This is always a tough call. My opinion is if you are on the fence and the cost of replacing is not a large barrier for you replacing is the way to go. The foam on a helmet will yield when it has seen an impact past its design. Often times the foam will yield on the inside face (head side) of the foam in the form a small crack. Pressing from the outside perpendicular to the helmet can help to see the cracks easier. Check your helmet carefully for any cracks. Any crack in the foam necessitates replacement in my opinion. Also good to check the outside face for any deformities. If there are any dips or deformed spots from the impact, I would replace.
Brian On Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 1:46:20 PM UTC-5 Joe Bernard wrote: > These seem like reasonable guidelines. My helmet is at least three years > old, I'm not super motivated to replace it yet but I would if it took a > knock on the ground today. > > > https://off.road.cc/content/feature/when-should-you-replace-your-bicycle-helmet-1280 > > Joe Bernard > > On Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 11:25:32 AM UTC-7 Matthew Williams wrote: > >> Back in October, I was turning onto a path via a curb cut, but I was >> going too fast and my front wheel slid out from under me. I scraped my hand >> and chin, and my knee was bruised and swollen. As I landed on my shoulder, >> my head flopped to the side and gently *tapped* the concrete. >> >> If I hadn’t been wearing a helmet, my head would not have touched the >> ground. The force with which my head and helmet touched the ground felt >> equivalent to bumping your head on a desk as you bend down to pick up a >> pencil: you’re surprised, but not hurt. I didn’t lose consciousness or have >> neck pain, and my helmet has no visible scratches or scuffs. >> >> I’ve heard and read helmets should be replaced after a crash--but what’s >> the degree of severity? Are there any rules-of-thumb e.g. if the helmet was >> scuffed from the impact, get a new helmet? The force with which my head >> touched the ground didn’t feel hard or severe, but is that because the >> helmet absorbed the impact? Do I need a new helmet? > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5565d3fe-a17e-41f1-8a0b-99b3b8432d7en%40googlegroups.com.
