How to choose a bike helmet
An old helmet may last longer than you think
The weather in May often means more sunshine, longer days, and more cyclists. But while the bicycle may prove to be trusted for its use year after year, can the same be said for helmets?
Alyssa DeMarco is a Biomechanical Engineer at MEA Forensic who has just completed a study to answer that very question.
She spoke to On the Coast's Stephen Quinn about what to look for when picking a helmet.
You asked Vancouverites to donate their helmet to science. What did you learn about how our helmets degrade over time?
We tested over 700 donated helmets and were quite surprised to find that there wasn't much impact degradation when it comes to the impact on a helmet. We found that no matter the age, helmets performed very well.
How do you know if you need to replace it?
If you crash your helmet or suspect there's damage to it, that's a great time to replace it. I replace my helmet every 5 years.
We tested helmets that were 15 years old and they still performed very well. Even if you have an old helmet kicking around, certainly you're better to wear that than no helmet at all.
In a crash, what separates a good helmet from a bad one?
What you need in a good helmet is an energy absorbing liner. You want a good chunk of that between your head and the surface so it absorbs the energy and not your skull.
You want about an inch of that lining in your helmet.
How important is the outer plastic shell — if it's so thin, is it just there for fashion?
The main purpose is to reduce the friction between your head and the road when you sustain an impact. Your helmet will slide nicely along the road as opposed to getting caught on something.
There are so many different types of helmets nowadays. How do you tell a good helmet from a bad one?
The first thing to look for is that it has a CPSC sticker. All the helmets in the U.S.A are required to make that certification.
In Canada we don't have the same requirement but helmets trickle into Canada that way so most of them have the sticker.
Does the price matter?
Not necessarily. The difference comes from comfort, fit, and ventilation. The cheaper helmets aren't as comfortable and don't usually fit as well.
When you get to the really high-end helmets worn by competitive cyclists, you run into a bit of a problem because they're intended to be as light as possible and increase ventilation. In some cases they can reduce the impact absorbing energy.
To listen to the full interview, click the audio labelled: Helmet safety.