EZ to use, maintenance free, decent transportation. I think we'll be seeing these things pretty soon. Even WalMart lists some. Catching "the bug" isn't a requirement. Tires that hold air, easy transmission, easy carrying things, and a protected chain are important.

The LBS I visit every now and then has some nice bikes at that make no money price point.

WalMart. E-Zip Trailz Hybrid Electric. Isn't that a good entry level road bike? Made for A to B with as little fuss as possible.

And so on. Plenty of bikes out there.

Doesn't have to be a drop bar racy looking thing.

Perhaps folks of my generation started with utility in mind and then got into higher performance. I simply didn't have cars, so I needed to be able to ride distances efficiently. Didn't occur to me that a 75 mile round trip to a party with a 1 am return ride was unreasonable!