Nukeproof Horizon Pedals

Words & Photos by Chili Dog

Developed with the help of the flat pedal poster child, Sam Hill, the Nukeproof Horizon pedals are a well thought out large platform flat that offer plenty of grip. In fact, we can’t think of another rider who’s helped sell flat pedals more than Sam. With quality input and Nukeproof’s reputation we were excited to give these things a go.

Big pins, concave bodies and large platforms are a few of my favorite things, and the Horizons check all the boxes. Though the pedal bodies themselves aren’t as drastically concave as others like Deity’s TMAC for example, the tall pins on the outside edges of the platform make the actual grip surface far more concave than the platform alone would suggest. The outer pins are also height adjustable via a set of washers, which means that the aggressiveness of the pedal bite can be tuned to personal preference. The outer pins thread into the forged 6061-T6 alloy body from the opposite side, aiding in the removal of broken pins and ensuring you don’t have to sit there and pick out dirt to fit in a hex key. Two DU bushings and four sealed cartridge bearings help the pedal spin reliably despite hard use. Should you need to replace anything, Nukeproof offers easy to order parts to keep you rolling.

The Ride

I’ll admit that I’m picky about my flat pedals. Balancing the grip to slip ratio is no small feat, and is ultimately something that comes entirely down to rider preference. It comes as no surprise then that my favorite feature of the Horizon pedal is the adjustable pin height, which lets me dial in exactly how aggressive the pedals are. Threaded all the way out to nearly 5mm, the pins give the pedals an almost Velcro like level of traction. I ended up striking a happy medium at one washer since it gave me enough float to re-adjust my stance if necessary, but still offered fantastic grip and control. The pedal bodies aren’t the thinnest on the market at 16.5mm, but the parallelogram shape shrugs off rock hits well. The polished face does a great job shedding mud and debris from the contact area, although the recessed sides can be little mud magnets when things get really sticky. No matter how chattery or rocky the descent, I never suffered from the dreaded foot wander, nor did I have any complaints while climbing. My feet simply stayed exactly where I wanted them to be. If you’re a rider that finds your feet intentionally leaving the pedals so you can get rad in the air, the Horizon’s large platform is almost 100mm by 100mm, and serves as a welcome landing pad. Even after getting all kinds of twisted up doing inverts or euros, my feet could always find their way back to some part of the pedal platform.