# How to dispose of old helmets properly?



## gamara (May 20, 2002)

I was looking around & I've found a couple of old, nasty helmets that I haven't worn in ages since my racing days & I was wondering what is the proper way of disposing them? I don't think I would donate them or even sell them cause they've seen its fair share of crashes. Also its amazing how far helmets have come since then. My specialized sub-6 was state of the art back then but it pales in comparison to what is available now.


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## Doug B (Sep 11, 2009)

ummmm.... throw 'em in the trash can?

If you are worried about somebody using your old helmet.... then, cut it in half with a saws-all and throw half of it away this week, and the other half next week. otherwise, they'll glue it back together, right? ;-)


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## gamara (May 20, 2002)

No I was wondering if it was recyclable? I know that the landfill is the obvious answer but I just wanted to be more environmentally conscious.


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## dysfunction (Apr 2, 2010)

I can't recycle them locally, of course recycling anything that's not one of a few labelled plastics is a pain in general


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## Fordy (Feb 3, 2004)

Whatever you do. Saw them in half first.....I'm serious....


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Light them on fire.

Bring marshmallows.


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## MarshallH1987 (Jun 17, 2009)

dump a strong solvent on them and watch the foam melt.


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

Cut the straps off before you pitch them (or, the more dramatic "saw them in half") so someone else won't pick up them up and use them, since they have seen a few crashes.

If they have laminated shells, I don't see how you could recycle the foam.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

Lay it on the ground, smash it with your foot, send it in for crash replacement to the manufacturer. I'm kidding, smash it and toss it. I also cut up my old tires and tubes before I toss them, just so no one digs in the trash and takes them.


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## fastfed (Jan 13, 2011)

Fordy said:


> Whatever you do. Saw them in half first.....I'm serious....



Why??


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

Or, hit them with a 5 pound hand sledge until they break. You'll be surprised how hard it is to destroy one...


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

What a bunch of weird answers! Why not donate it to protect a young rider? Wash it clean and give someone a chance to learn safety.


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

Special Eyes said:


> What a bunch of weird answers! Why not donate it to protect a young rider? Wash it clean and give someone a chance to learn safety.


Damaged/old helmets are supposed to be destroyed as they might not be structurally sound anymore.

Helmet manufacturers recommend 2 years only on a helmet. 

Might be total BS and a way to sell more helmets. You wanna take that chance with with a young rider's brain?


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## 3v1lD4v3 (May 11, 2009)

Five minutes with a ball peen is enough to turn it into scrap. Says so right on the label of the new helmet.

I took a tree to the head at some downhill speed. Helmet let me ride back out. There was a good size dent in it, so when I got a new helmet, the old helmet got the hammer. There's no way of knowing if the foam is still structurally sound after an impact.


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## waldo425 (Sep 22, 2008)

fastfed said:


> Why??


Someone may take it from the trash and use it which is a big safety no-no. The foam in helmets only lasts 3 years and after that it no longer does the job properly.


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## waldo425 (Sep 22, 2008)

I cracked a helmet last summer and just had a good excuse to find inventive ways to break it. There's a video out there somewhere of me smashing it over my knee.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

I'm going to go out on a limb here:

An old or damaged helmet is infinitely better protection than no helmet. Anyone who salvages a dirty old helmet out of a dumpster is not going to buy new one - you aren't "saving" anyone by destroying the helmet. You're just denying a poor person some head protection.


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

rx-79g said:


> I'm going to go out on a limb here:
> 
> An old or damaged helmet is infinitely better protection than no helmet. Anyone who salvages a dirty old helmet out of a dumpster is not going to buy new one - you aren't "saving" anyone by destroying the helmet. You're just denying a poor person some head protection.


Disagree.

That's like saying "poisoned food is better than no food..."

a damaged helmet gives you the impression of protection but may not actually give you any protection. And people who wear safety gear are more likely to take risks.

Helmets are available at wal-mart for under 20 bucks. They offer the exact same level of protection that $250 helmets have, just with less style, less venting and more weight.

If you feel bad about it, give your local boys club, YWCA or wheels for winners program a $200 donation instead of buying a new helmet yourself- risk your own head, not someone elses.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

Lotophage said:


> Disagree.
> 
> That's like saying "poisoned food is better than no food..."
> 
> ...


