Do bike helmets degrade?

I have my Bell bike helmet for over 10 years and I have been told that I should replace it? Is that so?
As far as I know Styrofoam(the inside of the helmet) lasts thousands of years and it does not become brittle in a lifetime.

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Permalink Reply by Ron on October 7, 2008 at 3:27am
I think I agree with you. It doesn't make sense that the styrofoam would become less effective in protecting your head from a fall over time (at least a reasonable amount of time). I'm sure if sweating in it for ten years would have anything to do with breaking down the integrity of the foam, but I'm no expert.
Permalink Reply by Bob on October 7, 2008 at 3:33am
If you ask the helmet manufacturers they would say replace every three weeks !!! Seriously though, they say that if the foam is cracked that it won't be as reliable. Which is another reason I wouldn't spend top dollar for those 300 dollar fancy schmanzy ones.
Permalink Reply by root on October 7, 2008 at 3:43am
wow. you should replace that helmet pronto. in fact, you should have done it like 6 years ago..
Permalink Reply by evanK on October 7, 2008 at 3:49am
I've heard from people I trust that helmets are mostly worthless after 3 years. That is, if you get in an accident, it will break apart sooner and allow your head to take more of the impact. Someone should study the environmental impact of all this creation of styrofoam for bike helmets.
Permalink Reply by vxla on October 7, 2008 at 6:02am
"Fancy" helmets mostly differ in weight and it's aerodynamic properties, cooling vents, etc. Take a Catlike helmet; they're $250/USD, but light as a few spokes and have a crazy amount of vents.
Permalink Reply by Jon on October 7, 2008 at 6:56am
Depends on how you ride. I've gone through 2 before my current in the past 2 years. I've also had two major falls where my head received impact. Those fellas went in the trash.
Permalink Reply by Ron on October 7, 2008 at 7:27am
I guess it's time for me to get a new helmet, too!
Permalink Reply by Tommie on October 7, 2008 at 7:29am
Hrm.

So I just read that if your helmet conforms to ASTM or SNELL standards then it must be sweat resistant. Also most helmet manufacturers put UV resistant stuff in the product to prevent breakdown. This info totally let the air out of the major arguments I've heard for replacing a helmet.

The following is true though: 1) The older your helmet is the more chance it will suffer damage that you may or may not be able to see. 2) New helmets will probably fit better 3) Newer helmets might be more safe than those avail 10 years ago. 4) If you let your helmet roast inside your car a bunch of times you should probably replace it.

I replace my helmets every every 2 seasons or immediately after a crash. I figure that if I'm logging 4-5,000 a year its probably worth it. Even if I were to spend $250 on a bling-bling helmet, that's significantly less than a hospital bill because my helmet failed on me.
Permalink Reply by Dubi Kaufmann on October 7, 2008 at 8:06am
Thank you all for the input. I think I am good, My Bell helmet is ASTM compliant.

I did some research too and came across this http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm page. I think Tommie is quoting from it.

The next step is to write myth busters (TV show) with the question. I am sure they will find a spectacular and pseudo-scientific way to settle the question with watermelons and bottle rockets.
Permalink Reply by Danielle on October 7, 2008 at 12:56pm
Ummm...helmets should be replaced every 3-4 years. They do, in fact, become brittle. Don't even buy a used helmet. I've seen plenty of helmets able to be broken into pieces by bare hands because they were so old! They don't feel like they've changed much, but, save up 30 bucks and protect yourself properly. You won't regret it!
Permalink Reply by Campbell Street Bikes on October 10, 2008 at 6:22am
I have heard helmet styrofoam compared to Sliced White Bread:
Put a slice of bread on the counter for a few days, and it will still look the same, but when you pick it up and drop it, it breaks.
Permalink Reply by Danielle on October 10, 2008 at 9:51am
Yeah, brittle is what I meant. They feel as if they have gotten harder, but they literally can crack in your hands if you try. The older they are, the easier it is. We got a 20 year old helmet in and we threw it down and it looked as if it exploded!

h3 said:
Not sure if brittle is the right word, but supposedly the compounds in the styrofoam break down and it loses its absorbency.

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