What to do with old helmets?

[Cinci Jim]

So I recently replaced a 6 year old helmet with a cool looking Catlike Whisper Plus I got on closeout at my LBS.

My question is what do people do with old helmets? Seems like a waste of shelf space to keep it. It is old & I feel uncomfortable selling it even if some one wanted it.

If I just put it in the trash or recycling it might end up on someone's head & not protect them effectively in a crash.

Thoughts?

[AngryScientist]

So I recently replaced a 6 year old helmet with a cool looking Catlike Whisper Plus I got on closeout at my LBS.

My question is what do people do with old helmets? Seems like a waste of shelf space to keep it. It is old & I feel uncomfortable selling it even if some one wanted it.

If I just put it in the trash or recycling it might end up on someone's head & not protect them effectively in a crash.

Thoughts?

we actually have a few infant car seats here. they also have an "expiration date" on them, as with any plastic potentially life saving device. one of ours is now well expired, and the direction from the manufacturer is to cut all of the straps out of it and put it on the curb. i would do the same with the helmet, cut the straps out, rendering it un-usable and toss it.

[Mr Cabletwitch]

Just give it a good blow with a hammer and put it in the trash. If it still has life left give it to a kid in the neighborhood. I swear if I didn't hand out helmets none of the kids would have them

[LouDeeter]

For awhile, I kept my old helmets and when someone locally wanted to start riding, I would give them one of the old helmets and tell them to wear it until 1) they knew they really were going to cycle & 2) they could buy themselves a new one. As it turns out, most will continue to wear that old helmet, even if they do become cyclists. It is better than no helmet, but still doesn't meet the same standards as a new one. On the other hand, a lot of beginners also buy the cheapest helmet they can find, often at WalMart, so perhaps a top end used helmet is better. I don't think you can go wrong trashing it, but there are a lot of people riding around with no helmet and it just makes sense to me to give them away rather than trashing them.

[Fixed]

Old helmet better than no helmet?
Cheers :):

[Bob Loblaw]

I keep an old helmet for travel. I don't want to break my good one in a suitcase getting knocked around. I also use that same old one for winter riding. Take the pads out so a winter hat fits underneath it comfortably and off you go.

I have my doubts about those expiration dates. There is an ongoing controversy about that in motorcycles. Manufacturers maintain the helmet should be replaced every five years because of UV exposure and sweat that led to degradation of the epoxies and the polystyrene foam which degrades evaporatively at a rate of 2% a year. The SNELL foundation is on board with this, labeling it a "prudent precaution."

However, there's one company that actually tested helmets that were eight years old and the results show that eight year old helmets are still fine (http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm). And there are compelling environmental reasons to ride a helmet longer than five years.

If you still doubt and want to help science get to the bottom of the helmet life question, there is a research project underway to figure out exactly how and if helmets do degrade (http://www.meaforensic.com/helmet-testing-research/). That might be a worthy use of an old helmet.

BL

[1happygirl]

I keep an old helmet for travel. I don't want to break my good one in a suitcase getting knocked around. snip

I have my doubts about those expiration dates. There is an ongoing controversy about that in motorcycles. snip

However, there's one company that actually tested helmets that were eight years old and the results show that eight year old helmets are still fine (http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm). And there are compelling environmental reasons to ride a helmet longer than five years.

If you still doubt and want to help science get to the bottom of the helmet life question, there is a research project underway to figure out exactly how and if helmets do degrade (http://www.meaforensic.com/helmet-testing-research/). That might be a worthy use of an old helmet.

BL
Very cool link BL!!!! (and app I might add)
Thanks.! I had no idea

[Chance]

My question is what do people do with old helmets?

In my case, continue to use it. If or when damaged in a crash dispose of it.

[Larry D]

Turn it upside down, fill it with dirt and make a hanging planter out of it.

[christian]

Cut the straps and bin it.

[jr59]

Turn it upside down, fill it with dirt and make a hanging planter out of it.


You know, I bet it would grow a fern or something like that!

[67-59]

I just use my most recent helmet for the winter (keeping the straps looser to fit a winter cap), and toss older ones.

Might try the hanging planter idea though....:banana:

[Ti Designs]

I took 200 old helmets, clipped all the straps together to make a raft. We do some really stupid things in the bike shop when it's cold out...

[Bob Ross]

I snip the straps so no one can use it if they did pull it out off the trash, and then I'll usually also stomp the crap out of it until it looks like a butterflied chicken carcass, just to make sure.

[ckamp]

I took 200 old helmets, clipped all the straps together to make a raft. We do some really stupid things in the bike shop when it's cold out...
Pictures please

[RFC]

We never have a shortage of used, but serviceable helmets around here that then go to family, friends, neighbors, whoever needs one.

That is, except for this one, which saved my head in innumerable bike and rollerblading wrecks and now hangs on the garage wall.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/helmet8.jpg