Let me be more clear, since you seem to be missing the gist:

The only people pulling helmets out of dumpsters are homeless. They don't have any money for helmets, they aren't doing trials riding. The notion that I'd be endangering a man's life by him using my 5 year old helmet vs. none is tinfoil hat thinking.


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

I dunno. I have a helmet that is about 5 years old, used occasionally, and is in fine shape. The foam does not go bad. It is styrofoam, and lasts forever, unfortunately.


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

rx-79g said:


> Let me be more clear, since you seem to be missing the gist:
> 
> The only people pulling helmets out of dumpsters are homeless. They don't have any money for helmets, they aren't doing trials riding. The notion that I'd be endangering a man's life by him using my 5 year old helmet vs. none is tinfoil hat thinking.


And let me be clear. I'm saying destroy your old helmet and go to walmart and buy a new cheap helmet for this homeless person instead of making them root through the trash for a broken one like an animal. 

Donate 10 of the things to your local homeless shelter if you are that concerned about the health of the homeless but don't try to calm your guilty conscience by giving the homeless the opportunity to dig through the trash for your discarded and broken garbage. 

Instead of giving your old, sweat-stained, broken helmet to some young cyclist, buy them a new helmet- they are cheap.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

Lotophage said:


> And let me be clear. I'm saying destroy your old helmet and go to walmart and buy a new cheap helmet for this homeless person instead of making them root through the trash for a broken one like an animal.
> 
> Donate 10 of the things to your local homeless shelter if you are that concerned about the health of the homeless but don't try to calm your guilty conscience by giving the homeless the opportunity to dig through the trash for your discarded and broken garbage.
> 
> Instead of giving your old, sweat-stained, broken helmet to some young cyclist, buy them a new helmet- they are cheap.


I don't really care either way, and you obviously don't either. But I do think it is bizarre behavior to take the time and energy to smash up a bike helmet because you're _so_ concerned with the safety and dignity of a guy that is going through your dumpster either way. 

I suppose I'm just amazed at the scenerios people have to concoct in their heads to suppose that an intact used helmet is somehow a danger to the public. You're more likely to cause a problem for someone throwing out your furniture - do you disassemble old sofas lest college students get back problems?


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Getting a grip*



waldo425 said:


> The foam in helmets only lasts 3 years and after that it no longer does the job properly.


This is absolutely not true. Helmet companies may cover their rear ends and make that statement, but there is nothing about the EPS foam or the ABS or polycarbonate shell that limits its service life to that short a time.

As to recyclability, many recycle centers will take EPS (the foam) as a number 6 foam, which it is. There are a few helmets on the market that do not EPS foam, but it is easy to tell. Very few would take the plastic shell as there is no way to know what plastic it is without chemical testing.


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## siclmn (Feb 7, 2004)

Lay helmet on gravel driveway.
Ignite plumbing torch.
Watch it burn and melt into a puddle.
Scoop up mess and throw into garbage.


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## beeristasty (Jan 1, 1970)

rx-79g said:


> Let me be more clear, since you seem to be missing the gist:
> 
> The only people pulling helmets out of dumpsters are homeless. They don't have any money for helmets, they aren't doing trials riding. The notion that I'd be endangering a man's life by him using my 5 year old helmet vs. none is tinfoil hat thinking.


I was thinking the same thing. Then I thought about dumpster divers who try to resell the junk they pull out of the trash. A used helmet could possibly be resold locally, ebay-ed, etc. Why anyone would want to buy a used helmet for protection is beyond me, but I'm sure some cheapo has done it before.


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## Waxbytes (Sep 22, 2004)

If your worried about reuse of an expired helmet, just cut off the straps. Where I live no one wants styrofoam for recycling, so I have to dump old helmets in the regular trash.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

waldo425 said:


> Someone may take it from the trash and use it which is a big safety no-no. The foam in helmets only lasts 3 years and after that it no longer does the job properly.


Sorry-this is completely untrue. That foam literally lasts for hundreds of years. Exposure to heat less than 200F, perspiration, hair oil, etc. has literally no effect on it. 

Helmet manufacturers are hoping you believe it doesn't last so you can spend $100+ with them every 3-4 years.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Mr. Versatile said:


> Sorry-this is completely untrue. That foam literally lasts for hundreds of years. Exposure to heat less than 200F, perspiration, hair oil, etc. has literally no effect on it.
> 
> Helmet manufacturers are hoping you believe it doesn't last so you can spend $100+ with them every 3-4 years.


