I’m going with these for moderate gravel
https://bike.shimano.com/...rx-di2/PD-ES600.html

If it’s nasty as in muddy I’d use my PD-M8100 XT pedals because I’d like to be able to clip in on either side.
I don’t use mine for road really but I would just swap out to to my DA SPD pedals.

Doesn’t really answer your question. I think for me if I had to pick one, I would pick the PD-ES600 pedals so if I have to hike It, there is less risk to damage a cleat.

Here is a good adaptor for an FYI.
https://bike.shimano.com/...shimano/ESMSH41.html

anything wrong with any standard spd pedals?

Speedplay Szyr

I went with XTR’s and use the Bont Vaypor G shoes. Which is basically a super stiff road shoe that you can walk on. So I don’t even miss my trusted Bont road shoes/Speedplays... seriously! And coffee stops are nicer too!

 

I do some adventurous stuff., so I went full mountain on my gravel rig. Crank Brothers Candy, a nice alternative to SPD (just to be different). And Pearl Izumi mtb shoes. Both are just great. I can ride all day, and they're perfectly comfortable. The Candies lack the satisfying "click" you get with SPD, but they clear mud just fine, and the cleats are just as small and indestructible.

Time ATACs.

I'm a Crank Bros. fan as well. Candy on my mountain bike and Eggbeaters on my gravel bike. I have to ride plenty of asphalt on my gravel bike to get to actual gravel, and they're fine, but definitely not as "connected" feeling as road pedals. If I were going to do dedicated road riding I'd probably take the 5 minutes and swap over to actual road pedals.

I also use Crank Bros Candies on my mtb and gravel bike.

The platform is smallish but I notice a difference versus standard Eggbeaters.

I just use time atacs for road, cross and mtb.

I have used eggbeaters but the quality is so poor. I tried a heavy duty model last year called the mallet for cyclocross and really liked it, but it's pretty heavy.

I am also in the Crank Brothers camp.
But to be honest I have been using them on my Mountain bike for years and use my Mountain bike shoes on the gravel bike as well, so I just went with the same pedals.
If I didn't mountain bike I might have looked at other options that are closer to road style.

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http://www.instagram.com/cyclewise

I use Shimano clipless MTB pedals on my gravel bike along with MTB shoes. Not only in case I have to walk, I just don't want the dirt, mud, & gravel to get into the bottoms of my road bike shoes. If I didn't already have mountain bikes, I would go with flat MTB pedals unless I was going to cover big distance. MTB flat pedals with the screw spikes grip really well.

Long time crank brothers user here. Have used quite a few different models with super stiff carbon soled shoes. Have also used a few others (time, spd) and currently use Vector3s on my road bike.

One thing that is pretty important but doesn’t seem to get enough attention is that the adjustment of the pedal shoe interface is super important and it does wear. Make sure the little rubber/plastic rings are sized correctly such that the shoe clips right with no slack and you will end up with a very secure fit that feels much better. Also replace the cleats and the little metal shields that protect the shoes as they wear and the whole experience will be much better.

Extremely durable and absolute holding power for pulling up against without excessive binding like spds. No tiny springs or parts to fail or small slots/gaps to collect mud or small rocks and foul the clip. The small cleats are also easy to walk on gravel or rocks with. And best of all the 3 series models are pretty cheap.

I use Shimano XTR on my Warbird and they work great!

thank you! This adapter is a good idea

I just use my P1's and road shoes. I'm not riding anywhere that requires any hiking/carrying my bike and I like my road shoes. I used to wear mtn bike shoes and use my spd's, but after over a year of never needing to walk or put a foot down, I switched to my P1's and road shoes.

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"It's good enough for who it's for" - Grandpa Wayne

I notice a huge difference between the two if my shoes are interfacing with the pedal's traction pads of the Candy pedals correctly. Mike Levy explains it here.

I won't touch Eggbeaters now.

Time ATAC for me too.

Crank Brothers Candies (1's) for me, had them for a couple years and they seem pretty durable. They aren't the easiest pedals to get into but that's not something that would deter me from buying them again, I'm not unclipping often anyway.

I have the same combo ready to rock my brand new Topstone fingers crossed out the shop tomorrow.

Time ATAC pedals. Speciale 8s borrowed from my mtb currently. Still regularly use Time ATAC Aliums.