[Closed] How often do you/should you replace your lid?

something from on one/planetx and save £125

If your head is melon shaped the above works.

If you have an ovoid egg then Giro, unless you dislike guns. Again can get perfectly good one for under £40.

personally they get replaced when I damage them, so maybe every year or so.

There’s no good evidence that the polystyrene degrades significantly over time, despite claims from helmet manufacturers that you should replace your helmet after a certain length of time. Change it when you damage it!

I was always under the impression that they have a 3 year life cycle (not including major damage).

But i am not sure if this is something i learnt about motorbike helmets that i transferred to bike helmets, or possibly an old wives tale that has stuck with me.

But yeah, i generally change my trail helmet every 3-ish years or if it has a major shunt, which touch wood, hasn't happened! My DH full face i have had for quite a bit longer and have no intentions of changing it, as it barely gets used (probably the wrong way of thinking!)

There's no agreed answer to this.

My view is, if there WERE evidence that polystyrene helmets degraded in any significant way then you can bet your arse the helmet companies would be letting us know about it much more loudly.

Helmets do slowly deteriorate.

As you say there is little hard evidence these days, much of the fear dated back to GRP helmets and old climbing ropes etc, left in sunlight in shop windows for 2 years etc. There are general guidelines which are sensible about a 3-5 year lifespan in use and storage out of direct sunlight.

Experience from having hundreds of helmets (foam cycling, foam climbing, various plastic climbing, plastic and foam canoe helmets, GRP caving helmets etc...) is that how abused they are is more important. Helmets that are lobbed onto the floor, ground in mud, piled into a kit bag and thrown in a car boot etc tend to get dents, cracks and marks which seem to weaken much more than age.

We used to destroy any helmets we threw out from the outdoor centre, as we had a monthly inspection and 3-year maximum age, this mean a few dozen helmets a year being destroyed. It is amazing how much effort it can take to break a helmet - and we were creative with how we destroyed them, and from what angle... I just destroyed a Bell that youngest_oab grew out of and was nearly 5 years old - it took a full, double footed jump from 90kg me, twice, to break it. First landing something cracked, second landing pancaked into 6 pieces or so. Our old Edelrid climbing helmets needed a minibus to reverse over them or pointy end of a hammer....

I replace mine every couple years or when it takes a knock. It’s your head, you kind of need it, you can’t get another one so I see no reason to take a chance personally

About 5 years or so when it looks tatty. Earlier if it has taken a big knock and/or looks dented or cracked.

Good luck trying to buy one at the moment. I stopped at an LBS the toher day with the intention of replacing mine which had a fair knock . They would not let me in the shop! They would sell me a helment from their stock, bring it to the door, I would then have to take it away and if it didn't fit, bring it back within 3 days. PITA as it wasn't even my LBS but a bigger one in a city where I had a medical appointment at the time. So a 60 mile round trip. Thanks, but no thanks. Plus they reckoned that had very little stock anyway

Helmets degrade with time, UV exposure, heat and possibly sweat. manufacturers recommend five years IIRC.

personally mine is normally stored in a dark cool cupboard so I have not replaced even tho its a lot more than 5 years old

If I used it every day I would replace after 3 years

I replace only after I’ve had more than a few* tumbles

* a movable feast that encompasses things like how much the helmet cost, how much I like it, how well it fits, and how bad the knocks are...

given that I use at least one of my helmets every day and the other at least 2-3 times a week and I do fall off “a lot” I get through helmets pretty routinely

There’s no good evidence that the polystyrene degrades significantly over time,

There's plenty of good quality research about the webbing straps though. These do deteriorate due to UV mainly and without them working properly the helmet will be less protective.

I replace mine every couple years or when it takes a knock. It’s your head, you kind of need it, you can’t get another one so I see no reason to take a chance personally

This +1
Buy a cheap and cheerful one, but buy one, and replace it reasonably regularly

Every two to three years-ish, or after any serious off where I've pranged it (had to do that just once).

Whilst I do think the whole 'polystyrene deteriorates' thing may be slightly talked up, In my experience the Helemt definitely generally deteriorate in condition. Through use, gettng soaking wet, getting dirty, getting knocked about a bit in the kit bag/car boot etc, and primarily in my case, becoming absolutely, 100% completely RANCID through sweat (which lets not forget is nasty enough to rot the paint off your top tube while you zwift!).

As for buying, like most I would always, always advocate trying on - however these days I know that Giro always fit me nest - so I'll just be ordering the lastest version as a replacement when the time comes.

when they break in half ....

I replace mine when there's a decent sale on. So probably about every 3 years. Got a Kask mtb and a Garneau road/commute - both good fits for my formerly Giro-shaped head. (Not that my head's changed shape, just that they were on sale and weren't Giro, if you get my drift 🙂 )

When they take a big hit (my Met Testagrossa was obliterated after my RTA just over seven years ago, marginally more than my upper jaw and teeth), or every ~4-5 years for me.

Helmets degrade with time, UV exposure, heat and possibly sweat.

Any evidence to back that up???

