Streetsblog surprised me today by having an article which highlights a real issue without bending it all out of shape:
How the ‘Budget-Bike Trap’ Creates Inequality
To some extent, this is a rant against department store bike-shaped-objects, but it's also a recognition of the lack of affordable alternatives, and as such, it's food for thought.
There should exist a budget bike built for utility, not bogus marketing features. No shocks, perhaps not single speed but maybe only a rear derailleur. Probably rim brakes for simplicity and easy of maintenance. Standard size interchangeable components. It probably already even exists in the developing world, it's just not what is imagined to appeal to, and shipped for sale to, throwaway culture consumers.
And the big box stores should carry it. It might not look fancy on the floor, but word would get around that it was a good choice - maybe not for the child gift market, but at least for the adult utility one.
Assembly should be local - sure, import containers of components, but putting them together in an organized fashion locally would make sense, and from pallets of like parts, not individually boxed "kits" mis-assembled by someone isolated in the back room of the store for a few bucks per "bike" as these stores currently do. Think what the bike coops do, but feed them with sound components rather than be rescuing basket cases. Would make a good jobs program.
There should be a camp where you build your own - there's a huge market for both adult "experiences" and summer programs to fill kids time, and nothing creates self-reliant ownership like knowing how all the parts went together. And while the prebuild has machine assembled wheels, for the camp on day one you're handed the front rim, hub and spokes and walk through lacing it as group, day two you do the dished rear...