Wedding registry at REI - what to ask for?
 

Hey guys, I'm hoping for some gear advice for you.

I'm getting married in a few months. My fiancee and I have been together for eight years and have already bought, remodeled and furnished a house, so we really don't need the typical wedding stuff like plates and toasters. In fact, we'd rather say "no gifts" but the fairly traditional mother-of-the-bride had a fit at that idea, so we've compromised with agreeing to register...at REI. So now we're in the weird position of needing to put together a wish list and not really knowing what to put on it.

My fiancee and I are newbie road bikers, but are getting more and more into it. We don't even have road bikes at the moment, just hybrids - so those are first on the list. But I'm curious...knowing what you know now, if you were randomly given a few thousand dollars to spend only at REI, what would you get? This might help us flesh out our registry list.

Special notes that may or may not matter: I'm really tall (6'4"). She's average height. We're both pretty skinny. I'm particularly interested in what bikes to put on there, but if there's any other gear there that you think is really useful or fun, then why not put that on there too?'

Any advice you can offer is much appreciated. Thanks!

http://www.rei.com/cycling - they just offer Marin, K2 and Novaro road bikes, apparently.

Agh... can't you somehow convince your relatives to give you some money on the condition that it's to be spent on bikes of your choice? I understand the idea of gift cards/certificates and such when you're trying to make sure that the person spends the $ on something he/she really wants and not have the temptation to buy something boring but useful with it. But a bike is a serious investment and being limited by something this arbitrary is kind of unfortunate.

But then maybe you'll like some of the bikes there and be happy with them. But nobody can tell you which bikes to buy. Maybe someone can steer you towards some models, but you still need to test-ride them to be sure they fit well and you like the way they ride. Can you do some test-rides before putting specific bikes on a wishlist?

As for the gear, it all depends on your tastes and preferences. I personally would get some toys I don't have and would be interested in having, for example:

- a bike computer with a GPS
- a killer lighting system
- a stylish jersey or seven
- a trailer
- some cycling shoes and pedals
- maybe some cheaper items for guests who can't spend much (socks, tools etc.)

But depending on the kind of riding you do, you might not need or even want many of those items.

If you like the frames look for upgrades. lights, rain cape, MKS removable pedals, jacket.

bags, racks, panniers, baskets, a good floor pump, tool kit, helmets, frame pumps, CO2, gloves, jerseys if youre into that, shoes if you want 'em, lots of stuff!:)