I've seen how difficult it can be to get started cycling in this country; poorly assembled bike, sore bum and legs, scary roads, poor signage. Its amazing anyone gets past the conscious incompetence stage!
Definitely. I got my first proper bike aged 6 or 7 - in the 1960s when cycling was virtually ubiquitous for kids. Most would have parents that cycled too and could pass the skills on, including basic maintenance.
By the age of 10, my dad had taught me to do pretty much everything I needed to know to be able to build a bike, including rebuilding hubs and bottom brackets. Few people ever need that level of mechanical ability, but fixing a puncture and adjusting brakes and gears should be within the grasp of most people that cycle.
Many parents now won't have any of those skills even if they wished to be able to pass them on. So where would people learn that today?
I can't imagine how terrifying it must be nowadays for anyone wanting to start commuting by bike if they hadn't ridden as a kid. Jumping on a bike for the first time, as an adult, to negotiate busy British urban roads, crowded by motorists with typical British attitudes towards cyclists is a huge barrier to getting started.
Sorry for the massive drift off-topic... I'd go for the Bianchi, if it was in the proper colour!