The recommendation of many helmet manufacturers to replace a bicycle helmet with a new one after just a few years of use unsettles many cyclists. Time and again, we receive letters from readers anxiously asking whether their own racing bike helmet is still safe? Many of them say that they have always taken good care of it and that it shows no dents or cracks. So should you really part with your expensive head protection after just a few years?
The consensus is that a helmet that has collided with an obstacle in an accident or fall should be replaced afterwards, even if it may show no or only slight signs of damage; many manufacturers also offer accommodating accident compensation schemes for this case: From the date of purchase, damaged helmets that are two to three years old (depending on the manufacturer) can be exchanged for a comparable new helmet at the dealer and receive a discount of 50 per cent, for example.
But even without a fall, a racing bike helmet can suffer
Crush marks on the shell, which may have been caused by transport in a fully packed bike case, for example, are at least an alarm signal. Even if the helmet appears undamaged at first glance, the polystyrene beads under the outer polycarbonate shell may have suffered. The full protective effect is then no longer guaranteed. The aggressive UV radiation from the sun and large temperature fluctuations also weaken the bond between the small, white beads over time. However, it is unclear how long it takes for the protective effect to weaken noticeably. After all, helmets do not have an in-built sun hour clock and their owners are sometimes more, sometimes less careful with their head protection.
Tip: Check the sticker with the date of manufacture
From a technical point of view, the question of when exactly a bicycle helmet has reached the end of its life therefore remains open. Is replacement after three years of use, which many manufacturers recommend, perhaps far too early? Helmet suppliers are at least obliged by EU directives and standards to indicate the expiry date. To be precise, this is the Standard EN 1078:2012 and the Directive 89/686 for personal protective equipment (PPE)which states that the user information supplied with helmets must include an expiry date or expiry time in addition to instructions on care and intended use. The clock ticks from the date of manufacture, which is why it is advisable to take a look at it when buying: a bargain could turn out to be a shelf warmer that has already been in stock for a long time and would have to be replaced after one or two years according to the manufacturer's recommendation. Therefore, look for the small sticker with the date of manufacture on the inside of the helmet when buying.
Age of the helmets tested: 6-9 years
In order to get closer to the expiry date on the basis of facts, TOUR asked readers to provide used helmets that are at least five years old for a crash test in accordance with the EN 1078 standard. In particular, we asked for models that we had tested in TOUR 8/2010 had also been tested in accordance with EN 1078 when new. Of the eleven models at the time, we received six for the current crash test: used helmets from Alpina, Giro, MET, Scott, Specialized and Uvex, aged between six and nine years - and three of each model as the minimum number for a crash test.
The youngest helmet, aged six, was submitted by reader Ira Ludwig from Dietramszell, while the oldest helmet, aged nine, came from Bastian Falkowsky from Leipzig. All the helmets showed clear signs of wear, with sun cream residue on the padding, yellowed outer shells or sweaty chin straps. As a thank you, all 18 readers received a brand new, up-to-date model from the manufacturer of their helmet.
Shock experience during crash test
We carried out the standard crash test in collaboration with and under the supervision of helmet manufacturer Uvex in Fürth, who test on the same testing machine and using the same procedures as TÜV Rheinland or the MPA materials testing centre at the University of Stuttgart, for example. Each of the 18 old helmets had to withstand an impact on a circular steel base and on a steel wedge that simulates a kerb; a maximum acceleration of 250 g, 250 times the acceleration due to gravity, must not be exceeded within a few milliseconds.
Even older helmets are safe!
During the endurance test, the ageing head protectors, loaded with the sensor-spiked test head, hit the steel-hard test base 36 times. And 36 times we asked ourselves: "Did it hold up?" Some of the helmets battered by the impact were in a visibly desolate state - Alpina, Giro or Uvex had visible cracks in the black foam, especially after the demanding kerb crash, in which the helmet is aligned so that the base wedges into the largest ventilation hole in the weakest point. However, this is "normal", assures tester Nicola Grahl, and it is no different with brand-new helmets. It is much more important that the test head does not measure acceleration values higher than 250 g. And here the final result is clearly positive: None of the old helmets failed and exceeded the standard limit. Our random sample of the 18 helmets showed that the Shock absorption capacity reduced by only 10 g on average has. In short: Even older helmets are safe!
