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We always enjoy testing products on the far end of the spectrum here at MTB MAG, so when the super light weight MEO2T pedals from HT dropped into our lap, our jaded gaze quickly disappeared and our minds peaked.
One of the great things about testing bike products is that you often get to try some “Off The Wall” products that make you really think and feel you might be the one to discover something that’s almost untouchable, in this case HT have gone for extreme light weight (215g per pair), something that is extremely hard to achieve, lets find out how HT did below.
Up close it looks normal, get into the details and things start to look extreme.
Specificiations
- Pedal weight(pair) 215g/ per pair
- Size 95 x 96 x 17 mm
- Body material magnesium extruded / CNC machined
- Spindle CNC machined Ti
- Pedal bearings dual DU bushings + one patent bearing.
- Pins replaceable grip pins
- MSRP US$285 / €280
With details like this we are pushing the limits in three directions, strength, weight and price. The feel in the hand is that of an extremely high quality product, the thought in the mind is more about would we spend that much on a pedal?
Up close it’s clear HT have removed all un-necessary weight from the magnesium forged pedal body and only used the highest quality parts. These pedals appear to be aimed at trail riders above all.
Our test version of the pedals are natural magnesium grey, as grey as the stone we sat them on to shoot, magnesium like this will oxidise, it looks pretty cool when balanced against the gold Ti.
We pedaled and also shuttled up the hill, interested in performance as well as just looking at the benefits to their low weight.
On The Trail
Lets get straight to the nitty gritty, our tester is a fairly robust rider and all our time on the HT ME02T pedals was spent seeing what the limit might be and if we could exceed it, which we didn’t.
At 85 kilos, our tester is at the end of the recommended rider weight that should be using these pedals, according to our HT consultant. We felt honestly that if we could ride these pedals with no problems then they were good for public consumption.
Starting with rocky trails, which we hammered down, we found no problems as the pedals provided a sturdy well sized (but not too big) platform that kept our feet in place and proved with their seven pin per side configuration and concave nature, to be extremely grippy.
The pedal cage is extremely shallow, with an exposed beautifully finished CNC Ti axle and sealed patented bearing unit clearly visible. All of the features are clearly designed to save weight. The narrow depth was satisfying to use as we managed to avoid rock strikes, especially in combination with our 170mm cranks. Pedaling on transfer trails around Punta Ala was great in the clearance department as well, with tricky technical climbs abundantly placed through the woods, the narrow depth of the pedal cage proved to be great at helping to avoid rock strikes.
An up-close view of the axle support.
The inner pedal zone has a bushing that is sealed. These pedals are rather exposed to dirt as in-order to save weight the normally present axle housing is gone, just two support points remain, leaving a clear view of one of the nicest looking pieces of metal we have had on our bike. During our time on the bike we did not experience any problems of dirt ingress, but we would recommend regular cleaning if used in sandy or muddy conditions and avoid washing them with anything pressurized.
High quality, low key products make us happy, the bike part geek will notice, while most may not.
TheMEO2T pedals blend into our bike’s look, but it’s not all about looks; function is always the top priority, the bearing housing drag was set to be perfectly smooth from the start. The pedal area feels about right for our size 45 foot with Five Ten grippy flat pedal shoes, in extreme bumpy trails the pedal has enough purchase to make one feel almost clipped in, note all pins are adjustable so this feel can be tuned to a riders liking, but note that foot repositioning mid trail is not hard to achieve.
We pushed the limits over the last months and put the ME02T to a few extreme tests including some time on our DH test bike. For those who like flat pedals we think there will be no complaints when it comes to performance and grip. Although we avoided any major hits during our DH trail time, the magnesium cages stood up to what we did throw at them. DH is probably not the best place for these pedals, as light weight is not a necessity normally in DH situations, HT does not really suggest where you should and shouldn’t use them, rider common sense should take over when it comes to product versus the intended use.
Conclusion
This is where things get interesting, as judging an extreme product like this is pretty hard. We can clearly say that these are one of the finest quality flat pedals we have ever had under our feet.
Honestly we can only judge the gram saving on the scales, so for those where weight is key, then these are a go to product that are almost half the weight of some flat pedals out there. Compared to all the pedals we’ve tried over time we can say that the ME02T is a very smooth pedal to spin on your cranks. They grip the foot well and this reinforces the connection between rider and bike.
Finally looking at the price, well thats a lot of money for a pair of pedals, but honestly there is nothing in the product to say that it doesn’t deserve such a price. Product quality regarding materials and construction is outstanding and visible, performance was flawless, all this in such a light package is going to push the price up. Weight conscious riders will love this product, it’s pretty unbelievable how light a pair feels in the hand.
If your are looking for a super high-end, light weight, smooth performing, flat pedal solution that are great for Trail riding and Enduro use, then the HT ME02T is a great place to start.
HT Pedals
Punta Ala Test Center
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