What's a good bike and child seat I can use to ride around with my toddler?

I started my boy off in a trailer and then we used a trail-along bike. Once he was confident on his own bike, he just jumped on and rode. He really loved going out with me on a ride, especially on the trail-along bike. Trek makes a really good one.

Trailers are ideal. They are probably the safest and the most stable. They also are the most expensive. Lots of Europeans use a bike seats, though, so I suspect they work just fine. I haven't used the bike seats so won't speak to them. I have used trailers. Really for a beginner and entry-level rider, I wouldn't spend a ton of money. There are lots of decent trailers out there. If you want the tried and true check out Burly. They are rock-solid though a little spendy. As for a bike, again, I wouldn't go hog wild and would look around on Craigslist. Just about any bike can be repaired or tuned up, so if it rides well, stops, and looks straight, you should be good to go. A used mountain bike is a great and affordable city commuter. It will handle pot holes, curbs and any minor off-roading you need. There are also hybrid bikes out there that would be perfectly suitable and may provide a great option for a one-bike-that-does-it-all approach. You could have fun riding this even when you aren't dragging the wee one around. I am partial to commuters like old Raleigh-styled three and five speeds with internal hubs. They are heavy, but low-maintenance and sturdy. They are very comfortable to ride because you typically sit upright more giving you a good view of the road. You'll note that I've left out anything super-light and sporty. Basically such bikes are great but in all likelihood not durable enough for what you want to do and probably over kill in terms of price.  Good luck and good for you!

With one young child I used a seat. The seat had high sides that served to protect the kid the one or two times the bike went down. The child should be wearing a helmet even in the seat and the high sides, along with the helmet, help to stabilize the neck. While I was pretty steady with the seat on there are things that become far more complicated, like getting out of the saddle to pedal. The weight of seat and child is above the bike frame, so any motion side-to-side is greatly exaggerated. It takes some getting used to the change in center of balance. With two kids I went to a trailer. Some may argue that trailers are bulky or cumbersome. They also don't destabilize the bike, good ones are crash tested and many can be used to carry cargo even with two kids on board. I was dumped several times in riding with the attached trailer, but it never flipped. My children loved riding in the trailer and we went everywhere with it in a semi-urban setting. One other potential benefit, the attached trailer may have served as a passive theft deterrent. No one ever tried to toss the thing in the back of a truck and drive off. Once again: The children should wear a helmet even in a trailer since they may fall asleep and lean their head against the side. When my oldest turned six I added an Alley Cat to the mix. Attaches to seat post, just like a trailer, but gives handlebar, seat and pedals to the child. They're not just for show as the child will get some exercise and can even help power the bicycle. The issue with all of these is a sturdy bicycle. The seat with kid will add a few pounds to the bike, but it will be weight directly on the frame. A trailer and Alley Cat typically have a single point of contact with the bike -- the seat post. In short, I wouldn't recommend carbon. I used an old Fuji Sagres. Cro-moly frame with aluminum seat post. At one point I was hauling the Cat with trailer attached to it with three kids on board, for total added weight of over 100 pounds. That will give you a work out -- especially on hills.