Hearth Record

CPSC, Three Firms Announce Recall of Bicycle Helmets

Home product recall 01-032. Announced by CPSC on Nov 17, 2000.

  • CPSC: stop using it
CPSC’s own notice, on cpsc.gov

Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own notice is on cpsc.gov.

The short answer

Announced by CPSC on Nov 17, 2000. Copied from CPSC on Oct 24, 2026.

Every line below is in CPSC’s own words, with its source beside it.

What’s wrong with it?

These helmets fail impact testing required under CPSC’s Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets, violating the Consumer Product Safety Act. Riders wearing these helmets are not adequately protected from falls, and could suffer severe head injuries or death.

Source:

CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 24, 2026. Updated daily.

What should you do?

Variflex Inc.: Consumers should stop using these helmets immediately, and return them to the store where purchased, for a refund or replacement helmet. NHS: Consumers should stop using these helmets immediately and return them to NHS Inc., not to the store where purchased, for a refund. First Team Sports: Consumers should stop using these helmets immediately, and return them to the store where purchased, for a refund.

Source:

CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 24, 2026. Updated daily.

  • How to reach the firm: Variflex Inc.: For more information, call Variflex at (800) 248-5327 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday. NHS: For more information and instructions on how to return the helmet, call NHS at (831) 459-7800 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday. First Team Sports: For more information, call First Team Sports at (800) 528-5872 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

Which ones are recalled?

Variflex Inc. “X-Games Aggressive” Bicycle Helmets: These helmets are either black, white or chrome. They have a red “X- Games” insignia on the front and “X-Games” is written on the back. A large label inside these helmets reads “SGS CPSC CY50159.” And “Variflex Inc.” “Static” and “Made in Taiwan” are written on the packaging. NHS TSG Helmets: The Metallic Gold and Gloss Black helmets have “TSG” written on the front and rear of the helmet. The Foundation Blue helmets have the word “Foundation” across the front and a star and moon on the side of the helmet. They have serial numbers beginning SN: 00170 or SN: 00171, and a date code of January, February and April 2000 written on the white label inside the helmets. First Team Sports “Guardian Junior Helmets”: They are slate blue, and have “Guardian” written on the front and rear of the helmets. They have model numbers 007471, 007958, 009406, 009437, 009455 or 009830, and date code “2000/04” written on a label inside the helmets.

About 243,000 units, as CPSC gives them.

Variflex Inc. “X-Games Aggressive” Bicycle Helmets, NHS TSG Helmets, and First Team Sports “Guardian Junior Helmets”.

Source:

CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 24, 2026. Updated daily.

Who made and sold it?

  • Imported by Variflex Inc., Moorpark, Calif.
  • Distributed by NHS Inc., Santa Cruz, Calif.
  • Distributed by First Team Sports Inc., Anoka, Minn.
  • Sporting good and discount department stores nationwide sold the Variflex Inc. “X-Games Aggressive” helmets, from October 1999 through September 2000, for about $20. Sporting good stores nationwide sold the NHS TSG helmets, from February 2000 through October 2000, for between $35 and $45. Sporting goods stores in the eastern and north eastern U.S. sold the First Team Sports “Guardian Junior” helmets, from February 2000 through October 2000, for about $25.
  • Made in Taiwan, as the notice gives it.
Source:

CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 24, 2026. Updated daily.

Was anyone hurt?

CPSC and these firms are not aware of any injuries or incidents involving these helmets.

Source:

CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 24, 2026. Updated daily.

What the record doesn’t say

  • The notice lists no UPCs, so check the model, the description and the photos.
  • The notice lists no model numbers in a field of their own; its description may give them.
  • How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Source:

Hearth Record wrote these lines.

Sources

  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recalls API.

    Checked Oct 24, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.

Source:

Recalls of kids’ and home products are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record. Copied on Oct 24, 2026.

How to read a record

Four things every record does, shown on an example record made up for this guide.

An example record, made up for this guide

An example nursing home

Made up for this guide: no real place is shown

Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 8, 2026. Updated monthly.

From the homeNone yet. Replies and paid listings aren’t open, and when they open they will sit here, below the record.

1 of 4

Every fact names its source.

Who published it, when, and how often it changes sit beside each fact, with a link to the agency’s own file.

Sign in

A free account keeps your watch list, shortlists, comparisons and saved searches on every device, and can email you when something you watch changes. Browsing never needs one.