No, no! They must come in and buy new $200 helmets every 2 years!


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Just another thought on recycling. When the foam in a helmet is compressed due to a crash or some other incident, it will no longer absorb as much energy as it previously did. Most of the helmets I've crashed in were damaged in one particular spot about the size of a tennis ball. I've cracked the shell and the foam on a couple of them.

I'm of the opinion that a anything you wear on your head, even a hanky, is better than nothing. The opinion on this and other threads is that if there's any damage at all, even if it's a very small spot, the helmet should be trashed. I've always done this-just threw them away in a sealed trash bag. But reading this thread, which poses the question of recycling, I find myself wondering if the helmet was lightly damaged if it would be all right to donate it to Good Will or similar. Again, part of the reason for this thought is that ANY helmet is better than no helmet, and it might be a tiny step toward recycling. Naturally if anybody did this they'd have to make a disclosure re: the damage.

Please *READ THIS* That's right, *READ IT.* I'm not advocating this, it's just a thought that occurred to me. I'm anticipating a whole lot of "how dare you" answers. I've never done it, and don't have immediate plans to do it, & may never do it. I just want to know your thoughts on, "is any helmet better than no helmet?", and if it is how do you feel about donating *LIGHTLY* damaged helmets to those who aren't 't wearing them because they can't afford one. And yes, I know there are very inexpensive helmets at Walmart & similar.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

If you want to be environmentally responsible - put them out with your normal plastic recycling material and let the recycling company figure out what to do with it. It will probably just get ground up with all of the other plastics.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

AlanE said:


> I...put them out with your normal plastic recycling material and let the recycling company figure out what to do with it....



Ha ha ha ha! That a good one. Around here, they just leave anything that doesn't fit their very narrow recycling criteria. Maybe if buried in a plastic bag full of plastic bottles so they can't see it?


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

Can't say as I have ever seen a homeless person wearing a discarded Giro road helmet that was tossed out on their morning commute, so I'll continue to trash mine before I toss it.


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## gamara (May 20, 2002)

Kerry Irons said:


> As to recyclability, many recycle centers will take EPS (the foam) as a number 6 foam, which it is. There are a few helmets on the market that do not EPS foam, but it is easy to tell. Very few would take the plastic shell as there is no way to know what plastic it is without chemical testing.


So Kerry for helmets with a plastic shell, all I have to do then is rip off the shell & then the helmet should be recyclable then? 

I'm really surprised by some of the answers & how diverse people's opinion are. As I said before I would have liked to donate them but I really don't feel comfortable knowing that I'm giving someone a crashed 20yr old helmet. Yes I see people on fleabay buying cracked & I mean cracked helmets all the time. WTF???? Style wins over function? 

My opinion on crashed helmets is that its like bullet proof glass or vest. Its designed to protect for only so many hits to allow the wearer to escape to safety but there is no guarantee that it will protect again if hit in the same spot again. So would you buy a vest thats been hit? Why take a chance with your life? So $20 can buy you a brand new helmet that fits better & vents better than a 20yr old helmet can. 

Frankly I can't imagine a poor person wanting my helmets anyway. The only people that I see wearing helmets in my area are other real cyclists & little kids. Thats it! Frankly I've lost count of all the teenagers I've seen not wearing helmets & riding the wrong way down a street. Then you have all the weekend adult leisure seekers using the MUT's also not wearing helmets & usually riding across the entire width & not paying attention!


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

waldo425 said:


> Someone may take it from the trash and use it which is a big safety no-no. The foam in helmets only lasts 3 years and after that it no longer does the job properly.


Baloney. Do you work for a helmet company? This advice is similar to the advice on shampoo bottles that tell you to wash twice -- it's aimed at getting consumers to buy more product.


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## covenant (May 21, 2002)

waldo425 said:


> Someone may take it from the trash and use it which is a big safety no-no. The foam in helmets only lasts 3 years and after that it no longer does the job properly.


Like I care what happens to it after I throw it away.  But who am I kidding, I can't even bear to part with my old helmets. :thumbsup:


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

nOOky said:


> Lay it on the ground, smash it with your foot, send it in for crash replacement to the manufacturer. I'm kidding, smash it and toss it. I also cut up my old tires and tubes before I toss them, just so no one digs in the trash and takes them.


Why would you care if someone takes and "recycles" your tires, tubes or even helmet? Letting someone recycle sounds like a far better use than insuring they have no use.

