This is a great thread. I collect Soviet watches, clocks, fountain pens, and also have a couple of VEF-built radios. I could easily go down the Soviet bike rabbit hole, but getting a bike transported from one part of the US to another can be an expensive headache, so the idea of bringing something over from the FSU just doesn't seem plausible.
Was buying a bicycle over there like buying a car during the Soviet days? I was told that in order to buy a car, you had to get your name on a list at your job, and then subjected to a vote as to whether you would be able to move up to the next level. If you were willing to take a Zaporozhet, you might not have to wait too long. But if you needed a car with more space for your family, then you would end up on a waiting list that could be years long. Once your name was chosen for the car you wanted, you went to the factory to get it. Was the bicycle purchase so convoluted?
I can see why a government like that might want to impose restrictions on transportation-related products. It's a little harder to control someone who has choices other than walking or riding a tram.