HT T1 Enduro Race Pedals: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Clipless or flat pedals is an age-old question, every rider seems to have their preference and both have some major benefits depending on who you ask. Read on as our friend Stacy tells us about his choice of clipless pedals for his bike. 

Intro:

I have gone back and forth from being clipped-in to flats several times over the years, but for the last 3 years, I have been riding on flats only. After having my foot come off the pedals in one too many rock gardens, I was ready for a change. I chose HT T1’s because of Worldwide’s video.

Hearing that these pedals could be tightened up more than the others, I knew they were the ones for me.

Setup:

From the moment that I opened up the box, I knew these things were going to be awesome. After sorting out some shoe issues, (I ended up with the Giro Chamber ii) I hit the trails. Immediately, I found out how easy it is to get out of these pedals, but only when I wanted to. I stay clipped in while smashing rock gardens and haven’t had any issues with my feet coming out when I didn’t want them to.

First Impressions

I can honestly say that these pedals have leveled up my riding. The platforms are big enough that my feet can always find the pedals quickly and I am always able to slide the cleat in very smoothly, with a nice satisfying click. Being attached to my bike has upped my confidence while riding so much. It is definitely not for everyone, but I would definitely recommend people to try being clipped in.

The build of these pedals seem solid, the frames and mechanisms of them can definitely take some rock hits without any trouble. The bearings are very smooth and have been nothing but consistent. There are two different types of cleats that come with the pedals, the 4-degree release, and the 8-degree release. I have only used the 4-degree cleats, and I have been happy with the distance I have to twist my feet to release from the shoes. The only thing that I have experienced with these 4-degree release cleats is that I have shifted my weight a little bit too much while turning and have had my foot come out a few times. It isn’t a big deal, and I have mostly gotten used to it. The mechanism to tighten the pedals is a simple one, but it works noticeably, even with a half-turn of the wrench. I initially bought these pedals because I thought I would want them to be extremely tight, but I haven’t had to tighten them more than a turn or two to get to where I want them to be.

On-Trail

Riding with the HT Enduro pedals is pretty straight forward. They are fairly thin, so they don’t catch onto many rocks. Getting out of these guys while riding down the trail to put a foot out for a turn or something is quite intuitive, and they are always easy to get back into at speed, which is a must for trail riding.

I have not found much reason for the two grip pins at the front of the pedal though. My shoes don’t come into contact with them at any point while on the pedals, neither while clipping in nor while being clipped in. I can’t see any reason to have them other than for appearance, because I don’t think that other shoes would ever come into contact with them either.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I love these pedals and will be using them for a long time to come. The adjustability is awesome, they are super intuitive and easy to use, and they seem bombproof, but only time will tell on that front. I would definitely recommend these to anyone who is comfortable with trail riding and looking for a little bit more control on the loose parts of trail or looking for a little bit more power out of each pedal stroke.