I've been an REI Co-op member since 1972. I've bought lots of gear from them over the years and have been satisfied. They don't make the gear, they just sell it. But they have a first-rate return policy: anything for any reason within a year, which is hard to beat. But like all retail stores, not every salesperson is knowledgeable. Their bike mechanics can be good or bad and anything in between. But REI usually has a good selection of products, decent sales periodically, and always around a 10 % dividend on non sale purchases, paid annually. Back before it became a trendy, upscale outdoor gear store, it was quite an economical place to but gear. In the 70s it wasn't so easy to get good gear at a good price. The REI brand presented a satisfactory option. In those days, you added up the weight of your mail order and paid the appropriate shipping costs. Now shipping is based on price, a practice I never could understand. But overall, it's not a bad place to buy stuff.