April Beard,Bontrager product manager for helemts stated that "There is no evidence that the EPS liner will deteriorate from age,"

Also,

Helmets.org, a non-profit consumer-funded programme providing bicycle helmet information, cite data from an MEA Forensic study in 2015 that found that the foam liners of used but not crashed helmets retained their performance over many years, with some the helmets tested being 26 years old.

a movable feast that encompasses things like how much the helmet cost, how much I like it, how well it fits, and how bad the knocks are…

given that I use at least one of my helmets every day and the other at least 2-3 times a week and I do fall off “a lot” I get through helmets pretty routinely

Mostly something like this.

I've got a massive Giro shaped head, so the only ones that fit are Giro/Bell/661, and only in the really big size (there's one that something like 58-61cm that doesn't fitm and one that's 58-63cm that does, but only with the rachet backed off all but a couple of clicks depending on how short my hair is). So it's not even every model from them.

So I tend to buy a new one as and when they come up in a sale and fit. I'd be surprised if my MTB helemets ever last more than 2 years before they get a decent knock. Road bike I've never crashed harder than a clipless fumble or clipped the edge of the cycle path so tends to get binned when it's obviously started to fade after 3-4 years.

I usually replace 5 years after the manufacture date on the sticker. That was always what we were told when I worked in bike shops so I have stuck to it.

Helmets do slowly deteriorate.

Whilst I do think the whole ‘polystyrene deteriorates’ thing may be slightly talked up

But so slowly you can't detect it in the oldest 'modern' cycling helmets made.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/when-to-replace-your-bike-helmet/

https://helmets.org/up1505a.htm

There’s plenty of good quality research about the webbing straps though. These do deteriorate due to UV mainly and without them working properly the helmet will be less protective.

I hate to ask this, but evidence? I've never had a helmet strap fall apart, or even look like it's going to.

IIRC Met has said that there is no need to replace their helmets before 10 years unless it's had a knock/signs of physical damage. Although I think they may count dropping it as a 'knock'. Which is not totally unreasonable given that it could do some not very visible damage and reduce the efficacy.

There’s no good evidence that the polystyrene degrades significantly over time

My right foot has some good evidence. The old shop I used to work in ran a campaign where customers brought in their old lid and got loads of money off a new one - After they'd left the store, I'd stamp on the lid on the shop floor before putting it in the bin, almost as a bit of a test of structural integrity. Did literally hundreds and a range of ages. I remember being alarmed at how some riders were happily riding around in 10 year old, sometimes 20 year old lids that when the foot was applied just shattered with little effort, as if the polystyrene had become very brittle with age. These old lids certainly didn't seem to be up to the task of distributing forces effectively if they were ever to be called upon. Having said that I'm sceptical of manufacturers claims of 3-5 year lifespans, after all if 5 years of Sunlight UV degradation in Southern California is a limit then the grey skies of Northern DisUnited Kingdom could extend that exposure considerably.

Been seen in last year's model or colour helmet? My goodness what are we? Animals?

^ ahhh, the days of the Madison staff sale and pre-sale dibbs.

1. When it's damaged.

2. When it's got a bit smelly, probably after about 5 years (straps are hard to clean properly).

3. When I fancy a new one / spot a "bargain".

4. After 8 years in case of UV damage.

(I haven't made it to #4 yet.)

Well seeing as it's been at least 5 years since I got my last one and given that I don't want to find out it's a bit past its best in a crash situation, new lid ordered. Giro Agilis MIPS at £90 seemed a good buy.

Thanks all for your thoughts and I am probably erring on the side of caution but as a road biker who has had two incidences in which the helmet has saved me from a nasty head bump I am happy to pay the entry fee.

@idlejohn Webbing is tested for HASAWA requirements, there's a load of information on how tiny nicks (1mm) can cause a massive decrease in integrity. Similarly for climbing software, the stuff in cycle helmets will not be made to the same rating as say a Dyneema/nylon sling.

Between 5 & 10 yrs for me as that’s when the padding starts to fall apart

+ 1 for Planet X .

Tried a Kask Mojito in the LBS and had a £15 Planet X road lid delivered. The Planet X was more comfortable and lighter and looked to just as good.

There is a huge polystyrene beam in the front of my car, just behind the grille, that is exposed to all manner of microimpacts from road debris, spray and environmental factors. It is not shielded by a thin skin of plastic, and does not appear to be a service item. I bet the radiator fails before it does.

I've got a full face that's only pressed into service once or twice a year, I'd be happy keeping it 10 years at least. My regular helmet is changed whenever it looks like it needs it due to damage / wear / grot probably every couple of years. So depends on usage.

I recently chucked out our old motorbike helmets, not used much but were starting to degrade. They were over 20 years old though.

1999 is the manufacture date on my Met Parrabellum helmet. Still seems pretty solid to me. Most of my biking is done after sunset so maybe UV rays don't harm it 🤔😂

Good to see some more sense posted than usual on this topic.

UV can affect molecular chain length. Does it get past the outer shell? If so, how far does it penetrate? In a dark cupboard?
As above, the straps may disintegrate first!

Great to see the "it's your head, you'd be stupid not to replace it [arbitrary time period]" still 👍

1. When it’s damaged.

2. When it’s got a bit smelly, probably after about 5 years (straps are hard to clean properly).

3. When I fancy a new one / spot a “bargain”.

4. After 8 years in case of UV damage.

(I haven’t made it to #4 yet.)

I agree.