I agree with the previous post's account of REI, and I too am a longtime REI member and never been disappointed with their service or policies.
They typically don't sell you junk and they typically lean toward satisfying the customer in all matters of service, warranty, return, etc . . . so there's that, it's a solid operation but pricetags are sometimes hefty.
Their Co-Op bike line, even the road models, leans toward trail-worthy and durability. Most bike customers buying REI are buying reliability of the brand and the implied durability of the product, and they might be willing to concede some points of performance or weight that are priority concerns for many road riders. None of this is a problem, just look at closely at what this bike offers you for the price of $1100 and make sure it jibes with your wants / priorities . . .
The 2x8 drivetrain is Shimano Claris, which is Shimano's entry level of road component sets. You might find other brands at same price point running Sora or a sale model equipped with Tiagra, both will be lighter in weight than Claris.
At 2x8 your gearing might be a bit limited compared to a bike set up with 2x10 or 2x11 . . . for your purpose / intend use, this might be fine . . . but if you're really ambitious to climb aggressively or to hit top speeds that thrill, make sure the gearing offered in the 2x8 will do it for your style of riding.
At the $1100 price point, you can shop several options in different brands to get a perfectly good bike for your needs although not top-of-category / carbon fibre / etc. Giant, Specialized and Trek, even Cannondale and Felt, all offer bikes at this prince range that are tuned more specifically for road riding. REI's own description of the model you're specifying states that it's a fine road machine that's ready to take off-road . . . my translation this is a solid drop-bar bike that's durable enough for gravel and trails even if it's a little heavier and a little slower in some circumstances than other brands' bikes at the same price . . . again, this is your decision based on what you want from this bike.
Buying used, as other guys suggest, can save you money and get you more performance for less money . . . but you should know intimately what you want and of course buying used you don't typically have the recourse of return or exchange if you don't love the bike. If you want to buy new, you can get a lot of bike these days for $1100 . . . if you said you want to spend only $500-700, then maybe you shop used to get a better bike than what you'll find in new bikes offered in that price range.
I believe $1100 buys you plenty these days to satisfy your stated purpose, with one notable compromise you might want to accept -- the stock wheelset. Most bikes under $2000 are going to give you a fine aluminum or alloy frame and solid compenentry that will hold up for years. The bike brands are selling you mostly the frame-and-fork, that's where they make their return on their development costs and they almost all outsource their wheelsets . . . they tend to put bargain wheels (not junk, but heavy) on very good frames because adding excellent wheelsets will drive up their costs and the buyer's price, so just know that all bikes in this price range have wheels you might want to upgrade if you're keeping the bike more than a couple years. But you'll probably see no need to upgrade your components to higher-end lightweight stuff unless you're focused on incremental weight decreases, unless you have a longterm plan to upgrade everything as you go and spread your costs over a couple years. Don't get caught up (in your price range) with ideas of upgrading your handlebars / stem / seat post etc to higher priced offerings. If you're weight training and carrying pounds of muscle, don't spend hundreds of dollars trying to save GRAMS of weight on those parts of the bike. If you want one bike for road + trail riding, the REI bike is probably a fine choice . . . other brands might give you a bike better suited to road performance but not as durable for any offroading you want to do. Keep in mind you'll spend another $150-200 for good clipless pedals (they don't come stock) and then repeat that cost for your shoes as well -- so $300-400 for that right away, after you've bought your bike. And then a helmet if you don't already have one you like for daily use.
My own experience, just for the hell of it -- I returned to road riding a couple years ago with a $1000 price limit. I bought a single-speed aluminum Specialized model (it's basically a track frame on stock wheelset) for $750, and my Shimano pedals and shoes put me just over $1000. I ride ONLY FLAT ROUTES here, no hills, so I had no need for lightweight components to aid in climbing and I have no need for disc brakes as I'm never going downhill. Disc brakes are definitely better at stopping you at high speeds, but how fast am I going to go on flat roads? This year I bought a $600 wheelset and this bike now goes as fast as I can push it (on one gear). Yeah I'm spent after 30 or 40 miles, but it's a GREAT fitness tool. I could do 20 more miles with a geared bike, but I don't often have 3+ hours to ride anyway, so I'm good for my current riding habits.
I hope this lends some perspective without adding confusion.
I think the most effective way to make this purchase is to really hone in on how you intend to use the bike, and target your spending for those priorities.