REASONS TO BUY
Super slim profile
Solid grip no matter where your foot is positioned
Lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
Moderate size platform
Pin heads are somewhat exposed
A bit pricey
HT Components AE03 Evo Review
These low profile pedals are lightweight and super thin
HT Components AE03 Evo
Credit: HT Components
Our Verdict
One of the thinner pedals romping around on the trails, the HT AE03 pedals have an exquisitely machined design that will keep their snazzy look for many miles. Well-placed pins in the center and perimeter of the platform keep your feet confident with grip, wet or dry. However, this high-quality pedal comes at a fairly steep price. Regardless, these pedals are engineered for high performance and make a great set of flats for enduro racing and trail riding.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
HT Components AE03 Evo | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Flat Pedal |  Best Gravity Flat Pedal |  Best Pedal for your Buck | Best On A Tight Budget | |
| Price | $160 List $149.99 at Amazon | $199.95 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $180 List $169.00 at Backcountry | $29.73 at REI Compare at 4 sellers | $27 List $24.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Designed to be light, low profile, and good looking | This pedal provides excellent grip, traction, and support and is easy to service | If you're searching for maximum grip, look no further | Less-expensive flat pedal option for those who like to put their equipment to the test | A budget oriented pedal that offers adequate grip and a midsize platform but may be less apealing compared to established brands |
| Rating Categories | HT Components AE03 Evo | Wolf Tooth Waveform | Deity TMAC | Race Face Chester | Fooker Nylon Fiber |
| Grip and Traction (25%) | |||||
| Platform (25%) | |||||
| Mobility (20%) | |||||
| Servicing (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Specs | HT Components AE03 Evo | Wolf Tooth Waveform | Deity TMAC | Race Face Chester | Fooker Nylon Fiber |
| Measured Weight (per pair) | 345 g | 373 g | 440 g | 358 g | 370 g |
| Traction Pins (per side) | 10, 2.5 mm hex head bottom loading | 11, 3 mm head bottom loading | 14, 2 mm hex head top loading | 8, 2.5 mm hex head bottom loading | 8, 2.5 mm hex head bottom loading |
| Measured Platform Dimensions (millimeters) | 102 mm x 107 mm | 105 mm x 99 mm | 110 mm x 105 mm | 110 mm x 101 mm | 110 mm x 100 mm |
| Platform Profile (millimeters) - not including pins | 9 mm leading and trailing edges, 11 mm at tapered end of spindle | 13.96 mm perimeter, 12.63 axle | 19 mm leading and trailing edges, 14 mm at axle | 14 mm leading and trailing edges, 17 mm center of spindle | 14 mm at edges, 18 mm at axle |
| Concavity | 3.5 mm difference from effective edges to tapered end of spindle | Dual concave 1.5mm difference permieter to center | 5 mm difference from effective edges to center axle. Super concave 2.5mm pedal profile per side. | 3 mm difference from effective edges to center of pedal | 4 mm difference from effective edge to center of pedal |
| Q Factor / Distance from cranks to furthest pin | 105 mm | 100mm | 113 mm | 103 mm | 103 mm |
| Bearings | EVO + and dual DU bushing bearings | Three sealed cartridge bearings and one igus bushing | Multi micro sealed bearings and Deity DU bushing internals | Cartridge bearings and DU bushings | 3 sealed cartridge bearings |
| Body Material | Aluminium | 6061-T6 Aluminum | Forged 6061-T6 aluminum | Nylon Composite | Nylon Fiber |
| Pedal Wrench Type | 8 mm hex | 8 mm hex | 15 mm pedal spanner, 8 mm hex | 15 mm pedal spanner, 8 mm hex | 8 mm hex |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The HT AE03 pedals offer a knife-thin profile with exceptional internal components and plenty of traction. These exquisitely machined pedals are some of the thinner flat pedals available. Designed for top-of-the-line performance, these pedals keep ground strikes to a minimum and your bike light for any climb without sacrificing grip.
Performance Comparison
The HT Components ANS AE03 Evo are thin and light, designed for a variety of riding conditions.
Credit: Al Morrison
Grip and Traction
Each HT AE03 pedal uses 20 hex head traction screws (10 per side) placed in key points along the perimeter of the pedal body, with two in the center near the axle. One drawback to the thin profile of these pedals is that it leaves nothing for the traction screw heads to hide behind, making them more susceptible to damage from rock strikes. The profile of the pedal tapers slightly towards the outside edge of the pedal, with a notable rise over the axle close to the crank arm. We could feel this raised section under our shoes ever so slightly, and our soles don't sink quite as far onto the adjacent pins. Still, these pedals provide solid traction in technical terrain. In instances where a thicker pedal may want to roll underfoot, the AE03 stays glued to your foot with the pins engaged into your shoe.
HT AE03 ultra thin aluminum extruded 20 pin grippers.
Credit: Tasha Thomas
The HT AE03 pedal has a moderate but efficient grip. In wet conditions, the grip stayed true. Mud build-up wasn't an issue and cleared well. Depending on shoe size, these pedals can quickly transition from lots of grip to very little if your foot gets off position. These pedals are machined and anodized aluminum and are built to have a small, light, and durable profile.
Platform
The AE03 pedals were designed to be paper-thin and as streamlined as possible. With its offset top and bottom design, this pedal gives the allusion of being larger than the actual effective platform. That said, we didn't find its 102mm x 107mm platform to be too small. These pedals benefit from being less prone to ground strikes though they feel narrow compared to some other pedals. Their light weight is most noticeable on the climbs. The platform is flat relative to other pedals. It's obvious there's more meat in the middle of the pedal for your shoe sole to make contact with. This helps maintain a solid feel on the pedals even if your foot moves slightly.
The ultra-thin 9mm aluminum platform with 20 pins.
Credit: Tasha Thomas
Pedal Mobility
The HT AE03 spins well but not so quickly that your shins get hung up on the pins if you slip a pedal. There is a slight bit of peculiar chatter in the pedals, and that could be related to the axle not extending the entire length of the pedal. A nut at the end of the pedal spindle allows for adjustment of the tension and the ease of spinning.
Well placed pins in both center and outside keep your feet confident with grip.
Credit: Tasha Thomas
Servicing
We found these pedals to be fairly easy to maintain. Due to the thinner profile, they didn't strike much and held up well in terms of avoiding rock strikes. The pin size could be changed to add more grip if desired. A rebuild kit for the AE03 is available but does not include a replacement spindle or a new set of pins.
Weight
The HT AE03 sacrifices a little real estate in platform size in trade for its light weight. With aluminum construction and a weight of 350-grams, they are relatively light. That weight savings comes at a premium, however.
These pedals were some of the lightest in the field, due to its shorter length axle and extensive machining on the pedal body.
Credit: Chris Smith
Value
The HT AE03 falls in the higher end of the price spectrum at their retail price. These pedals held up great under our testing and will last for many seasons. We feel the solid performance, durability, and reliability of these pedals make them a solid value despite their higher price.
Conclusion
The HT AE03 pedals are a high-performance option for the rider or racer looking for a well-designed pedal that is durable and gets the job done in all conditions. Aside from riders with larger feet searching for a wider platform, there aren't many flaws to these pedals. They're light, thin, and made with high-quality materials and their low-profile design keeps ground strikes to a minimum.
—Al Morrison
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