Quote:
Originally Posted by Bentley813
Helmet foam degrades when not in use? I don't buy it. I understand that is true while it is being used. Body oils, elements, cleaning chemicals - they will all break down resins and whatnot. When it isn't being used the helmet isn't encountering anything to degrade it. MAYBE the resins will harden a bit? Doubftul though.
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Look at it this way:
wood rots.
steel rusts.
silver tarnishes.
rubber dries and cracks.
plastic gets brittle.
Even diamonds have a half life (very very long time, but still...).
Why would foam be any different?
My post was just a PSA to remind people that helmets age and we should all be aware of how old our helmet is. 5 years of use, or 7 years total of combined shelf/wear time is a good rule of thumb. Whether you believe that foam ages or not, it's still a good idea to wear a current helmet.
Additionally, in your attempt to discredit my info source (which was a very good link, thank you for the insight. I had not considered potential bias) you brought up another good point. Safety standards change as more and more research is done. Typically, helmets go on sale for large discounts when they are not sold and are just taking up space. All concerns about the foam aside, this means that when you buy a helmet at a steep discount, you're likely buying an older helmet that has not been built to the most current safety standards. So even if there was bias from helmet companies when Motorcyclist suggested the 5-7 rule based on aging foam, it doesn't matter; in the 5-7 year lifespan of a helmet, safety standards used to make helmets have changed and it's still time for a new helmet.
In my mind, (bias or no bias) the 5-7 year rule still stands. It is still a good idea to know what year your helmet was tested in so that you know how old the foam is and to what standards the helmet was designed.