Helmets - mean time betweef failures

Andrew Price said:

Big chunk of styrofoam fell out of the Limar helmet on the way home from
work tonight, right where the strap attaches at the back.

5 years constant use, a few minor scrapes (there was that low tree branch
once as I recall) so I guess I can't complain - but I really think it was
the rash threat to wash it because it was getting a bit pongy in the heat
that caused it to give up the ghost.

Recommendations for one with significantly longer life span?

As I understand it five years is about all you can expect from a
helmet. UV degradation takes its toll, think yourself lucky that you
found out it was cactus without actually having to use it.

Quoted message said:

I had just got fond of it too, sort of like an old sweater with holes in it
that you don't want to give up.

Indifferent to mine. Couple of times this week I'd rather not have worn
it but the law is the law.
--
Cheers | ~~ __@
Euan | ~~ _-\<,
Melbourne, Australia | ~ (*)/ (*)

Met Stradivarius here. like it. suits my head shape (which the LIMAR didnt. personal thing like saddles).

Altoh in hindsight i woulda gone the ippogriffo with the meshy bits over the vents at front.
When choosing a replacement months back i saw these and thought it rathe ra gimmick as i couldnt recall ever needing such a thing but of course now summer has come and i almost had a nasty panic attack on BR80b yesterday when i got a bee in the helmet. luckily i worked hime loose before he could get me

flyingdutch said:

Met Stradivarius here. like it. suits my head shape (which the LIMAR
didnt. personal thing like saddles).

Altoh in hindsight i woulda gone the ippogriffo with the meshy bits
over the vents at front.

I think the new strads have it too, but am not sure?

Andrew Price said:

5 years constant use, a few minor scrapes (there was that low tree branch
once as I recall) so I guess I can't complain

Recommendations for one with significantly longer life span?

$150-200 overall cost / 5 years use

equals $30 - 40 /yr in safety for your head

pretty good deal to me!
Bell and/or Giro suggest 5yrs max, may be less with UV exposure and
hair oil or hair product.

Frankly I would change helmets probably at least every two years, just
to ensure that the helmet is more than up to the job of absorbing as
much force as possible, if ever needed.

Bell ran an ad a couple of years ago in the US, something like $100
feet - $5 head
Crazy to think that we are quite happy to spend $1000+ for a bike,
$200+ on shoes, tyres all the time, constant servicing and on it goes
but not on a helmet! - madness.

then again maybe Bell had a point!

r

Rayc said:

Bell ran an ad a couple of years ago in the US, something like $100
feet - $5 head
Crazy to think that we are quite happy to spend $1000+ for a bike,
$200+ on shoes, tyres all the time, constant servicing and on it goes
but not on a helmet! - madness.

That all depends on whether you believe helmets do the job they claim.

Consider: the chances of having an accident on a bicycle are about the same as those of having an accident as a pedestrian. Out of all those accidents approximately one percent involve a head injury. That's a pretty low risk and for many people hardly worth taking measures against.

Add in that helmets have had no credible research to back their claims and many people treat helmet wearing as an inconvenience which must be complied with to statisfy the law of the land.

Quoted post said:

then again maybe Bell had a point!

For those who buy in to the exaggerated dangers of cycling without a helmet maybe?

EuanB said:

That all depends on whether you believe helmets do the job they claim.

Consider: the chances of having an accident on a bicycle are about the same as those of having an accident as a pedestrian. Out of all those accidents approximately one percent involve a head injury. That's a pretty low risk and for many people hardly worth taking measures against.

Add in that helmets have had no credible research to back their claims and many people treat helmet wearing as an inconvenience which must be complied with to statisfy the law of the land.

For those who buy in to the exaggerated dangers of cycling without a helmet maybe?

wwooopppp wwooopppp wwooopppp wwooopppp wwooopppp

HELMET DEBATE!!!!!!!

run fer your livesssssssssssss

EuanB said:

Rayc said:

Bell ran an ad a couple of years ago in the US, something like $100
feet - $5 head
Crazy to think that we are quite happy to spend $1000+ for a bike,
$200+ on shoes, tyres all the time, constant servicing and on it goes
but not on a helmet! - madness.

