The HT GD1 is a hybrid pedal with a flat on one side and a clipless binding on the other. Obviously, the idea being that it offers the best of both worlds, but to be honest, it’s more like the master of none.

Read more: Best mountain bike clipless pedals for 2021

The body of the pedal is made from die-cast aluminium, which is lightweight and so far has proved durable. On the flat pedal side there is a small amount of concavity, which helps foot placement. There are also seven pins for grip, although these are a grub screw design and are not really that tall or adjustable. You can wind them out to increase the height, but they then become loose in the pedal body. The surface of the flat side is pretty smooth and doesn’t offer a lot of grip even with really soft Five Ten footwear.

On the clipless side there are five pins and a binding that is a cross between a Shimano and Crankbrothers. HT claims this design is easier to get into and also offers greater mud clearance because the front of the mechanism is totally open. This single bar does allow you to rotate the cleat backwards and forwards to clear compacted mud, but it’s fragile and if you slam into a rock it can easily be damaged, which is something that’s happened to us with Crankbrothers pedals on more than one occasion.

It only takes a second to flick the HT GD1 over, but in a pressure situation, such as halfway down a tricky descent, that can make a big difference. The idea that you use a flat on one ride and clipless the next also doesn’t make sense when it takes almost the same amount of time to swap pedals as it does shoes.