So, I know this has been mentioned in passing in past posts, but when do you buy a new helmet, aside from the obvious case of after it has been in a crash?

I was pushing my bike up the driveway and my helmet was hanging by the chinstrap on the handlebars. The snap came undone and down goes the helmet. My first reaction based on what I thought I had read in past posts was "oh sh!t, now I need to scrape together some money for a new helmet," but then I saw this on the Snell site:

http://www.smf.org/helmetfaq#aDroppedHelmet

What are your thoughts? Have you dropped your helmet from a couple feet up and bought a new one?

I would continue to use a Snell-rated helmet like a Shoei, myself (and have)
What kind of helmet is it and is it noticeably bashed?

If your head was in it, that's different. Weight on the inside will crush the inner foam layer.

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~~~~~ Linda ~~~~~

If people bought a helmet every time one got dropped on the ground, there would be a LOT more helmets sold. It's not like you dropped it off the bike doing 80, or off the roof of a building. No, I would not buy a new helmet. I have replaced helmets of mine and my son's that were involved in crashes without reservation, including the most recent, a $475 Bell Moto 9 that thankfully he got on a decent sale but had only worn once before he crashed good in it. When your head goes thunk, you'll know it, lol.

You should also replace it every 5 years or so. The foam inside tends to harden up over time and no longer absorbs the shock as well. I have purchased 3 helmets this summer trying to replace my old one. The first is a bit tight and has noise problems. The second was a full face modular. I thought I could wear a modular because the chin bar flips up, but it made me claustrophobic, sent that one back. Just ordered another one that should arrive next week. Hope that one works well!!!!

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The JOY is in the journey.

I think it also depends on if it rolled down the hill, compared to if you caught it after the first impact.

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littlepinkhope

-- Zoë

Mine is not Snell-certified, just a Bilt (cyclegear house brand) full-face. It just has a couple scratches from the concrete on a ridge, but no dents or anything that I can see. Glad I am on the same page as most people! I want to be safe of course, but not so anal that I'm wasting money. At least now I know not to hang it on the handlebars...

Meggowaffle, what color is your Riva? My second scoot ever was a brand spanking new black Riva 180, back when they first came out. They are great bikes! Did you see he movie Larry Crowne (with Tom Hanks on a Riva 125)?

I dropped my very first helmet (an HJC) once. It had rained lightly on the way to school and after I had parked and started taking off my gear, it slipped out of my hands. It broke off one of the top vents, so there was just an exposed hole on the top of my helmet. I covered it with a piece of tape that I doodled on with a pen to make it look like a bandaid and it said OUCH!. I continued to wear it, but I already had a new helmet on order (due to the age of the HJC, funk factor, and the fact that I wanted a helmet with an internal sun visor.)

I am of the opinion that a drop from standing height is probably fine and didn't affect the integrity of the helmet. Now, if I dropped it off a ladder or something, I'd probably just get a new one. Though I don't know why I'd be climbing a ladder with my helmet. haha

If you can, try to take out the liner and look at the opposite side of the impact point. If I saw cracking or anything in the foam, I'd get a new one. Just to be safe.

Not to sideline the conversation too much, but don't ever be afraid to wash your helmets! I think most of ours have liners that come out, and I toss them into the wash in one of those netted lingerie bags. We've also taken helmets right into the shower with us and given them a good shampoo and rinse. Some people hose them out, and some, I've read, even put them in the dishwasher.

Yano, I love the bandaid repair!

Those Bilts are solid and DOT-certified.
I wouldn't worry.

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~~~~~ Linda ~~~~~

I always toss mine and my husband's helmet liners into the front load washer and then dry flat on a towel. Makes them so fresh! I clean the helmet outsides & shields with warm water, a soft cloth and bit of dawn detergent. (2 Scorpion helmets) Works wonders...

Happy Camper, it's currently white but I'm thinking I want to paint it. Trying to decide between cornflower blue, teal, or seafoam green....

You could always add striping to the white, in leiu of an entire paint job, or decals, until you decide. Any of those colors would be pretty. Vespa and Stella both have a seafoam green color, so maybe one of the other colors if you want something more unique.

I agree with Happy Camper. Decorating the white might be a better alternative to painting the helmet. White definitely stands out much better than other colors, and visibility is key in staying safer. My helmet is predominantly white but stands out (in person) even with its black designs.

SkutaMama - no worries, we were talking about painting my scooter a new color, not the helmet