That all depends on whether you believe helmets do the job they claim.

Consider: the chances of having an accident on a bicycle are about the
same as those of having an accident as a pedestrian. Out of all those
accidents approximately one percent involve a head injury. That's a
pretty low risk and for many people hardly worth taking measures
against.

Add in that helmets have had no credible research to back their claims
and many people treat helmet wearing as an inconvenience which must be
complied with to statisfy the law of the land.

Quoted message said:

then again maybe Bell had a point!

For those who buy in to the exaggerated dangers of cycling without a
helmet maybe?

I agree with all your points, that bicycling is very safe, and helmets
don't do much to improve safety.
However, this thread started with a legitimate question on how long a
helmet (or more specifically the polystyrofoam liner) should last.
I can't really see the connection between that and whether one should be
wearing a helmet at all!!

Peter.

--
No Microsoft involved. Certified virus free --

EuanB said:

That all depends on whether you believe helmets do the job they claim.

Well no one can really conduct real world testing in every situation,
but go ahead and wear some DH body armour and a motobike helmet the
next time you get some milk from the local milkbar. If you dont feel
that helmet work, prehaps you can get past the laws by carrying it on
you and not actually wearing it.

Quoted message said:

Consider: the chances of having an accident on a bicycle are about the
same as those of having an accident as a pedestrian. Out of all those
accidents approximately one percent involve a head injury. That's a
pretty low risk and for many people hardly worth taking measures
against.

I'd rather not risk picking the day in which that 1% or so falls on.
Hey its all in your hands as to whether or not you want to protect your
head. You are after all an adult and your can choose to do what ever
you please.

Quoted message said:

Add in that helmets have had no credible research to back their claims
and many people treat helmet wearing as an inconvenience which must be
complied with to statisfy the law of the land.

Quoted message said:

For those who buy in to the exaggerated dangers of cycling without a
helmet maybe?

Well. maybe...... but I for one am quite happy to wear a helmet, even
on 35degree days. The day the you go too far on your new ETSX, or too
close to that tree on the corner, you might want that helmet on your
noggin.

Andrew Price said:

Big chunk of styrofoam fell out of the Limar helmet on the way home from
work tonight, right where the strap attaches at the back.

5 years constant use, a few minor scrapes (there was that low tree branch
once as I recall) so I guess I can't complain - but I really think it was
the rash threat to wash it because it was getting a bit pongy in the heat
that caused it to give up the ghost.

Recommendations for one with significantly longer life span?

I had just got fond of it too, sort of like an old sweater with holes in it...

My MET Ippogriffo has been beaut for 3 yrs or so until last week when the soft plastic 'chassis' inside the helmet broke at the back where it fits into the adjustment bits. I'll be having a closer look at these mechanisms when I look for the next one.

Any one got any ideas on this? I'd prefer to repair than replace, thought the comments made about the investment one makes in head protection will get another airing when I talk to the finance manager tonight!

Without wanting to cause a ruckus, I haven't had an accident in which my head didn't get a knock of some sort. Head + ground = hurt. A pain, particularly in the heat, but I won't be without one.

Dee Dub

I hope that I did point out something important, that the life of a
helmet may be limited by other factors.
the OP did say that
"5 years constant use, a few minor scrapes (there was that low tree
branch
once as I recall) so I guess I can't complain"

so manufactuers have said 5 yr max and then you need to factor in wear
accelerants(sp?)
but then again do you want to stretch the ability of a helmet to
effectively absorb impact force?

Met offer a crash replacement policy, not free but cheaper than buying
a new helmet. Some distributors offer an inspection service, but none
offer a repair service.

Kinda hard to do repairs on one part of a helmet, as the helmet as a
whole absorbs the impact and impact damage is not neccessarily visible.

Plus I dont think anyone would want to place their name behiond the
partial refurbishment of a used helmet

Peter Keller said:

I agree with all your points, that bicycling is very safe, and helmets
don't do much to improve safety.
However, this thread started with a legitimate question on how long a
helmet (or more specifically the polystyrofoam liner) should last.

Every query's legitimate in my book, but I take your point. Take my point that earlier in the thread I gave a considered reply, which has been echoed by others.

