HT Components M2 pedal review

HT Components M2 pedals are lightweight clipless pedals with a small platform that's ideal for cross-country racing, gravel use and cyclocross. Their proprietary design cleat offers both a solid snap-in feel with varying float options, and an easy release feel. They clear muck well and spin freely on their fully serviceable innards. If you’re minted you can opt for the lightweight Ti axle version, but for my money, the standard Steel black version will do just fine. An impressive pedal at a good price.

HT Components M2 pedal - Techincal details

HT has been making flat pedals since 2005 under the HT name however, it was the clipless pedal launch in 2014 that caused a stir in the market with its unique cleat and mechanism backed by superstar World Cup Downhill rider Aaron Gwin, (yes that Aaron, famous for the DH run without a chain although he was rather good at pedalling too). The list of winning riders on HT is pretty huge but let me just throw one more name in here, probably the GOAT when it comes to men's cross country and multiple World Champion - Nino Schurter. Does this matter? No, not really, other than you can trust HT even if you are not familiar with the name and have never tried its own cleat.

HT Components M2 feature an exclusive unique cleat and cleat mechanism and offers a feeling somewhere between Shimano’s SPD ‘snap’ and Time’s ‘click’ system. Looking from above the pedal you can see it looks to be an amalgam of a Shimano rear plate and a Time or Crankbrothers front bar spring. It looks like HT looked at the varying systems on the market, worked out which bits they liked and wanted to use and where, and created the best of both worlds for its pedals.

Most importantly the cleat and pedal will not work your Shimano SPD-equipped cleat or pedal nor Crankbrothers any other brand of clipless pedal. You are going to have to set your shoes up again, which for some, is a faff but in reality, if you mark everything out from your previous two-bolt cleat position it shouldn’t be too difficult to set up the HT X1 cleat.

A range of cleats is available offering more or less float and even the ability to twist out via rocking side to side for super easy access. The M2 pedals are available with a hollow steel axle or a hollow titanium axle in a fancy Titanium nitride (Gold) colourway for a claimed 45g reduction in heft and a weight limit of just 80Kgs - that puts me out even in my birthday suit. Thankfully we have the stock black-on-black steel axle colourway version on test.

My M2 pedals came with both X1 and X1E cleats with the second version being an easier release version of the X1. I fitted the X1 to my shoes for the test being familiar with most makes of cleat and pedal I was pretty sure I’d not need the easy release option, but you can, of course, try it or indeed buy any of the four options available for the M2 pedal. The X1F offer more float at eight-degrees as opposed to the stock four degrees and X2 cleats require more pressure to engage and release so if you like it tight these might be for you.

The M2 Pedals are supplied with 2 differing thicknesses of plastic shim for different pedal depth cleat boxes on your shoes although no gauge is supplied or offered online as far as I can see. A 0.5mm steel shim is also supplied although no mention of when to use it is to be found in the paperwork or on the site, presumably it's for use with carbon-soled shoes.

The pedal offers a small platform of support for your shoe measuring 56 x 41mm which makes it smaller than the Time and Crankbrother Candy equivalents but not dissimilar to the Hope Union RC (although the Hope is wider) and larger of course than the almost non-existent Crankbrothers Eggbeater pedal.

HT pedals are fully serviceable (with the correct tools) and are supplied with a 9mm socket bit to undo the pedal axle nut under the end cap. You can then remove the spindle and give everything a clean wipe down and regrease. Removal of the bearing and bushing is more complicated unless you have the correct tools. A large range of rebuild parts are available in the UK via your local dealer.

HT Components M2 pedal - Performance

Setting up the cleats is as simple as any two-bolt cleat setup although, unlike Crankbrothers and Hope, you do not get any cleat box depth measuring tool either online or in the box which is a shame as this takes the guesswork out of the setup. If you have access to one of these guides it might help but of course, it won’t be designed for the HT pedal. However you do it, you need to make sure that the pedal body is engaged with the shoe sole on either side of the cleat box when the cleat is clipped in. You need a contact fit but not overly tight and you don’t want a gap visible between the sole and the pedal body otherwise you’ll only be riding on the cleat, not the pedal body This is much easier to do with both the pedal and the shoe on the workbench or kitchen table.