Crash test on the kerb
The toughest test in the crash test according to EN 1078 is the impact on a steel wedge that simulates a kerb. The maximum acceleration of 250 g must not be exceeded. Our test shows that the six to nine year old used helmets remain well below this and their values have hardly deteriorated in comparison to the new helmets tested in 2010
BALL SAFE
The cushioning inner shell of a helmet consists of expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is available as raw material in the form of rods. Pressurised and pressed into shape with hot steam, these pop up into beads six times the size and stick together to form the finished shell. In the event of an accident, this construction absorbs the impact energy by causing the beads to burst and shear off at their bonding points. Cracks are the result of a very hard impact.
Crash replacement and spare parts
SAFETY FIRST
After a fall with impact on a hard surface, the helmet must no longer be used, as the inner shell may have developed cracks that are not immediately visible. If you were to fall again with a damaged helmet, it would no longer have its full protective function, resulting in avoidable head injuries. As an incentive to replace helmets, helmet manufacturers offer crash replacement schemes as a gesture of goodwill. These are usually valid for two to three years from the date of purchase and offer a new helmet at half the original price when replacing the old one. However, this service is only valid for first-time buyers and on presentation of proof of purchase.
SPARE PARTS
Alpina Pheos
Processing via specialist dealers, enquiries via contact form on Alpina website
Availability longer than ten years for popular models
Prices on request
Giro Prolight
Processing via specialist dealers or the German distributor Grofa
Availability up to five years
Prices for upholstery, head ring No more spare parts in stock
MET Forte
Processing via specialised dealers, some parts are available directly in the webshop via www.met-helmets.com
Availability three to four years
Prices for upholstery, head ring 9 Euro each
Scott Groove II
Processing via dealers, information via the chargeable service hotline (+49 (0)180 500 9697) or the contact form on the website
Availability at least five years
Prices for upholstery, head ring 8 Euro each
Specialised S-Works
Processing About dealers
Availability not specified
Prices for upholstery, head ring No more spare parts in stock
Uvex FP1
Processing About dealers
Availability up to three years after model end
Prices for upholstery, head ring 23 Euro, 40 Euro
Interview with Thomas Dautermann, UVEX Quality Assurance
"Not recognisable to the naked eye."
Thomas Dautermann is Head of Quality Assurance at Uvex. Before the engineer joined Uvex nine years ago, he was employed by German motorbike helmet manufacturer Schuberth, among others. Today, the active cyclist is responsible for quality management in the sports division of the Fürth-based company, whose products include not only cycle helmets but also riding and ski helmets
TOUR: The helmet's inner shell made of expanded polystyrene, or EPS for short, acts as a shock absorber. Are there differences in quality here??
Dautermann Around 80 per cent of all manufacturers use the same material from the Austrian manufacturer Sunpor. Compared to packaging or insulating material known as Styrofoam, the foam beads are packed more densely and the material has better damping properties.
Only a suitable helmet provides optimum protection. Are there any reliable findings on the extent to which a helmet that is too small or too large impairs the protective effect?
Helmets with one size for heads of very different sizes are designed to fulfil the cushioning requirements. However, if you wear a helmet that is too big, the cyclist's head has to withstand greater acceleration values on impact and the risk of injury increases.
What happens technically when the helmet gets older? Does the helmet simply become more crumbly over time?
Colloquially, this could be described as ageing. In fact, we are talking about ageing in EPS, caused by UV radiation in the form of sunlight and temperature changes. Over the years, the binding forces between the beads weaken somewhat, but this cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Where does the manufacturer's recommendation to replace your helmet with a new one after a few years come from?
We are obliged to do this under the EU directive. Without this "best-before date" in the documentation, which applies from the date of manufacture, we would not be allowed to sell the helmet at all. A tip: The date of manufacture is embossed or labelled on the helmet shell. Although it takes around six months from production to delivery to the retailer, this makes it easy to identify a shelf warmer.
How should you look after your helmet properly?
Just like the age rating, the manufacturer must also specify how to care for the helmet in the user information. In short: The helmet should not be cleaned with solvents, but only with lukewarm soapy water. In addition, the helmet should not be exposed to heat above 60 degrees and should be kept dry and protected from sunlight or UV radiation when not in use. Incidentally, the manufacturer's warranty is invalidated if, for example, camera mounts are glued to the helmet because the solvents in the adhesive are harmful to the helmet.
Matthias Borchers
Editor
