Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
These are not for men. They are for DEVO.
Wear a helmet and discard the broken and probably old ones
- Thread starter opimax
- Start date
J.R.
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Piedmont Highlands
I agree with replacing older helmets, it's a wise idea. Helmets are definately made to different standards, some just styrofoam and others more high tech. 3 to 4 years is a good time frame for something that usually costs less than $200.
I wouldn't take anything a seller says as the final word. Bell and Giro, same company, own MIPS and have convinced a lot of people MIPS is superior to everything else on the market. MIPS isn't the only way to achieve slip plane technology in helmets. And scientists dispute the MIPS version of slip plane is better than some others on the market. It was and is a for profit development. Well made and marketed well, it is now being licensed to other makers. It isn't like SNELL Foundation, that tests and certifies helmets.
Paved paths are not a reason to leave protective equipment home. A former manager was riding a paved path, caught a stick kinda funky and went down at around 20 mph (she's a tri-athlete). Shatterd helmet, broke jaw, bow from sunglasses punctured her cheek.
tomjasz
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Minnesnowta
Consumer reports has tested and rated helmets. My $50 is rated highervthan helmets 2-4 times the price. UK Sharp ratingscreveal motorcycle helmets can be reasonably priced snd still provide excellent protection.
J.R.
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Piedmont Highlands
True. A good helmet doesn't have to be expensive. It's also true, to a degree, the more you spend typically you get a helmet that can last longer. There are different grades of styrofoam and they degrade at different rates. Sunlight, heat, impact will all degrade foam and age means the degradation is more severe. Everything has a useful life.
Man goes to the doctors and says, doc I keep getting these annoying headaches, what can I do? Doctor says, I've got this sure fire way to keep you headache free for a year! No pills, no shots and all it costs is 50 bucks a year!
m@Robertson
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
This says what I was illustrating with the other quotes: There is no hard/fast length-of-time rule. It is a judgment call and helmets do not expire of their own accord as the original posts with no background info implied.
Yes I said that, and I linked to their specific, comments on the subject.
The point was not to say helmets may not benefit from replacement once they reach old age. It was to counter any impression that there is a hard limit, which was given early on. What you do is look at your helmet and decide whether its condition warrants replacement. Or a smarter move is to look at current helmet technology and decide whether an upgrade is in order thanks to improved technology. I upgraded my Super3R in 2021 when I saw the Super Downhill had replaced the plastic MIPS membrane with a foam-shell-within-the-foam-shell. And when I needed a second helmet for home use, I went with the Super Air because the Super Downhill's oversized shell had been refined so the Super Air now delivered the 2-layer foam MIPS in a package that was now as small as the old Super 3R.
But I still am using my Super 3R from 2017. Nothing worn out on it yet including the replaceable fit kit pads. I wore it to work today in fact. I need to use the Super Downhill but the added bulk of that hat puts me off of it a bit.
m@Robertson
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
This is not true.
Multi-directional Impact Protection System - Wikipedia
I won't say MIPS is the be-all and end-all, but I accept the arguments that it can offer an improved result.
J.R.
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Piedmont Highlands
MIPS is not a wholly owned subsidiary of BRG Sports, owner of Bell and Giro, they are part owner of MIPS and other manufacturers have to license the tech from the group.This is not true.
Multi-directional Impact Protection System - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
I won't say MIPS is the be-all and end-all, but I accept the arguments that it can offer an improved result.
BRG Sports Acquires Stake in MIPS AB to Supplement Helmet RandD | SGB Media Online
BRG Sports Inc. has invested in MIPS AB, a Swedish company that makes the patented Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) that will be featured in several new cycling helmet models from BRG Sports brands Giro and Bell...
sgbonline.com
I didn't discount the value or quality of the product. Back in 2015 I did a lot of research on slip plane technology as it related to motorcycle helmets. I still had a minor connection with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Slip plane technology wasn't new with MIPS. Good products, quality helmet, as I said, but I find it surprising how often people think it's a certification like SNELL. Really good marketing.
tomjasz
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Minnesnowta
I just included the actual quote. No echo.
TForan52
Active Member
- Region
- USA
After many decades, it has never happened to me. I’ll take the Amsterdam approach, thank you very much. Can’t have it mussing my do !
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Mr. Coffee
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- A Demented Corner of the North Cascades
I understand what you are saying.
On the other hand, helmets are safety equipment. And we are talking about our brains. I think most of us would agree that our brains are amongst our favorite organs.
When I am using any kind of safety equipment, from helmets to climbing harnesses to avalanche transceivers, I am going to take a lively interest in what the manufacturer thinks the safe and proper operation of said equipment actually is, read the instruction manual (and FAQ) on their website, and am going to be mighty conservative about how I actually use their gadget and be pretty proactive about replacing it if I think there might be a problem. That's just using my brain to protect my brain.
Thanks for challenging the dogma , My own 4 year belief comes from the experience that every MOTORCYCLE lid I've owned more than 3/4 years has stopped fitting snugly - both from comfort liner degredation as well as foam compression. I also recall anecdotal reports from a fellow motorcycle rider who worked in a helmet test lab and put some 3/4 year old lids through the testing - and they reportedly all failed. But that's after 3/4 years use / uv + sweat exposure etc- not from sitting on a shelf.
So I went looking and came across this https://helmets.org/helmetlineraging.htm. Which seemingly indicates that bicycle helmets up to 26 years old still passed the bicycle saftety standards in 2015. IMHO this says more about bicycle safety standards than proof that an older lid still functions as well as a new one....but I'll concede that " the science" doesn't support my personal experience - and I will continue to toss out my lids @ 4 years until I can find human crash data supporting the old helmets are safe hypothesis
Some biking friends were advising newbies on getting new (non-e) bikes, and insisted they get helmets to go with. The guy tried out a couple of loops in the parking lot, crashed, and cracked open the brand-new (20 minutes old) helmet.
I also have crashed; got a concussion, and abraded the helmet shell. No visible damage anywhere else, in or out. But I didn't ride again until I had replaced that helmet. (confession: couldn't ride anyhow until my cracked pelvis healed).
I saw a young man pull out if the motorcycle dealership on his new 500cc Ninja, and crash in a intersection 4 blocks from the dealership turning into his neighborhood. His front tire hit a sewer cap and it washed out from under him. He was okay (wearing full gear) and went down kinda slow but he was super embarrassed. Poor bike was not even 5 minutes new. And yes, his helmet was scuffed up as well.
Neverlost99
Member
He had a head injury. Give him a break.
tomjasz
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Minnesnowta
Jeebus, reading comprehension?
Pierre S1Helmets
New Member
- Region
- USA
... I'd like to see more talks about helmet certifications as well. We go way faster on E-bike! At hi-speed the "regular" bike or skate helmets just won't cut it.
Look for the NTA 8776 certification for E-bike, to protect yourself at higher speeds (up to 28mph).
Upon heavy impacts, the protective foam inside the helmet absorbs the impact and often cracks the protective foam (you might not see those). So, you need to change the helmet then if not the energy of the next impact will travel straight through those cracks toward your head.
With hope, you are now back riding.
Look for the NTA 8776 certification for E-bike, to protect yourself at higher speeds (up to 28mph).
Upon heavy impacts, the protective foam inside the helmet absorbs the impact and often cracks the protective foam (you might not see those). So, you need to change the helmet then if not the energy of the next impact will travel straight through those cracks toward your head.
With hope, you are now back riding.
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Definitely comes across as a poke. Why didn't you know this?
Jeremy McCreary
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
You realize that it's now illegal to read instruction manuals. I read them, too, but always where no one can see me.
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