Are you aware of how small a fraction of households - even seemingly middle class ones - have even $300 in available savings to meet a sudden expense? It's one of the things the linked article goes into.

Being that close to the edge feels unfathomable, but it's a surprising number of people's reality.

For the economic necessity bikes, you also have to consider things like theft risk - commuting 5 miles each way is maybe 3000 miles a year, not much to ask for a bike, but will the buyer still have it in a year, or two to justify spending more?

Even if they could, we're back to the problem of not being able to make up-front investments, as also evidenced by doing things like buying household staples at full price and small containers when you need them, rather than stocking up when it's on sale or periodically venturing to where the prices are better.

Then, when you get into the category where there is some savings, you start seeing a lot of thought go into getting value for money. So sure, someone who's convinced themselves they're going to ride a hundred fitness miles a week may go put a fair amount of money into something decent at the LBS or order something impressive looking online. Conversely someone who's just going to do 10-20 miles on the rail trail with their kids on the occasional weekend isn't a cyclist, they're just someone who wants to ride a bike sometimes, and don't need anything fancy. Nor do they want to spend a lot on little Johnnie's _ size bike since he'll outgrow it in a year, and even though it can probably be passed on to his sister Sallie... and then maybe given to Sadie across the street, it's still a temporary solution. Maybe then it's time to get Johnnie a bike for college, but since he'll just be riding a half mile across campus and its likely to get stolen anyway...