How could kids bikes be improved in the future

[Classikbike]

Hi there,
I don't have Kids yet but wanted to find a birthday present for a 5 year old cousin.
Of course I thought about getting him his first bicycle.
I went to 3 shops that had kids bikes and have to say I was quite dissapointed with what was on offer.
The big majority were flashy very cheap looking plastic bicycles (Often full of disney or whatever stickers), these sometimes almost looked dangerous to ride.
I ended up finding him a Pucky bike which seemed OK (not so cheap though) but it wasn't anything really special about that bike.

So I wanted to hear from you what would you wish to see in future kids bikes?
Ex. what could be done to increase (Safety, easy riding for kids....

[Bartek]

Make them all recumbent!

[petie]

Make them about 90% lighter. Most weigh more than your average road bike!

[MattyK]

Lower
Lighter
Shorter cranks
Really powerful brakes
No accessories or other junk (though my own 5 year old just wants a bike with training wheels and pink and tassels and etc)

There are a few good makers. ByK, Islabikes, Frog, and they are starting to move the more mainstream brands forward it seems. Mini or micro race bmx bikes are also a lightweight high spec option but they aren't cheap.

[KGB]

The kids love the accessories.
They definitely need shorter cranks though, as was pointed out to me recently. Most are disproportionately long compared to the height or leg length of the intended rider.

[bychosis]

Rock and a hard place. Parents don't want to spend a fortune on little Johnny or Susie because in 12-18 months they've grown out of their bike, parents also think that little Johnny or Susie won't like an 'old' bike. Manufacturers don't want to spend the money creating great kids bikes because they end up too expensive and parents won't buy them. There are exceptions, and the parents who don't want to spend a fortune but want a good bike will hunt the classifieds and not point their coin towards the manufacturers anyway.

Lighter weight, decent brakes (kid sized levers) decent cranks are a good start... oh ... and some way of preventing the bike from being dropped sideways to the ground and killing the grips that isn't a stand that pushes straight through the grass please.