revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Buying a new helmet (MTB but a basis on a theme as it's a DH helmet) and from what i can see it's likely to be not the newest, i'm guessing 2020 manufacture date. It's from a shop/warehouse and is a carbon helmet.

Do you check/know the date on yours ?

i know my current DH helmet is past it's best as it was bought in 2020 and i think like the above it was already old stock. Not to mention the many crashes i've had in it

I looked into this about 2 years ago as my full face MTB helmet was 2008!
The shell does not degrade with time - and studies have supported this.
Manufacturers state that it shells are affected by UV light.
The padding / foam may well be affected by sweat - but not sure it I corresponds to the 5 years that the big boys say.
With MTB helmets it may be slightly different as the tend to be ABS / plastic shells - but mine are all 6 years plus.
However ,if I crash in one , it gets replaced . Not really too much of an issue as two cracked in half and my full face ended up with a cracked chin bar

My current helmet is at least 7 years old.

It doesn't get used that much, I only did aboiut 1000 miles last year. When not being used it's kept in a helmet bag, in a drawer. It's never been dropped or crashed in, which might make me consider replacing it.

What they both said applies equally to motorcycle helmets.

What might adversly affect an older design helmet is the lack of newer tech - eg MIPS.

FYI
Imperial College London, supposed by the SHARP technical team, have developed a similar rating system for cycle helmets, 'Hiper'.

https://www.hiperhelmets.org/

I don't necessarily agree with the five year thing, but I stick to it, cos who doesn't like a shiny new helmet every so often?

I'd be more likely to replace a helmet if I was regularly sweating in it while attempting to avoid large trees.

For motorcycle lids,I usually ride further away from trees and as for sweating in bike gear? I wish! I buy a new helmet when it takes my fancy,rather than prompted by a date. Actually I don't think I'd know where to find a date on a helmet.

Skub wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:10 am sweating in bike gear? I wish!

I've seen someone's head steaming when he took his helmet off

Nope, if it's still comfortable and serviceable (by my criteria) then it stays regardless of date.

Horse wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:14 am

Skub wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:10 am sweating in bike gear? I wish!

I've seen someone's head steaming when he took his helmet off

It would be a rare occurrence in Northern Ireland.

And what about purchasing helmets ? Would the manufacture date come into it ?

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:31 am And what about purchasing helmets ? Would the manufacture date come into it ?

See above re improvement in protection. MIPS or equivalent is worth having.

Horse wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:18 am

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:31 am And what about purchasing helmets ? Would the manufacture date come into it ?

See above re improvement in protection. MIPS or equivalent is worth having.

I'm not a massive MIPS fan due to the heat, they run a lot lot hotter.

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:31 am And what about purchasing helmets ? Would the manufacture date come into it ?

Maybe.
If it's been sat on a shelf and fingered by all and sundry for a year or two then I'm not buying, but if I'm reasonably sure its been sat in a box out back or in a warehouse I'd be Ok buying NoS, I think my current lid (m-cycle) was already superseded by the manufacturer before I bought it

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:26 am

Horse wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:18 am

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:31 am And what about purchasing helmets ? Would the manufacture date come into it ?

See above re improvement in protection. MIPS or equivalent is worth having.

I'm not a massive MIPS fan due to the heat, they run a lot lot hotter.

Guessing, MIPS may be more relevant to road riders anyway, with glancing impacts being less common off-road?

Horse wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 1:57 pm

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:26 am

Horse wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:18 am

See above re improvement in protection. MIPS or equivalent is worth having.

I'm not a massive MIPS fan due to the heat, they run a lot lot hotter.

Guessing, MIPS may be more relevant to road riders anyway, with glancing impacts being less common off-road?

Most MTBs have MIPS or a basis on a theme that they've named themselves now.

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 1:58 pm

Horse wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 1:57 pm

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:26 am

I'm not a massive MIPS fan due to the heat, they run a lot lot hotter.

Guessing, MIPS may be more relevant to road riders anyway, with glancing impacts being less common off-road?

Most MTBs have MIPS or a basis on a theme that they've named themselves now.

I can’t help but feel if I am relying on MIPS to save me, the result will probably mean I know nothing about it. Hence I am a little ambivalent about it

Mr Moofo wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 2:17 pm

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 1:58 pm

Horse wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 1:57 pm

Guessing, MIPS may be more relevant to road riders anyway, with glancing impacts being less common off-road?

Most MTBs have MIPS or a basis on a theme that they've named themselves now.

I can’t help but feel if I am relying on MIPS to save me, the result will probably mean I know nothing about it. Hence I am a little ambivalent about it

More the other way around?

[Whatever tech used] can reduce brain trauma. So it might save you, or reduce severity of injury.

The difference might be from 'alive, but unaware' reduced to 'aware and lived to ride another day'.

As always, chose your crash, dress accordingly

Druid wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 7:56 am My current helmet is at least 7 years old.

It doesn't get used that much, I only did aboiut 1000 miles last year. When not being used it's kept in a helmet bag, in a drawer. It's never been dropped or crashed in, which might make me consider replacing it.

This is a motorcycle helmet btw. Just realised the OP was referring to pedal bike kit, which I have no experience of

Druid wrote: Thu Mar 06, 2025 8:11 am

Druid wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 7:56 am My current helmet is at least 7 years old.

It doesn't get used that much, I only did aboiut 1000 miles last year. When not being used it's kept in a helmet bag, in a drawer. It's never been dropped or crashed in, which might make me consider replacing it.

This is a motorcycle helmet btw. Just realised the OP was referring to pedal bike kit, which I have no experience of

Same thing essentially as the helmet is an MX Type (but MTB version), same materials really.

weeksy wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:31 am And what about purchasing helmets ? Would the manufacture date come into it ?

Only if I was trying to get a deal on the price.