I have a lot of money to spend at REI

My overly generous sisters gave me a $400 REI giftcard for my 40th birthday. The theme of the whole gift was "second childhood"--they gave me 40 gifts, all things from my childhood (Slinky, crayons, bubblegum, Spirograph, etc.), and the last gift was this giftcard. They had in mind that I could use it to get a "fun" bike of the cruiser/comfort variety, but they also know that I'm vaguely in the market for an entry level road bike for the triathlon I'm doing this summer. Currently my only bike is my 20 year old touring/commuting bike. It's the best bike in the world and I love it and it fits me perfectly, and it *would* get me through the triathlon, but something lighter might be less tiring, not to mention somewhat faster (although for the record my only goal is to finish the race. I don't care about fast.).

So I'm not sure what to do with this money. Put it towards a road bike from REI (limited selection, don't entirely trust the REI staff to fit me properly)? Plunk it down on a pink Townie (or something similar, although probably not pink. I'm not a big pink fan. And I'm not sure how much use I'd get from a bike like this. It's fun, sure, but in reality how many leisurely rides to the nearby coffeeshop and library do I actually do? Um, none.)? Buy a whole lot of socks and either get a road bike elsewhere or suck it up and ride Maggie Miyata?

So I'm just throwing this out there for ideas. If you had $400 to spend at REI, what would you get?

Sarah

P.S. And how cool are my sisters?

Your sisters rock! You can get a Cannondale (they can order more than in store) then take it to a shop you trust and buy a fitting. The entry Synapse is a nice bike and not ridiculously expensive. It is aluminum not carbon like the fancier ones. You could get the Townie as a "Woohoo I got free money and this thing is fun!!" I really want a Townie and right now I could only really ride it to the pool!

You could go online and get some bike clothes, better selection than the stores. You could get some Tri shoes. You could get a Polar HR Monitor to assist in your tri training or have one for a reason I do, it is neat. I *think* they have Tri transition bags online.

What would I get? This is purely things I want:

• Smart Wool
• Ibex goodies
• I actually like their women's clothes and can't bear to spend that much so I would buy some shirts, pants, etc...
• Garmin Bike Computer
• Garmin for my car because I am constantly lost
• Shoes, never have enough of those
• camping gear, there is always more I want

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Originally Posted by sfa

My overly generous sisters gave me a $400 REI giftcard for my 40th birthday. The theme of the whole gift was "second childhood"--they gave me 40 gifts, all things from my childhood (Slinky, crayons, bubblegum, Spirograph, etc.), and the last gift was this giftcard.

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Holy cow, that's a lot of stuff. You might consider donating some of it to a child care center or something.

gee, do you guys want to adopt me? what a fun thoughtful gift!

go to REI and look around! remember you don't have to spend it all at once!

This is fun to think about...

I would definitely throw down for some new xc or downhill skis!! Also, a great quality tent.

Have fun & take your time.

Also, I was always thankful I didn't have any sisters until I read this post.. hahaha

If you want a bike trainer, this would also be a good time.

Try going into an REI and giving their bike people a chance... some of them I've found to be pretty knowledgable, others not.

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Originally Posted by Catriona

If you want a bike trainer, this would also be a good time.

Try going into an REI and giving their bike people a chance... some of them I've found to be pretty knowledgable, others not.

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True, one of the best wrenches I know works at REI. He wanted a company he knew had stability and a good employee rep (the people that work there love it).

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

Holy cow, that's a lot of stuff. You might consider donating some of it to a child care center or something.

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LOL! It's less than it sounds--four packs of bubble gum, three of Pop Rocks, one of Necco wafers and two boxes of cookies counted for a quarter of all the gifts. Most others were tiny (two bottles of nail polish, a package of stickers--that kind of thing). The others have already been taken over by my kids, and I think I'll use some of the crafts with my Girl Scout troop. The jump rope is mine, though, and I intend to get a lot of use out of it!

My favorite was a Lemon Twist. Does anyone remember those? It was a black rubber hose thing that looped around one ankle and had a plastic lemon on the end. You'd spin the thing around with one foot and jump over it with the other. http://www.timewarptoys.com/lemon.jpg One of my sisters was forever breaking toes on the thing, which probably explains why they aren't made anymore. And because they aren't made anymore, my family went and made their own with strong cable covered with rubber tubing and a plastic lemon meant for fake floral/fruit arrangements at the end.

Sarah

Ooh, thanks for the ideas and advice! Does anyone know if REI would order a bike just to let me test ride it? The REI closest to me doesn't have a great selection, although I've never looked at a time in the cycling season when they'd be more likely to have a good stock. I did buy my daughter a bike there in October and the guy who was selling it and setting it up wasn't very helpful--I ended up adjusting everything for her myself and showing her how to work everything before she test rode it, but maybe I just caught him on a bad day. He was nice enough, just not really engaged.

