My girlfriend and I are looking for a way to take our 4 year old on bike rides.?

Invest in a top-quality, 2-seater child's trailer. A 2-seater has a wider track, which means greater stability, plus there will be plenty of room for stuffy toys and a pillow to sleep against. We had our granddaughter in one for many years and many, many miles.

I suspect your 4-year-old may be a bit young for a pedal trailer, but it's an ideal way to travel when he is old enough to not fall off.

Have you taught him to ride a bike? In a few weeks he may be riding with you that couple miles. Just tell him he's gonna have fun with you, and make sure he does. Try chasing other bikers, make races to the next signpost or get him a small computer to show him his actual speed.

Get him all the gear (helmet, gloves...) so he looks just like any of you.

In weekends my 5 year old son and I go riding on a country road, stop in a small market, sit down to have some drinks, and then ride back home. The whole trip is about five miles. He likes it.

Good luck

I'm not exactly sure what there called, but my dad use to have this tent looking thing that attaches to the back of your bike and it has a seat in it for your kid to chill in. It's really nice and protect from shade and everything.

I don't know if he is too big for the bike seats you put on the back of the bike or not. If he isn't then that would work too.

Put him on his own bike. He's old enough to learn how to ride. A 4 year old has more energy than you do. A two mile ride will take 15 minutes, tops. He can do it.

Every time I see kids in those trailers, they look miserable. I can read their minds: "They promised me ice cream, they promised me ice cream, they promised me ice cream..."

HTH

If you're only going a couple miles, he should be able to ride his own bike......

Where I live, if the kid can cycle well all alone, a trailer should be fine over that distance

Otherwise you may want to invest in a rear passenger carrier seat

Look for something called a tail a bike, it attaches to your seat post and he can pedal along or just ride.

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/adams-trail-a-bike....

http://www.trail-gator.com/

safety

http://www.bhsi.org/trailbikes.htm

you can take water like academy sells thos water holders and you put it right under your seat...