Being an active family, we are always looking for ways to bike together more. One of our favorite ways to bring our youngest son along? The Kids Ride Shotgun 2.0. For those unfamiliar, The Kids Ride Shotgun is a kids-sized seat that can be mounted onto your bike. Interested? Let’s get to the important details, price, recent upgrades on the 2.0, and why you should, and should NOT, pick one up for your next family adventure.
Kid Sizing and Positioning
We’ve been using the Kids Ride Shotgun since 2022, starting when our youngest was just two years old. Now that he’s five, it’s still going strong! The Shotgun 2.0 is an updated design, that is meant for kids aged 18 months to about 6 years, with a weight limit of 60 lbs—or until they decide they’d rather pedal themselves.
The best part of this setup IS the positioning. Because your child is right in front of you it’s easy to share laughs, excitement, and commentary on the ride. Your child gets a front-row seat to all the action, and you get too share your ride time with your kid. Bonus? Conversations flow naturally about whatever grabs their attention, whether it is a curious squirrel or a passing truck.
Having your kid nestled between your arms and below your chest keeps them centered, which makes riding easier and more balanced. As a mountain biking family, we’ve tackled easy-to-moderate trails together. A quick heads-up: watch out for their helmet placement! If their helmet is below you, you could get an unexpected bonk (like I have) during bumpy rides. Other than that, it’s been a blast for our whole family!
Fitting a Shotgun onto your Bike
Before hitting the trails with your little one, you will need to mount the Shotgun 2.0. Thanks to Kids Ride Shotgun’s clever design, it’s a breeze. This seat adapts easily to just about any bike you throw at it, whether a full-suspension mountain bike or even a gravel bike. With its range of adjustments, I’ve always managed to get it set up hassle-free.
One of the standout features is the thick rubber padding (an upgrade over the original Shotgun seat), which makes it safe to use even on delicate carbon or alloy frames. The Shotgun 2.0 clamps securely onto the top tube, with plenty of adjustability to get the perfect position and angle for your rider. The company also claims it takes just 30 seconds (or less) to fit or remove the seat after the initial setup—and I have to say that is pretty spot on.
Price and Comparison
The Kids Ride Shotgun 2.0 lands in the middle when it comes to price of the KRS lineup, at $190. We originally started with their base model, the Shotgun, which is still available for $110. While we liked the original, upgrading to the 2.0 was worth it. The mechanics are similar, but the 2.0 is far more user-friendly, offering tool-less removal and installation (after the initial setup) and more adjustability, not to menton with greater ease. Plus, it provides much better frame protection—I’d trust the 2.0 on my carbon MTB, but not the original.
The 2.0 also supports a higher weight capacity of 60 lbs VS the 50 lbs limit on the original. While it’s true that by the time your kid hits 50 lbs, they may be ready to ride solo, having the ability to have them tag along for some of the cooler trails has proven to come in handy. Especially with our oldest now riding his own pedal MTB, and leaving his Strider-bound sibling behind on certain trails.
One of the other subtle, yet important features of the Shotgun 2.0 is the multiple footpeg locations. That extra adjustment allows your little co-pilot to get more leg extension, hopefully adding a bit more comfort for a longer time on their saddle.
If you’re considering an upgrade, there’s also the Shotgun Pro, priced at $275. Ryan has been using the Pro extensively and has no complaints. That said, I’ve been more than happy with the 2.0 for our needs. The Pro is worth it if you want a setup that doesn’t clamp to your top tube, need more height options for the foot pegs, or plan to use it on an ebike. Also, if 30 seconds feels like a lifetime for attaching the seat, the Pro boasts an attachment time of just 15 seconds!
Other Key Considerations
While talking about the Pro seat, it is worth mentioning that it is the only KRS seat recommended for ebikes. This is primarily due to the width of the downtubes that house batteries. I have used the Pro seat on our Aventon Ramblas. E-MTB riding with kids is something I think everyone has to try at least once.
One extra we’ve loved, though not essential, is the add-on handlebars for the kids. They give the little ones even more fun and control, and thankfully, Kids Ride Shotgun offers them in a combo package with their seats. It’s been a game-changer for us!
Why You Should Get Your Own!
There are so many bike seats available for kids, and it can be hard to figure out what will work best for your family. But the Kids Ride Shotgun is the seat every family needs! Not only do I love it, but my kids LOVE it too. The seat keeps the kid’s weight centered, allowing me to ride more challenging terrain safely. I also loved being close enough to have an enjoyable conversation. As my kids are getting older and pedaling on their own for longer and longer distances, I think my time with the Kids Ride Shotgun is growing to an end but I would easily recommend them to any bikers, especially any mountain bikers.