A trainer or a GPS are good ideas. I have/had a GPS but it disappeared sometime in the last year. I used it while camping, and I remember having it in the car on the way home but I haven't seen it since then. I hate to replace it until I've completely turned my house upside down, though. But it's driving me nuts not having it and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out!

Sarah

I'm in the same situation with the first tri sort of thing - do you have everything else you need for it? like tights, jacket, shirt, bra, etc? I couldn't believe how little I have in terms of preparation for the event.

You can never have too many merino wool socks :D

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Originally Posted by sfa

Ooh, thanks for the ideas and advice! Does anyone know if REI would order a bike just to let me test ride it? The REI closest to me doesn't have a great selection, although I've never looked at a time in the cycling season when they'd be more likely to have a good stock. I did buy my daughter a bike there in October and the guy who was selling it and setting it up wasn't very helpful--I ended up adjusting everything for her myself and showing her how to work everything before she test rode it, but maybe I just caught him on a bad day. He was nice enough, just not really engaged.

Sarah

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REI will definitely let you order a bike just to try it out.

Try to get a different guy next time...

Oh another thing I have wanted but haven't splurged on yet- a Find You Spot. If you are a camper/hiker/cyclist they are pretty neat gadget.

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Originally Posted by sfa

LOL! It's less than it sounds--four packs of bubble gum, three of Pop Rocks, one of Necco wafers and two boxes of cookies counted for a quarter of all the gifts. Most others were tiny (two bottles of nail polish, a package of stickers--that kind of thing). The others have already been taken over by my kids, and I think I'll use some of the crafts with my Girl Scout troop. The jump rope is mine, though, and I intend to get a lot of use out of it!

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Oh that's different, I thought they were mostly all toys. Good that you can eat them and your kids can use them. :)
Jump roping is good exercise (and really wears you out!)

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Originally Posted by badger

I'm in the same situation with the first tri sort of thing - do you have everything else you need for it? like tights, jacket, shirt, bra, etc? I couldn't believe how little I have in terms of preparation for the event.

You can never have too many merino wool socks :D

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Seriously... I'm going to take a picture of my sock chest.

It is literally possible to have too many pairs of merino wool socks.

Wow, what fun, Sarah!

Have a great birthday and enjoy your gifts!

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Originally Posted by sfa

... for the triathlon I'm doing this summer.

P.S. And how cool are my sisters?

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Are you doing the Irongirl triathlon in Columbia?

Your sisters rock!

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Originally Posted by divingbiker

Are you doing the Irongirl triathlon in Columbia?

Your sisters rock!

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Yes. Think I should do it on a pink Townie? :p

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Originally Posted by Catriona

Seriously... I'm going to take a picture of my sock chest.

It is literally possible to have too many pairs of merino wool socks.

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lol, if they're in good shape I might buy some off you!

At last year's school talent show two girls did a routine with lemon twists. They were pretty much in sync the whole time and fast. It was really cool.

Veronica

I would personally just get a bike through a bike shop, it's better than limiting your selection. I guess if you don't have the money, then go that route, but I would do a fair amount of test riding first. As many as you can.

As for REI, that place is like my toy store. I can always find something I want, mostly clothes. Just wander around, you'll be surprised at how many things you didn't realize you needed! My birthday is coming up in about a month, and all I've asked for is REI cards. I'm in the market for some new trekking poles for hiking and hopefully some more wool socks. I just bought new hiking boots last week, and my husband picked up some new cleats/pedals, along with arm warmers with a GC he had.

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Originally Posted by sfa

Yes. Think I should do it on a pink Townie? :p

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Divingbiker, 7Rider, and I will all be at Iron Girl Columbia. If you can ride that course on a Townie then you are one hella strong rider!

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Originally Posted by sfa

P.S. And how cool are my sisters?

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Your sisters are the BEST!

I love the idea of having 40 little gifts, that's a fun thing to do.

Your must let us all know what you decide to do with the money.

Clock:D

You can buy me some Keen Commuter Bike Sandals! :D :D :D

Just kidding, but you might want to look into them for yourself!

Happy 40th!!!!!!!!!! :)

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Originally Posted by ClockworkOrange

Your must let us all know what you decide to do with the money.

Clock:D

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Yes, please let us all live vicariously through you!

Love to hear what you do in the end, with that wonderful, generous gift. :)

There's currently a 20% off your order special going on on reioutlet.com...

Depending on what you're willing to spend or what you were looking for...

This bike goes down to about $1200 for a $2k bike... (I guess it also depends if you have strong feelings shimano vs. sram, but it does have good components)

http://www.rei.com/REI-Outlet/product/780688


But you could also probably find other things that are great deals on reioutlet to use your gift certificate on

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Originally Posted by Catriona

There's currently a 20% off your order special going on on reioutlet.com...

Depending on what you're willing to spend or what you were looking for...

