HT Components AN-71 Talon MTB Pedal review

The HT Talon pedal seems to be at a glance a no nonsense metal flat pedal for a decent price and after a few months of use I’d say this pretty much mirrors my opinion of them. Simple is as simple does.

• Brand: HT Components
• Product: AN-71 Talon MTB Pedal
• Price: £74.99
• From: Ison Distribution
• Tested by: Aran Francis for 4 months

For £75 the Talon flattiees outcompete most other alloy body options when it comes to price. And it’s a struggle to work out where HT have cut corners to achieve this. The truth is HT haven’t done anything revolutionary, the Talons are just a simple, well-built pedal. 

At 430g they’re not the lightest platform but they’re not appreciably heavy either. The 105 x 105 x 17mm platform is an ideal width, striking a good balance between security in foot placement and trail clearance. There’s no complicated shape, just a nice squarish cage.

HT has backed this uncomplicated platform up with a well balanced and well placed set of pins; long enough to grip but not so adhesive to prevent you readjusting your foot positioning. Happily, from my not so gentle experience, these pins hold up well to abuse staying straight and grippy. If you did want to replace the pins this is also an easy job with non-skimpy Allen key holes on the back for a simple replacement job. Replacement pins are readily available and similarly reasonably priced. 

The only real limiting factor on how long pedals last is the bearings. The Talon’s bearings are holding up well thus far, still maintaining a nice stiffness after a few months of hammer and not-so-careful jetwashing. 

From an aesthetic point of view, they look smart and sleek. Although there are other colours listed as available, it’s quite hard to find a set that’s not either black or a very in-yer-face ‘Ratners’ gold. Initially this was a worry as if it was my choice I would usually go for silver or raw alloy pedals; simply as when you do eventually smash them on rocks there is no paint to take off. However, after a good 6 months of hammer the Talons still look decent and shiny.

Overall

There are a couple of decent options for rival brand alloy pedals at this price butt the Talon pedals strength is their simplicity. Not trying too hard to do anything fancy, just giving you a nice lump of aluminium to plant your foot on. No nasty surprises. The bearings appear to have good longevity. The bodies hold up well to scratches and scrapes. The pins are a good length and simple enough to replace. A simple yet dependable flattie. 

Review Info