Here is a run-down of some of top considerations I took to make my choice:
1. Trailers are great because your kid can ride in all kinds of weather, you can take more than one kid and a bag of beach toys, plus it's easy for you to haul them. Most trailers double as a stroller which can be handy when you reach your destination, although it can be a pain to fit through shop doors. However, you can't talk to your kids while riding and trailers tend to be the most expensive option. This would be good choice for moms and dads who commute and take their kids to daycare/school by bike.
2. Rear seats are a cheaper option, but the view ain't the nicest. In general, I found that most people didn't like this option because it was hard to balance.
3. Front seats have several benefits: your kid can "feel" what it's like to ride a bike, they have an excellent view, plus you can talk to them while you ride. The extra bonus, your kid can push all the crosswalk buttons on your route and ring the bell. Balancing is surprisingly easy, even if it looks weird to have a kid attached to your handlebars. Another consideration we took with this option was that we could load our bikes on the bus/skytrain and in our car more easily than with a trailer, that way we could go to the dikes in Richmond, Stanley Park, and Barnston Island. One disadvantage might be that if it starts to rain, which is often does in Vancouver, your kid will get soaked, but isn't that kind of fun anyways?
We opted for the IBert which has received good reviews. It's a bit pricey, about $175, plus I had to make some adjustments to my bike, but it was well worth the price. It is SO much fun! I was riding along with my son to the farmer's market this weekend and a lady who was watering her front yard yelled at me: "Don't you love that bike seat?" "We love it!" I yelled back with a yipee!
If you want to see a zillion other happy Iberts click here! or me and the kid.
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