Is a kid better off with no helmet, or one that may have lost 10% of it's effectiveness? Which protects better? Here is one situation where our legal system gets in the way. People should be able to donate protective devices such a helmets and car seats to charitable organizations for them to make available for free without threat of liability. That, my friends is how you get more use out of things, improve the environment and help people at the same time.


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

AlanE said:


> If you want to be environmentally responsible - put them out with your normal plastic recycling material and let the recycling company figure out what to do with it. It will probably just get ground up with all of the other plastics.


No, don't do this. It's extra expense to the recycling program. The recycling company will not bother to figure out what plastic it's made from and will simply trash it. It will not get ground up with all the other plastics. You think, it's their extra expense, not yours. Wrong. It will end up being your cost because recycling is paid for from tax dollars and the extra disposal cost ends up being paid for by taxpayers.

Check with your recycling program to see if it's recyclable in your area. If it is (the only part that may be recyclable is the foam liner, not the shell) then prepare it properly (remove shell, straps, pads) and recycle it according to the program requirements.

Otherwise, put it in your trash and make it your expense.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

Blue CheeseHead said:


> Why would you care if someone takes and "recycles" your tires, tubes or even helmet? Letting someone recycle sounds like a far better use than insuring they have no use.
> 
> Is a kid better off with no helmet, or one that may have lost 10% of it's effectiveness? Which protects better? Here is one situation where our legal system gets in the way. People should be able to donate protective devices such a helmets and car seats to charitable organizations for them to make available for free without threat of liability. That, my friends is how you get more use out of things, improve the environment and help people at the same time.


Because I throw things away for a reason, and one of those might be that the item is unsafe to use.
If I threw away a carbon frame that has stress fractures that an otherwise unknowing person took and used and had fail, would you feel good about that?
If I crashed in a helmet and whacked it pretty hard, and the foam may have cracked, but it otherwise looks okay, would you be okay with a person using it?
Perhaps the tube is in the trash because the valve itself leaks air or doesn't work but otherwise it looks okay. See where I'm going? There's no liability for me, but it might protect someone who doesn't know better to keep them from using what they find in the *trash, which is usually junk*.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

nOOky said:


> Because I throw things away for a reason, and one of those might be that the item is unsafe to use.
> If I threw away a carbon frame that has stress fractures that an otherwise unknowing person took and used and had fail, would you feel good about that?
> If I crashed in a helmet and whacked it pretty hard, and the foam may have cracked, but it otherwise looks okay, would you be okay with a person using it?
> Perhaps the tube is in the trash because the valve itself leaks air or doesn't work but otherwise it looks okay. See where I'm going? There's no liability for me, but it might protect someone who doesn't know better to keep them from using what they find in the *trash, which is usually junk*.


This whole thread is fairly pointless. But I don't think comparing a structural part (frame) to a piece of unlikely to be used safety gear of still arguable effectiveness is a valid argument. Using a cracked frame could CAUSE an injury. Using a questionable helmet may PREVENT an injury. A used helmet won't cause a crash.


I just think it is so weird how much concern people put into making sure that inert objects don't get used again. It just seems like a symptom of something else that has nothing to do with the concern for others that some of you keep talking about.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

It's not just us few select whackos that do it. Whole industries destroy unused or un-needed equipment for various reasons. My view is that if I own the item, and I dispose of it, it's mine to do with what I want. I don't need some do-gooder telling me how they think I should dispose of my junk. I bet you have an extra $20 bill in your pocket, why not drop it off to a panhandler on your way across town? Maybe he'll go and buy a Walmart helmet with it in his spare time.

I don't know about your area, but here it's illegal to dig through someone's trash btw.


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

Clean it up and donate it to a Thrift Shop. Folks who are recovering from fractured skulls and such are supposed to wear a helmet. We had a yard sale years ago and I gave it away to a gal who worked with the mentally challenged. They are always looking for bicycle helmets.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

nOOky said:


> It's not just us few select whackos that do it. Whole industries destroy unused or un-needed equipment for various reasons. My view is that if I own the item, and I dispose of it, it's mine to do with what I want. I don't need some do-gooder telling me how they think I should dispose of my junk. I bet you have an extra $20 bill in your pocket, why not drop it off to a panhandler on your way across town? Maybe he'll go and buy a Walmart helmet with it in his spare time.
> 
> I don't know about your area, but here it's illegal to dig through someone's trash btw.


