Straight out the box, we were concerned about the tight and notchy bearings on the Ritchey Comp V4 Mountain — they felt nowhere near as smooth and capable as the others on test.

The pedal was also the heaviest, but then it is a good £20 cheaper than the Shimano XT.

Once on the bike, entry and exit felt crisp and positive, and the tension is adjustable via Allen bolts on the pedal body.

Although set very light as standard, it didn’t take too much twiddling before we were satisfied we had the right spring force.

The 5° of float was light and effective, hitting a good threshold before exit, so we were happy with the performance throughout.

With such a small platform, the Comp V4 Mountain provides less support than the XT or Funn pedals, but that did mean it tended to react more favourably when ridden in sticky mud.

A few well-placed kicks soon cleared the open mechanism and narrow axle of gloop, ice and snow.

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With better quality bearings we would find it easier to recommend the Comp V4 Mountain as a budget SPD-compatible option.