Quoted post said:

I can't really see the connection between that and whether one should be
wearing a helmet at all!!

That post was in response to a post stating that anyone who does not wear a helmet may have `a five dollar head.'

Rayc said:

If you dont feel
that helmet work, prehaps you can get past the laws by carrying it on
you and not actually wearing it.

You make it sound like I have a choice. As a law abiding resident (working on citizenship) I don't.

Quoted post said:

Well. maybe...... but I for one am quite happy to wear a helmet, even
on 35degree days. The day the you go too far on your new ETSX, or too
close to that tree on the corner, you might want that helmet on your
noggin.

I don't consider mountain biking to be as safe as normal cycling. The terrain is challenging and I'm generally pushing myself really hard, esepcially at the moment as I don't have mountain bike fitness. I wouldn't consider riding off road without a helmet as the risk of coming off is far greater than it is on the road.

The ETSX is a lot of fun :-)

EuanB said:

Peter Keller said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I can't really see the connection between that and whether one should
be
wearing a helmet at all!!

That post was in response to a post stating that anyone who does not
wear a helmet may have `a five dollar head.'

Very good point!

Peter

--
No Microsoft involved. Certified virus free --

EuanB wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

I don't consider mountain biking to be as safe as normal cycling. The
terrain is challenging and I'm generally pushing myself really hard,
esepcially at the moment as I don't have mountain bike fitness. I
wouldn't consider riding off road without a helmet as the risk of
coming off is far greater than it is on the road.

<snip>

Even though I'm far more competent at road riding than mountain biking,
I consider mountain biking safer. The primary threat to my safety is my
own lack of skill. Whereas on the road, the primary threat to my safety
is something I can't control - other drivers. If I come off my bike,
downhill, at 60km/h, it's going to hurt regardless of whether I'm on the
road or the trail. But at least on the trail, I'm not going to
concurrently get hit by a tonne of metal.

Tam

Rayc said:

Met offer a crash replacement policy, not free but cheaper than buying
a new helmet. Some distributors offer an inspection service, but none
offer a repair service.

I am not sure if an "inspection" service is useful at all. The propaganda
is that after any knock, however minor, the helmet should be replaced as
damage to it may be invisible but still real, thus lessening greatly
whatever protective properties it had.

Peter

--
No Microsoft involved. Certified virus free --

Peter Keller said:

Rayc said:

Met offer a crash replacement policy, not free but cheaper than buying
a new helmet. Some distributors offer an inspection service, but none
offer a repair service.

I am not sure if an "inspection" service is useful at all. The propaganda
is that after any knock, however minor, the helmet should be replaced as
damage to it may be invisible but still real, thus lessening greatly
whatever protective properties it had.

Peter

I found a miniature compression spot on a helmet after I'd stacked it...
which happened to correspond to a small bruise on my head, so I decided
to check it out. When we peeled back the plastic, we found a massive
crack that was not at all visible from outside. The bike shop was very
responsible and insisted I smash the [censored] out of the helmet so that no
one would take it out of the bin and try to use it. The thought of that
scared me - I am always amazed when people sell second hand bikes with a
helmet included.

Tam

Peter Keller said:

I agree with all your points, that bicycling is very safe, and helmets
don't do much to improve safety.
However, this thread started with a legitimate question on how long a
helmet (or more specifically the polystyrofoam liner) should last.
I can't really see the connection between that and whether one should
be wearing a helmet at all!!

The connection is that, if you leave your helmet in a dark cupboard and
never get it out, it should last a very long time.

Theo

In aus.bicycle on 3 Jan 2006 15:42:58 -0800

Rayc said:

so manufactuers have said 5 yr max and then you need to factor in wear
accelerants(sp?)
but then again do you want to stretch the ability of a helmet to
effectively absorb impact force?

Just to make life more difficult... The bod in charge of testing
motorcycle helmets for Oz compliance recently tested a bunch of old
helmets - some worn a lot, some not much, the oldest 12 years old.

They all passed.

Meaning that it isn't at all clear that age wearies them and the years
contemn. It looks like just crashes bugger 'em up.

As to the original problem of polystyrene falling off, I suspect that
there isn't enough info about minor knocks and UV exposure to give a
good answer.

Zebee