I desire bike helmets were as long-lasting as bike frames. But they are not. They wear and tear later a few months of use.
And when they ultimately give in, it would not make much reason to keep utilizing them. The most beneficial thing to do would be to replace them.
But the problem is not whether it is a great idea to replace your helmet. You previously know you should. The most crucial question to ask now is How Often To Replace Bike Helmet?
Therefore in this post at BestComfortBike, you will learn everything you lack to know about the helmet, from How Often To Replace Bike Helmet to why they wear out.
Table of Contents
Guide – How Often to Replace Bike Helmet?
It is very crucial to know everything about your bike helmet- How usually to replace it, and the features of a good helmet. To know how often to replace your bicycle helmet or when to do it, you will lack to examine various factors.
1: Did You Fall In It?
If you have been involved in a critical crash or any bike collision where your head was hit, it is time to renew your helmet. The protecting portion of your helmet is created for one-time use, and later a collision, it is no longer as safe and protected as it once was. Even if there are no dents in the foam, you should think of replacing it. Most utmost people are hesitant to renew their helmets if it seems intact after an accident. Though, you should perceive that having it will just expose you to more major danger in the state you are involved in another crash.
When to replace your bicycle helmet? You can further crack or break your helmet by dropping it on a solid surface. The holes may be too small for you to notice, therefore you should see more thoroughly. You can additionally take the broken helmet to the company and let them examine it to view if it should be replaced. If it requires to be renewed, most companies will renew it at a nominal fee.
2: Is It of The ’80s?
The helmets that were created several decades ago have an artistic expression that is simple to fall in love with. If you have such a helmet, though, you should heed that the stuff utilized to make that helmet may not match the current protection standards and cannot give you the strength required in a critical crash. These helmets additionally do not have a solid shell, and they show your head to damages even in lesser accidents. Some 1980s helmets may have a tough shell-like today’s helmets, but the Styrofoam liner is normally extremely thin to give enough security while an accident. To assure you are well preserved when riding your bike, therefore, you should renew your old helmet with a new one. Though, if your 1980s helmet has the ASTM or Snell standard sticker, it was created to meet today’s standard for collision protection and you do not have to replace it.
3: Seeing for a reliable manufacturer
When did you purchase it? Most utmost helmet companies and dealers suggest that helmets should be replaced after five years. This is not completely true since some brands are more enduring than others. If your helmet is made by a reputable manufacturer, you can keep it for seven years. Though, if you travel thousands of miles every year, despite the brand and condition of your helmet, renewing it after five years can be a smart decision.
Hardly, somebody spreads a rumor that helmets improve with age, but this is not true, particularly if your helmet is from a reliable company. A recent study by MEA shows that foam liners maintain their strength and production over several years. The MEA crash-tested more than 600 helmets in the lab. The outcomes showed that there was no major influence on production change with age. Some of the helmets used in that research were as old as 26 years. Hence, if your helmet is yet in good shape and serves you properly, despite how old it is, you may not necessitate to replace it.
4: Do You Use Your Bike Helmet For Non-Bicycle Activities?
If you utilize your bike helmet in every other sport where you crash frequently, you should renew it frequently even if it yet seems intact. If you do not renew it, the shell will be more likely to fly apart the next time you damage, exposing your head to fractures and other critical moments. An overused helmet will not guard you when you crash and can further drive to death. You should consider renewing it instantly. Although most utmost bike helmets are certified for skateboarding and other sports, we suggest purchasing another helmet intended for those games and use your bike helmet simply when riding a bike.
5: Is It A More reliable Helmet When Compared To The Ones We Have Today?
Does it have a standard sticker? Does it have a string shell? Does it have dense foam? Does it suit well? These topics will help you know if your helmet is more reliable than the ones accessible in the store today. If you see your helmet needs something available in today’s helmets, renew it. When replacing it, go for a helmet that has a solid shell, UV inhibitors, and a thick foam liner. Just put, go for a helmet that will defend you while an accident.
Why Do Bike Helmets Wear Out?
