I bought a bike at target for our church's charity social-worker-linked gift program. It was $90. The most expensive present I got for *anyone* was a $90 wool skirt for my wife.

It may be noble to spend more on someone in need than you do on yourself, but I don't think it's necessary.

I live and work in economically depressed cities with tons of subsidized housing. It seems like there are a lot of wall mart bikes around, but there are also plenty of apparently economically driven bike transport riders who seem to be hip to old steel. The nicest raleigh I've ever seen was chained up next to where the day laborers stand to pick up work in in the winter.

If used bikes would be seen as good charity gifts, I could have gotten a MUCH nicer bike for a 12 year old girl than that target special...