Don't worry -- I wasn't protesting your mention of REI. I was just mentioning my experience at the Dallas store.

I wondered if perhaps the guys who worked in bikes were all cyclists who support their habit by working there part time to get the discounts! (But that was just a guess. I was simply surprised that each one I spoke to knew so much and from personal experience.)

The primary thing we've bought there has been clothes -- we discovered that the guide shirts and pants (with zip-off legs) are the greatest travel clothes ever, and in fact my husband wears the guide shirts every weekend. He loves them, and REI has the best selection. (And yes, they're expensive! Fortunately they wear like iron!)