The bike helmets will wear and shred after a few months of practice. Therefore it is important to renew yours the time you see that they are giving in.
View at the interior foam that gives the shield inside your helmet. If it has shrunk, it indicates that the helmet will no longer defend your head well.
In another example, you might see at the foam and not view any cracks, which might drive you to believe that the helmet is still in excellent condition and reliable to use.
Though, it is probable that as it was consuming the shock that came with the result, it damaged in a way that is not visible.
Furthermore, the use of chemical cleaners further adds to increasing wear and tear because some of these chemicals may weaken the shell of the helmet.
Using paint or attaching unnecessary stickers could further cause-related consequences because some of those solutions are harmful to the integrity of the plastic shell. Repeat, putting a helmet in a hot climate could further weaken it.
Why It is Necessary to Renew Your Bike Helmet
The Snell Motorcycle Foundation, a not-for-profit company that deals with analysis and improvement in protection standards for helmets, suggests that you should renew your helmet every five years.
Added not-for-profit company called Helmets.org cites that the interior liner of helmets that were not included in an accident does not easily wear out. A reduction in the quality of this foam poses a danger of shocks not being consumed therefore influencing your brain.
You should constantly check your helmet for any cracks on the shell or the internal foam. The appearance of even one diminutive crack means that the helmet cannot give the protection it should.
Even without a crash, too much danger to sunlight, sweat, or heat could wear out the internal foam. Therefore it is important to check the helmet’s situation to see if it is still in excellent standing.
Moreover, renewing the helmet gives you a chance to buy a new one that could come with new protection features.
Even if you just had a small fall, you should not take any chances, and think about changing the helmet since sometimes damage on the interior foam might not necessarily show.
The helmet straps, as well as the fit system too, necessitate being checked periodically. If the buckle loses its effectiveness, it might end up setting you at danger as you ride.
Failure of the fit system indicates that your helmet will not have the snug required to ensure the rider of protection in the case of an accident.
Some Essential Points to Keep in Mind
Check if there are cracks throughout the vents and in the EPS foam. If the EPS foam and the helmet shell have area among them, then it is time to update your helmet.
Watch out for any color fading on the helmet shell. The color fading could indicate that the plastic has become fragile and therefore unable to resist an impression should an accident happen.
If you touch the shell and sense that the cover is extremely loose, this could mean that it is already weak. A dent in the central section of the helmet could further mean likely destruction.
The buckles might have either of the two ends broken and therefore need an urgent replacement. A blade that is not strong can hold together the buckle, but it will instantly get loose if a forceful crash occurs.
An easy test like failing to fit as you wear the helmet would further imply that it is time to get a new one. Furthermore, if you need to change the mode of cycling, like maybe the area or weather condition, you lack to change the current helmet and go for one that meets the new conditions.
What to Do if You Desire to Renew Your Helmet
If you want to renew your current helmet, do not give it to a friend as a gift. You are renewing it because it has dropped its core mission, which is to preserve your head in the event of a crash.
Evade throwing it in the trash so that no one picks and use it, or sells to an unknowing consumer. And besides, it’s not even eco-friendly to trash helmets since they are made of non-biodegradable plastic.
Therefore it is advisable to discover ways of reusing them. You can additionally become productive with the old helmet by turning it into maybe a nice vase for your flowers on the balcony or a container to put in things.
If you appear to have a helmet that is not as old yet but you no longer feel the temptation to it, you could think of giving it to an institution that trains in cycling training.
This could further add helmets once used by you or your child when they were growing and have now outgrown.
Please note that moving onward and giving old helmets with worn-out inner foam or broken shells just puts the students in danger of getting head wounds. Therefore do not do this.
You could further visit a bike shop and inquire if they would think of exchanging your old helmet with a new one at a discount, or if they normally collect bike wear voluntarily.
Additionally, look for organizations that recycle plastic waste in common. They can further do the job of recycling for you.
Conclusion
How often to replace bike helmet depends on a class of factors as we have described before. If in doubt, contact the maker of your helmet and describe your situation in detail.