This bike goes down to about $1200 for a $2k bike... (I guess it also depends if you have strong feelings shimano vs. sram, but it does have good components)

http://www.rei.com/REI-Outlet/product/780688


But you could also probably find other things that are great deals on reioutlet to use your gift certificate on

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I just got that email and saw that bike too, and now I'm hemming and hawing. I know nothing about these bikes, but the discounted price is about what I expected to pay for an entry level bike. I have no strong feeling about components because I'm riding a 20 year old bike with bar end friction shifters, so anything new is going to take some adjustment! So I'm sitting here with the K2 geometry chart (which isn't easy to find on their site), converting everything to centimeters and comparing that to the geometry on the bike I have because the K2 bikes are sold with irritating "small, medium, large" sizes (broken down by gender), so if I'm a woman's medium does that make me a men's small? Why can't they just give number sizing?

Is SRAM versus Shimano kind of like Mac versus PC? I'm a Mac user. Does that help me decide?

Sarah

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Originally Posted by sfa

Is SRAM versus Shimano kind of like Mac versus PC? I'm a Mac user. Does that help me decide?

Sarah

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I think SRAM vs Shimano is more like Dell vs Gateway. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by sfa

I just got that email and saw that bike too, and now I'm hemming and hawing. I know nothing about these bikes, but the discounted price is about what I expected to pay for an entry level bike. I have no strong feeling about components because I'm riding a 20 year old bike with bar end friction shifters, so anything new is going to take some adjustment! So I'm sitting here with the K2 geometry chart (which isn't easy to find on their site), converting everything to centimeters and comparing that to the geometry on the bike I have because the K2 bikes are sold with irritating "small, medium, large" sizes (broken down by gender), so if I'm a woman's medium does that make me a men's small? Why can't they just give number sizing?

Is SRAM versus Shimano kind of like Mac versus PC? I'm a Mac user. Does that help me decide?

Sarah

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Keep in mind - you can always return it and you can always exchange it if it's the wrong size for the other size.

If you give an idea what height you are and the rest of that, some of us might be able to help you deal with whether to pick a small or a medium.

SRAM vs shimano. I've been really impressed with any SRAM components that I've seen and a lot of the women on here have been really complimentary towards the quality... Shimano's more common, it's a bigger company, so it may be easier to find replacement parts locally if you need it.

But for the price, that bike does have nice components.

I'm about as average as they come. 5'6", 31ish inseam, maybe? My current bike is a 54 and the measurements I have from it seem to match best (barring differences you'd expect between a touring bike and road bike) with the men's medium.

Of course it's way more bike than I ever thought about getting, but man, to only spend $800 of my own money on a bike like this? I'd be bordering on stupid to pass it up.

Sarah

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Originally Posted by sfa

I'm about as average as they come. 5'6", 31ish inseam, maybe? My current bike is a 54 and the measurements I have from it seem to match best (barring differences you'd expect between a touring bike and road bike) with the men's medium.

Of course it's way more bike than I ever thought about getting, but man, to only spend $800 of my own money on a bike like this? I'd be bordering on stupid to pass it up.

Sarah

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I think like 75% of this forum would tell you to go to your local bike shop and get fitted and buy a bike from them...

I bought my first road bike on sale at the rei superclearance for $500 from $1800... because for that price, I was going to buy it and hope like hell it worked. And that bike is still my favorite bike and for that price, I could afford to upgrade or change the components as I wanted... My bf did spend a fair amount of time on the geometry and was pretty positive that I'd fit it, and yeah I do - I just adjusted the handlebars, the stem, etc. to fit me.

The k2 looks like a bit of a compact geometry, so I think you'd be fine on a medium. I'm looking at it and I'm 5'1, and I'd say my bikes are sort of partly in between the small & medium - the effective top tube is more like the medium, while my seat tube height is towards the small.

It looks like the bike doesn't have much rake on the fork and possibly has a short wheel base - so it will be responsive and turn quickly, it might feel a bit squirrely till you get used to that.


So I guess this is where it depends on what type of rider you want to be - the small is going to be a bike where you can push the seatpost way up and then get all aero in a tucked position... the medium is going to be a bike that you're probably going to be in a more upright position (that's not to say you can't get aero, but it's just a bigger bike... it does have a longer reach, which you can change a bit by moving your seat and changing the stem.) A more upright position is more comfortable and easier on your wrists.

The small has a 75 degree seat angle while the medium has a 74 degree - I prefer the small angles, because I think when they put the bigger angles in a bike it ends up being a bad compromise - despite being shorter my femurs are not necessarily that much shorter than a taller person, so the change in the angle usually makes me feel like I'm sitting directly over the cranks and can't pedal efficiently, then I end up pushing my seat all the way back to compensate.

But if you buy the bike, either have someone that's good with bike fit help you (if the REI guys that you see are helpful, that'd be great. I've run into some at the college park store that seem pretty knowledgable...) or take it in for a fitting. Just expect that maybe in the future you're going to change the handlebars, stem, or cranks to something that fits you better. And definitely you're probably going to be changing the seat because all of us on here end up with seat woes.

I am jealous of this decision of yours!

I think I could spend it easily on socks, clothes, and toys! I love REI.....

Thanks for the tip about the outlet sale!:)