Kids Ride Shotgun Pro EVO Review: The Child Bike Seat for Mountain Biking Parents
A front-mounted, mountain-bike-specific child seat that grows from a harnessed toddler seat into a trail-ready saddle
October 18, 2026
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Our verdict
The Kids Ride Shotgun Shotgun Pro EVO 2-in-1 bike seat is the ideal bike seat for parents who want to take their kids off the beaten path and onto the trails. We’ve tested and researched several child bike seats, and none compare to the Shotgun Pro EVO for introducing your child to mountain biking and riding unpaved trails. It mounts at the front (without frame contact) and puts the child at the handlebars, right in the action.
We tested the Shotgun Pro EVO over the course of a year on two different full-suspension mountain bikes, with two parent testers and one child tester aged 1.5 to 2.5 years.
This bike seat is ideal for parents who want their kids to be more actively involved in the bike riding (rather than napping in a trailer or rear seat). It is very well suited to mountain biking on trails with a kid in tow. We found that kids have the most fun and interaction on this bike seat, and it gives them the opportunity to start learning how to ride a mountain bike before they’re big enough to ride their own. Plus, the seat is useful on paved paths as well and doesn’t have to be used exclusively for mountain biking.
The Shotgun Pro EVO has multiple configuration options that allow it to grow with your child, including a seat with a backrest and safety straps, or a regular bike seat with no straps, as they get older and stronger. It also comes with foot stirrups and their own little set of handlebars to hold onto.
Kids Ride Shotgun Pro EVO 2-in-1 Child Bike Seat
This bike seat requires the child to be strong and old enough to sit up straight, and to be alert and engaged for safe riding. So, if you’re trying to lull your child to sleep on a smooth, paved bike ride, or use this for longer rides when the child might tire out, there are better options for front- and rear-mounted seats that offer more support but less interaction for the child.
Plus, your bike must have front suspension because of the lack of clearance between the front tire and the child’s feet. If you don’t have a mountain bike, consider other bike seats built for cruiser bikes.
But if you’re ready to introduce your little one to the trails, we think the Shotgun Pro EVO is a great way to do it.
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Kids Ride Shotgun Pro EVO child bike seat specifications
Price: $439
Seat position: Front
Mounting method: Front-mounted; mounts to headset and seatpost with no frame contact and no rack needed
Maximum weight capacity: Up to 33 lb for Pro harnessed seat; up to 60 lb for Pro bike seat
Recommended age range: 9 to 24 months for harnessed seat; 2 to 5 years for bike seat
Harness: Harnessed seat: 5-point harness; Bike seat: no harness
Footrests: Yes, adjustable
Foot straps/foot retention: Yes, adjustable
Recline: No
Suspension/shock absorption: None (front suspension on bike required)
Seat padding: None
Helmet clearance: Yes
Bike compatibility: Requires standard 1 ⅛” steerer tube, at least 10mm of headset space, at least 14mm of seatpost space, and front suspension on the bike
E-bike compatible: Yes, compatible with most e-MTBs; not compatible with cruiser e-bikes or any e-bikes without front suspension
Carbon-frame compatible: Yes, mounts with no frame contact
Seat weight: 11 lb
Quick-release/removable seat: Yes
Lockable: No
Safety standard certification: Meets EN 14344 and ASTM F3641 safety standards for front-mounted child bike seats
Comparison table
| CHILD BIKE SEAT | MSRP | MOUNTING METHOD | MAX WEIGHT CAPACITY | INTENDED AGE RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids Ride Shotgun Shotgun Pro EVO | $439 | Front | 33 lb (Pro harnessed seat); 60 lb (Pro bike seat) | 9-24 months (harnessed seat); 2-5 years (bike seat) |
| Thule Yepp 2 Maxi Rack-Mount | $250 | Rear | 40 lb | 9 months - 6 years |
| Thule Yepp 2 Maxi Frame-Mount | $270 | Front | 40 lb | 9 months - 6 years |
| Thule Yepp 2 Mini | $230 | Front | 33 lb | 9 months - 3 years |
Best for
Parents who mountain bike and want to introduce their child to the trails
Folks with mountain bikes that have front suspension and want a front-mounted child bike seat
Parents who want a child seat setup specifically for mountain biking that will grow with their child for multiple years of use
What we liked
Great for interactive mountain biking with your young child
Multiple seat options allow the rack to be used through multiple ages and abilities
Helps introduce kids to mountain biking before they’re big enough to ride their own bike
Lots of fun for parents
No frame contact in the mounting system means it won’t damage the frame and can be used on carbon bikes
What could be better
Your bike must have front suspension to use this seat
Not ideal for longer rides when the child might tire out or want to nap
Harnessed seat may limit handlebar range of motion on smaller bike frames
How we tested
We spent more than a year testing the Kids Ride Shotgun Shotgun Pro EVO 2-in-1 child bike seat, including both of its seat configurations. Two parents (one 5’11” dad on a large full-suspension bike, and one 5’3” mom on a small full-suspension bike) tested this seat on two different carbon full-suspension mountain bikes. We had one child use the seat during our testing. We began testing when he was a little over a year old and have tested up to 2 years and 8 months old, with the child maxing out around 28 pounds.
