've worn for work have also been three years (unless damaged).
Every 3-5 years according to MIPS
https://mipsprotection.com/helmet-safety/how-long-do-helmets-last/
I replace mine when I crack it 'cos I'm tight 😁
MET say unless it’s been crashed it’s fine, IIRC. Having said that I replace mine about every four years.
Double post - sorry.
+1 on that sounds excessive and not really driven by anything official/suggested these days.
Edit: even 10 years ago at outdoor centre with daily used / abused helmets we generally ran cycle helmets 3 years or damage, climbing helmets 5 years or damage. All was driven by manufacturers and industry norms.
Maybe the instructor had a bad day and made a mistake?
I can very much imagine the instructor saying something like ‘manufacurers say chuck it after 3-5 years, but don’t hesitate to chuck it after 2 if there’s signs of damage’. I know from experience that a group of school kids can have very different memories of nuanced information!
While we’re here though, does anyone know what the evidence base is for the industry wide ‘3-5 years’ advice? It definitely feels like a reasonable, but I’m curious how the figure has been arrived at.
Bikeability instructor here - we say 3-5 years, but show them how to check for damage. If in doubt, we loan them a helmet. Most helmet issues are to do with poor fit.
While we’re here though, does anyone know what the evidence base is for the industry wide ‘3-5 years’ advice?
to sell helmets.
to sell helmets.
+1
I believe that there can be some degradation from UV exposure, but seeing as most helmets have a plastic cover over the EPS this is not really an issue. Anyway, how much time do they spend outside exposed to sunlight vs in your house in a cupboard somewhere?
Found this site that says much the same thing, with studies to back it up: https://helmets.org/up1505a.htm
TL;DR: If it's damaged at all, replace it. Otherwise, meh, it's fine.
Helmets degrade with time, UV exposure and sweat contamination. How much and how quickly is much debated. 5 years is used as at 5 years few helmets will have deteriorated significantly
My helmet is much older but its not been used much, spends most of its time in a dark cupboard so I am content it will not have deteriorated significantly
5 years is basically a "lowest common denominator"
I got categorically told by my MTB Guide L 3 trainer not to bother turning up to assessment with a helmet with a manufacture date more than 3 years ago as it would be an automatic fail.
Really pissed me off, but what can you do...
considering helmets are not compulsory at all then thats a weird attitude.
Safety is not about PPE except as the last resort. Safety is about managing risks and preventing accidents not PPE
My mate was up until last year still rocking a helmet I got for him back in 2011.
He is, however, a bit of a tight fisted git.
tjagain
Full Member
considering helmets are not compulsory at all then thats a weird attitude.
The training providers insurer probably stipulates that helmets must be worn, and if guidance at the time was 3 years, then it would be tricky to defend ignoring that in court. In the same way, some catering businesses insist on having lids on take away hot drinks.
Duty of care/liability.
I know from experience that a group of school kids can have very different memories of nuanced information!
Or is it that a child turned up with an ancient hand-me-down helmet perched on top of their head like a giant plastic zit? 😀
The training providers insurer probably stipulates that helmets must be worn, and if guidance at the time was 3 years, then it would be tricky to defend ignoring that in court. In the same way, some catering businesses insist on having lids on take away hot drinks.
Duty of care/liability.
Exactly. This will be an insurance requirement, not a helmet debate.
I'd chech the Virginia Tech helmet safety rating when choosing, but given this was in the news a couple of weeks ago i wouldn't get too hung up on it. I'm on my third helmet since 2000...
2 Feb 2024 — Turbans can be as effective or better than cycling helmets at protecting against some head injuries, experts have found...
Big helmet casts a large shadow.
to be fair, the way my (4 and 7) kids treat helmets I'd say a 2 year lifespan on them is generous, they just get bashed, dropped and banged around, and they grow out of them pretty quickly.
If undamaged I tend to replace mine when the pads have totally dissolved and I can find one big enough for my swede.
Maybe the advice was specific to the audience? Kids craniums tend to get bigger over time, I know ours had noticeably bigger noggins when they were 8 Vs when they were 6, similarly a 10 year old's head will have grown a fair bit since they were 8 (and so on).
Plus (IME) kids have a habit of singing helmets about with wild abandon.
Perhaps the advice was more about appropriate sizing to suit growing children.
Plus (IME) kids have a habit of singing helmets about with wild abandon.
Introducing... the all-singing all-dancing helmet awareness musical extravaganza!
Coming soon to a Netflix near you.
Can't wait for the trailer 😂
Can’t wait for the trailer 😂
'Sausage fingers! - The musical'