Industries throw away PERFECTLY good items and not for safety reasons. They waste a huge amount of resources by doing so. Example, I have a friend with a foundry. A major marine manufacture gave him a significant amount of "scrap" stainless steel under the condition that it be melted down. Well, this "scrap" stainless was in the form of brand new, perfect condition, propellers! 

With regard to helmets, many talk about tossing helmets after 3 years. They still offer the bulk of their protection at that time. If you were riding and took a spill, would you prefer to have no helmet at all, or one that took a whack, or even a crack? See where I am going here?

The OP raised a question from an ecological point of view. My response provided an alternative to extend the life a product.

Call it being a do gooder if you like. I call it being a responsible steward of limited resources. By the way, check the Political section of the board. You will see I am darn fiscally conservative. Far from a liberal. :thumbsup:


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## fastfed (Jan 13, 2011)

waldo425 said:


> Someone may take it from the trash and use it which is a big safety no-no. The foam in helmets only lasts 3 years and after that it no longer does the job properly.


ummm.. ok.. but if someone is actually trash picking.. it means they don't have money to buy new.. Its not like someone is planning on going out and buying a new helmet, but wait, look, there's one in the trash.. 

It means little tommy now gets a helmet.. Damaged or old, its better than NO helmet at all, which is what would of happened..


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

fastfed said:


> ummm.. ok.. but if someone is actually trash picking.. it means they don't have money to buy new.. Its not like someone is planning on going out and buying a new helmet, but wait, look, there's one in the trash..
> 
> It means little tommy now gets a helmet.. Damaged or old, its better than NO helmet at all, which is what would of happened..


+1 ...Zactly


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## MrRogers (Feb 23, 2011)

gamara said:


> No I was wondering if it was recyclable? I know that the landfill is the obvious answer but I just wanted to be more environmentally conscious.


If throwing a helmet in the trash is a source of stress for you, I want your life. 

MrR


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## fastfed (Jan 13, 2011)

Lotophage said:


> Disagree.
> 
> That's like saying "poisoned food is better than no food..."
> 
> ...



Proved the entire point with your food analogy.. Because anyone that has no food would take old dirty food over being starved.. And little Jimmy will at least ride around with a broken damaged helmet and even if there is a chance it might give him protection, its better than no chance.. 

honestly, I can't believe this is even being questioned..


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## pigpen (Sep 28, 2005)

I say just keep them.

Something like 80 percent of all deaths in tornados are caused by head injuries caused by flying objects.

We live in a tornado prone area and wear our old and new helmets during such storms while watching the weather in the basement. Sounds silly but many folks wear football helmets.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

fastfed said:


> Proved the entire point with your food analogy.. Because anyone that has no food would take old dirty food over being starved.. And little Jimmy will at least ride around with a broken damaged helmet and even if there is a chance it might give him protection, its better than no chance..
> 
> honestly, I can't believe this is even being questioned..


I'm not trying to being mean here, but the irony of your line "honestly, I can't believe this is even being questioned.." gave me a chuckle. You're made about 13 gazillion posts asking everything under the sun, I'm surprised you didn't ask the question about old helmets before the OP did  but I guess that'll be 3 years from now when yours is shot...


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## fastfed (Jan 13, 2011)

nOOky said:


> I'm not trying to being mean here, but the irony of your line "honestly, I can't believe this is even being questioned.." gave me a chuckle. You're made about 13 gazillion posts asking everything under the sun, I'm surprised you didn't ask the question about old helmets before the OP did  but I guess that'll be 3 years from now when yours is shot...



HEHE.. that's true.. But I don't know if Id even think of asking about what to do with an old chain..


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

You obviously make an old chain into a necklace if you're a mountain biker, with a road chain you use it as a dog dissuade-er.


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## Perico (Mar 15, 2010)

fastfed said:


> ummm.. ok.. but if someone is actually trash picking.. it means they don't have money to buy new.. Its not like someone is planning on going out and buying a new helmet, but wait, look, there's one in the trash..
> 
> It means little tommy now gets a helmet.. Damaged or old, its better than NO helmet at all, which is what would of happened..


These days if someone is looking through the trash and picking out things like bike helmets they are more likely to clean them u and sell them on ebay as a "new" helmet.


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## falcon76 (Nov 23, 2007)

I've got an old helmet I could give to someone. A little bit of glue and it'll be good as new.


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