REI Co-op Cycles Bikes: ADV 1.1 $1019 ADV 3.1 $1019, ADV 2.3

Very decent builds, esp. for the money. Whomever oversaw these builds had a good command of the market, as good if not better than many mainstream bike brands, although I would probably go for a 11-46T cassette on the 1x (but that's above the ultra conservative Shimano's range, so...maybe the REI PMs cannot do it?).
I mainly refer to the 2.x models that are the more "real gravel" of the 3. The 3.1 is more of a drop-bar MTB, and if that's what you are after, also pretty sensible build.

I have 2 gripes:
1) The tire clearance seems to be "tight". It comes with 700x40 tires but the way I see it, even a 45c might be tight if you want to go wider. Maybe will be OK if you never ride in mud, but...if you would like to consider wider tires for singletrack and/or comfort all-around, maybe not the ideal bike
2) The cheaper of the 3, comes with a road crankset with 50/34T chainrings. As the people most likely to go for the cheaper built are often beginner cyclists or returning from a long hiatus, be warned that off-roading often requires lower gearing because of steeper gradients. and the 50T is also very long...If you can push a 50/11T gear @ flat, you are wasting yourself if you are not racing...this is more of an issue with Shimano Claris not having more sensible gears, but still...the 3.1 has much lower gearing, but as I said, it is because it is using MTB drivetrain & brakes.

In today's market these prices are lukewarm at best...

I am guessing you are freaking out about the 3.1... it is a touring / drop bar MTB hybrid with probably a M5100 drivetrain and their 11-42T cassette, combined with a super low 36/26T crankset.

That is an MTB "Deore" pull ration RD, so they could not use any of Shimano's drop-bar controllers that have a different pull ratio, and they could not get a GRX or 105 or w/e crankset that would do less than 30 (?) teeth because 110BCD and whatnot.

And 26/42T as the lowest gearing is like 30/5x, so super MTB low, especially on 650B wheels. This is a bike sold for touring/bikepacking, and guessing off-roading when loaded etc...it is not a race bike where you try to shave milliseconds on your shifts, rather a work-mule that wants you to get over steep hills, with a loaded bike that might be 100lbs, not 20, and giving you a chance to do it for like 8+ hr a day w/o you tapping out. You won't go fast doing that, and 26/42T rolls slower than walking.
Bar-ends work fine and are far more forgiving with less than perfect indexing.


Maaaybe they could do it with a Microshift XLE11 (?) briefters that do have MTB pull ratio on a drop-bar config, BUT, are mechanical brake only, this would complicate caliper options...maybe you can do it respectably with TRP hydro/mech brakes or Klampers and whatnot, but not at the MSRP.

As I said, this is made by ppl who have researched their sh!t, probably more than the average joe on SD or Reddit and whatnot. Maybe it is not a bike for you or me, and makes sense, it is a very niche bike. But it is not a bottom of the barrel BS build as you claim.