- Bike helmets do not last forever.
If you look at the safety manual, or indeed,
inside the box, you will see that you need to replace them
in the event of an accident, or regardless,
just every few years,
which a lot of people do not do.
People do not replace their bike helmets often enough.
And I completely sympathize with that.
It can be incredibly frustrating to have
to throw something in the bin
when to all intents and purposes it looks absolutely fine.
So, with that question at the forefront of our minds,
I though I'd take advantage of our long time relationship
with our friends at Kask, and actually ask them
why you do actually need to replace your helmet
every few years, and then perhaps most importantly,
how can we better look after our helmets
in order to try and extend their life spans?
(funky music)
Most bike helmets are made out of EPS, which
is the kind of polystyrene substance on the inside here.
Cheap ones and expensive ones alike.
And it is currently the best material available
with which to make bike helmets out of.
However, it does have its limitations.
Firstly, what you need to know is that actually
it's the EPS that absorbs the energy of the impact
in the event of a crash.
But, according to Kask, and this was completely
new to me, there is a linear relationship between
the thickness of the EPS at the point of impact,
and its ability to absorb energy, which is fine,
until you start looking at all the little dents
over your helmet.
Because, just a one millimeter deep dent on
a 20 millimeter thick section of EPS
will mean that it will have lost 5% of its ability
to absorb impact.
It, of course, depends on where the dent is,
and the direction of the impact.
But, I think that's kinda freaky.
Especially when you then start to look at the helmet
in this newfound light.
So, point number one about trying to make your helmet
last longer is actually to protect it from wear and tear,
bumps and knocks.
So that means particularly, I think, when storing it,
and also transporting it.
(funky music)
Bear in mind what we just learned about EPS.
What about larger impacts then, like actually
falling off your bike, or dropping your helmet
from a height?
Well, one of the other things that we need to know
about EPS is that damage can actually
be completely invisible.
So Kask said that in testing over the years,
they've actually witnessed the helmet failing
what's called the chinstrap test.
As a result of invisible cracks in the shell
that were sustained through a previous impact test,
which is actually, you'll be pleased to hear,
a standard testing procedure.
So what it means to you and I, therefore,
is that actually you can't always tell
whether your helmet is damaged in the first place.
But also, what it means it terms of prolonging
the life span of your helmet, is that you
need to prevent dropping it.
Of course, you can't necessarily help when
you do or do not fall off your bike.
But, if you don't leave your helmet in perilous positions
on the edges of tables or looped over the end
of your handle bars, there's less likelihood
of it dropping anywhere.
Apparently, it actually standard advice for motorcyclists
to always leave their helmets on the floor.
Now that kinda sounds like good advice, if you ask me.
(beep) (whistling)
(suspense music)
No!
(beep) One of the other
limitations of EPS is its temperature resistance.
We don't need to get too stressed about it
because in order for it to get this little safety sticker,
which you might not be too surprised to see
is completely faded through sweat on my helmet,
but in order to get it, your helmet
would have had to undergone a number of safety tests.
A number of which will be at temperature extremes.
So about minus 30, and plus 50 degrees C.
Which is reassuring, but, have you ever thought
about just how hot the inside of your car might get
in full sun?
Because that could well exceed, quite comfortably,
50 degrees centigrade, at which point, you may well
over time start damaging the structure of the helmet.
So, bear that in mind.
'Cause if you want to maximize the life span of your helmet,
you should keep it away from those temperature extremes.
Another side effect of leaving your helmet in your car,
or on a windowsill, is the effect of UV radiation,
because UV can actually damage EPS by making
the outer layers more brittle, which is another
very good reason why we have hard shells covering
the delicate EPS.
But, if you were to leave your helmet upside down
in full sun, then you are exposing the EPS
to the direct UV radiation.
So, with that in mind, if you wanna make your helmet
last longer, store it away from direct sunlight.
(funky music)
Lastly, EPS can be damaged by chemicals.
Now, I'm not just talking about toxic waste here.
I'm talking about the kind of stuff that you will use
on or around your bike day to day.
So, like degreasers or lubricant, even vaseline
can actually degrade over time, the EPS.
So, it's for that reason actually, that manufacturers
will generally recommend that you only clean
bike helmets with water.
And if you are worried, therefore, about a stinky helmet,
which is a legitimate concern I'll grant you,
then just remove the pads before washing them
more thoroughly with soap.
Much of the advice in this video will hopefully
seem like common sense.
Some of it may well seem like I'm being a bit
too cautious, but I was actually quite shocked
when I learned about just what may or may not effect
the integrity of a helmet.
And yeah, I can share your frustrations if you feel like
you're replacing a product that hasn't actually yet
had to do anything that it was necessarily
designed to do.
Ie: protect your safety.
But, do bear in mind, like I said at the beginning,
that EPS is currently the best material
the industry has found from which to make lightweight,
ventilated bike helmets from.
Although, Kask kind of actually said that they
always look into new designs and new materials.
So, watch this space, I guess.
And in the meantime, if you have had a crash
and you're worried about the integrity of your helmet,
then do bear in mind that most manufacturers
will have some kind of crash replacement policy.
I think Kask will offer a discount of between
about 30 and 50% off the price of a new one,
depending on what model you choose.
So, definitely worth remembering that.
Now, make sure you subscribe to GCN before
leaving this video.
To do so, just click on the globe, and if you wanna
watch a couple more videos right now,
then there's an interesting one up there
about the safety standards of helmets; how they're tested,
or the, The Seven Magnificent Ways to Hang Your Helmet,
which may or may not contravene some of the advice
contained in this video,
but Matt and Dan are quite rebellious in nature,
and that one is just over there.