Riding your bike alongside your helmet for a good reasonable amount of years and still feel your bike is as agile as it was when you just got it. Or you are confused on why and when to replace bike helmet because it still looks good.
Well, not all that glitters are gold. Your bike helmet could be looking good in shape, which could be very deceitful. There are conditions unknowingly we expose our bike helmets to.
All of those conditions require us to replace bike helmets. This article takes us through the conditions and gets us convinced on why and when to replace a bike helmet.
Recommended Post: Best Bike Helmets for Toddlers
Do Bike Helmets Expire?
They are no expiry date on a bike helmet however they can’t be used for a lifetime. Even the manufacturers have added a period for the use of your bike helmet.
So bike helmets don’t expire but they get damaged after been used for a period of time. You can check below for reasons to replace your bike helmet and when to replace it.
When to Replace a Bike Helmet
After an Accident
Every bike helmet requires replacement after crashes during accidents. Accidents with your bike involving a head-on collision with the ground could cause damages to bike helmets.
Most times the havoc caused by such occurrences are invisible to the eyes. The thing is that the impact of the accident is usually assumed by the bike.
So most times we jump up feeling like superman after such crashes, not giving enough accolades to the lifesaving bike helmet.
Most times the foams in your bike helmet are designed for one-time use. Foams are usually compressed after accidents involving your bike helmet, meaning it won’t work as designed anymore hence replace your bike helmet after an accident.
When You Notice an Exterior Damage
Abrasions on the outside, such as cracks and fading of the color does not give a perfect picture of a bike helmet.
You can test if the foams are compressed already by palpating it. If the part palpated goes down and jerks up back, is not a good a sign for a good bike helmet.
It is necessary just as checking for lumps to stay off from cancer, to examine your bike helmet, this would help to know when and when not to replace your bike helmet.
When You Notice an Interior Damage
There are definitely some interior damages, that shouldn’t be overlooked. They are as important as the exterior parts.
Properly examining the straps and buckles allowing the helmet stay fit to your head. They prevent your helmets from not falling off, during crashes. It is, therefore, necessary to stay safe checking frequently.
Duration of Use
How long your bike helmet spent already with you is a good indicator as to whether to change it or not. Most manufactures will tell you to replace your bike, after 3-5 years.
Although there is a personal gain to this, it can also be considered for safety reasons. At this point, using your old rugged bike helmet, since the 70s or 80s is a bad omen.
You can decide not to follow the manufacturer’s time frame, which could be fine if there are no damages, cracks or abrasions before then.
But then using a bike helmet as old as the 70s is not proper. You need to have it replaced and get the modern helmet.
Adverse Environmental Conditions
Your bike helmet is as much in use with your bike itself. This is because you literally, have it on you every time you ride.
In fact, it is illegal to ride without your bike helmet on. As you move about riding joyfully, we subject the bike helmets to adverse conditions such as the rain, snow, sunlight, mist and fogs.
All of this after prolong exposure to them causes the bike helmets to wear out easily. This is natural and inevitable. A more reason why you need to check for damages and replace immediately if any deficiency is noticed.
Why Is Wearing a Helmet Important?
We are faced with sentences starting with ‘why’ and ending with a question mark in every aspect of our lives. This is due to our curious wired nature. We already know about the things that deteriorate our bike helmet per time.
Then we think, why go through the stress of examining my bike helmet occasionally or the financial stress of replacing my bike. We then think we can go on cycling without wearing a helmet.
Let me start by saying, that it is illegal cycling without a bike helmet. You could be heavily fined if caught. Why not stay safe putting it on always.
Wearing a helmet that fits well every time you’re on a bike helps protect your face, head, and brain if you fall down. That’s why it’s so vital to wear your bike helmet whenever you are cycling. Bike helmets are so important that the U.S. government has created safety rules for them.
Refusing to go on cycling without a bike helmet exposes you to great dangers on the road. Getting a bike helmet and a good one at such is as important as getting the bike itself.
Why Replace A Bike Helmet?
Yes, you are wondering if you could still go on with the old bike helmet. You probably think half bread is better than none. Then you feel why replace when you could patch things up or just keep managing. Thereby saving a lot of money for other things.
That preferential cost kind of way does not work with your bike helmet and things pertaining to your bike in general. Damages to your bike helmets are more or less as damages to your brain and life.
Because any mistake leading to crashes with your head hitting the floor real hard could lead to brain damages.
Besides, most bike helmets, when crashed once becomes less effective. When the foam gets compressed due to crashes, won’t play its role for which it was designed for subsequent crashes.
Hence, why you need to have your bike helmet replaced after crashes or if any damage is noticed. So as to ride feeling safer.
Conclusion
Staying on top of your ride by knowing when to replace a bike helmet is very important. Knowing that all necessary precautions are in place, allows you to ride feeling like you own the place.
Therefore, stay safe and replace your bike helmet at the appropriate time.