Once set up with the supplied X1 cleat I was surprised by how easy it was to clip in and out of the pedal. At the lowest tension setting this has to be the easiest pedal to clip into that I have tested. Straight away I can see this being ideal for those that are just starting on their journey into the clipless pedal world.

I rode the pedals without adjustment for a few rides but quickly realised that I wanted a little more security from the pedal, so set about adjusting all four dials to the central tension position which is easily done with a 3mm hex key. It's important to adjust all four to the same tension to keep the release feel the same. Thankfully the little gauge on the pedal is easily readable (when new) and you can even see the plus and minus symbols.

Freshly adjusted and back out on the trail the pedals have performed without issue. I’ve never had a moment when I’m partially in or out which can be dangerous. They have snapped in every time of asking and have shed the muck without issue. The four degrees of float offered with the X1 cleat suit me fine with these pedals with just enough wiggle room before the need to disengage. I was very surprised by just how easy it is to clip in and still feel completely locked in. It's a great result for the HT cleat design and I can see why Nino Schurter endorses these models - although I suspect he might be a little bit special.

If you want more float then you can buy the separate X1F cleat which offers eight degrees which may work better for those with even more sensitive knees than me. If, even at the max adjustment of tension, you still feel looser than you would like, there is the X2 cleat which requires more force to engage and release. HT recommend this for BMX racers and presumably 4X racers etc.

The black-on-black colourway is very smart, better than the Ti version or the fully polished chrome version, but that’s just my personal view. However, it does scuff up easily and of course, shows evidence of the odd spill or pedal strike. Nothing a black Sharpie or pot of model paint cannot fix if that's of concern, which it isn’t for me.

HT Components M2 pedal - Verdict

HT Components M2 pedal costs £100 which is good value considering the weight of the pedal - 306g (1g more than claimed which I think we can forgive HT for) The cleat mechanism feels easy to engage and offers enough tension adjustment on the standard X1 cleat for new to more experienced riders.

Rivals in the market at this money are Shimano’s ubiquitous XT SPD pedal or PD-M8100 to give it its proper title, costing a little more at £115 and weighing in at 340g. Shimano might not have been the very first offroad clipless pedal maker but they have been the most successful in numbers terms. A great pedal with good longevity, service options and cleats available everywhere. The biggest issue for the XT is that it's not much more special than cheaper SPD models.

Crankbrothers offers two options at this print point. The ultimate unclogable racers pedal, the Eggbeater 2 comes in at £100, weighs in at 280g and has four sides to clip into. It's a great system and popular in the mud but doesn’t offer much if any support so will not work well with softer-soled XC shoes. We've not reviewed the 2's but we did like the Eggbeater 3's

The second option is a Candy 2 at £100 and 324g which utilizes the Eggbeater at its heart but offers a more supportive platform for a wider range of shoes and comfort over longer distances. I’ve not tested the 2, but I enjoyed using the Candy 7.

Time doesn’t offer a direct comparison at this price, instead, they offer the 293g plastic-bodied XC6 at £75 or the 290g carbon-bodied XC8 at £145. Time’s mud performance is only second to the Eggbeater and the engagement and float offered is fantastic for those looking to save their knees. Although Times can be pulled apart for a service, they don’t make it as easy as the others here. Durability is normally good on the higher-priced models. We have not reviewed the XC6’s to date.

If you want to buy British and go for Hope then you’ll need to fork out £150 for the exquisitely made fully serviceable and repairable Union RC XC race pedal. I liked this pedal and it's another one with a little bit of free float adjustment. It's not quite as good at mud shedding as the Eggbeater or the Time but I expect it's very similar to the HT. Excellent support as always and cleats to choose from.

HT’s M2 weighs in at just 306g on my Park scales compared to Hope Union RC 322g, Crankbrothers Candy 7's 324g, Time XC8 296g, and Shimano XT 340g.

HT Components M2 is an excellent cross-country, gravel and cyclocross, heck, even road pedal due to its small size and low weight. It spins easily, is fully serviceable and has a range of cleats available to allow you to tailor it to your engagement and release feel. The M2 is one of the easiest pedals to click into I’ve tested making it very easy to recommend for clipless first-timers. Wind the tension up and/or swap cleats and it's perfect for racers as well. An excellent pedal at a decent price.