Between both parents, we put in hundreds of miles with the Shotgun Pro EVO, from paved rides around town to proper mountain bike rides on dirt trails with roots, rocks, and even berms. We also spent many summer evenings testing at the local kids’ bike park, riding the pump track, small berms, and rollers.
We tested this bike seat on dozens of trails around Breckenridge and Summit County, Colorado, around Salida and Buena Vista, Colorado, and on mountain bike trails in southern Utah near Zion National Park and beyond. We often swapped the seat between the two bikes, and frequently loaded and unloaded the child onto the seat. We used this for rides as short as 15 minutes and even for rides longer than 2 hours—always with plenty of snacks for the longer ones.
Performance in the field
Installation and bike compatibility
Installation of this Kids Ride Shotgun Shotgun Pro EVO 2-in-1 child bike seat is straightforward, but it does take some time and minor adjustments to find the ideal position for your child's size and height. It took us about 30 minutes for the initial setup, but once that is done, taking it on and off the bike takes only a couple of minutes.
Bike compatibility is a little more nuanced and specific for this rack, and having some basic understanding of bike mechanics and parts is helpful. For instance, if you don’t have at least 10mm of headset spacers under your stem, you’ll need to rearrange or add spacers to fit the Shotgun’s mount. This is a fairly easy task, but it could be more challenging if you don’t already know how to adjust your stem.
The Shotgun Pro EVO is designed specifically for mountain bikes, so you need front suspension. This is not a good seat choice for cruiser and town bikes.
Switching the seat between different bikes initially is similar in time and nuance to the initial setup. But once any necessary spacers are on the bike, it is quick and simple. You may need to make small adjustments to the child seat based on your bike geometry, frame size, and rider size, but this is intuitive and easy to do.
Bike handling and stability
Bike handling and stability are key highlights of this seat and are largely what make it so great for mountain biking on trails. Because it is front-mounted, it offers great bike handling—rear-mounted seats do not have nearly as good a weight balance. This seat places the child very close to your center of gravity and near your bottom bracket, which improves overall stability and control.
Both of our testers felt comfortable riding green and blue mountain bike trails with the Shotgun Pro EVO (with a 25 lb child). It does take a little getting used to, as you’ve got extra weight and a small human with you at the bars, but once you get in a groove, riding with it is very intuitive and comfortable.
Child loading and unloading
Loading the harnessed seat requires the bike to be stable and balanced so the child can be strapped into the harness. The harness itself is straightforward and easy to use with two buckles for security. The bike seat is even easier to load once you’ve gotten a little practice: Simply lift the child onto the seat while balancing the bike, then hop on yourself.
While a dropper post is not required to use this seat, we did notice that having one on your bike makes loading, unloading, and riding with the Shotgun a whole lot easier. If you plan to get this bike seat, we’d highly recommend installing it on a mountain bike with a dropper seatpost.
Harness and child security
The harness on the Shotgun Pro EVO seat for smaller children is easy to adjust and stays secure. We did not encounter any issues with the adjustments and found them straightforward. No adjustments are needed when using the Shotgun with the bike seat attachment.
Footrests and leg protection
The footrests on the Shotgun Pro EVO have adjustable straps and stirrups. It’s easy to slip the child’s feet into the stirrups, and they stay snug and secure. It is possible for the child to move their feet out of the stirrups and off the footrests if they want, particularly with the bike seat setup for older kids, which is why it’s important to have an alert child for riding with this seat. In the harnessed seat with smaller kids, this is much less of an issue.
With the harnessed seat and smaller kids, there is no real risk of their feet touching the front wheel when riding. With the bike seat, especially as kids get older and taller, they can reach the front wheel with their feet if they really want to, but we did not encounter this issue. And because this is a front-mounted seat, you always have your eye on the child and can instruct and adjust as needed.
Ride comfort
This bike seat is comfortable for both the child and the adult. The harnessed seat provides full back support, allowing the child to sit back and relax more while riding. Once you switch to the bike seat, the child must sit up on their own and hold onto the handlebars when riding. It’s comfortable, but requires more interaction from the child overall.
Of course, for an adult, riding your bike without a seat will always be more comfortable, but we did not encounter any major comfort issues when testing the Shotgun Pro EVO. As our child has grown taller, our shorter tester has found there is now less space between the top of his helmet and her chin. It has not been an issue that hinders riding, but simply requires some minor adjustments for optimal comfort.
We noticed during testing that the harnessed seat, which takes up much more space than the bike seat, can interfere with the handlebars, limiting the full range of motion. This seemed to be a more prominent issue for our tester on a small frame bike. Folks with larger-sized bikes and longer top tubes will likely not encounter the same issue, but it ultimately depends, to some extent, on both your bike frame size and its geometry.
Helmet fit and head position
The harness seat sits just below the head, so the back is supported, but it does not push up against the helmet at all. This makes the seat more comfortable overall for smaller children wearing helmets.
With the bike seat, there is no backrest, so there is no interference with the helmet.
Adjustability as the child grows
The Shotgun Pro EVO is rated for children from 9 months to 5 years old, which is a great range of use and adds to the overall value of this seat. The harnessed seat is great for younger, smaller children under 2 years old, while the bike seat is ideal for 2-5-year-olds. In our testing, we found our child was strong enough and capable of riding in the bike seat version even before he was two years old.
Recline and sleeping comfort
This seat does not recline, and since it’s primarily intended for mountain biking, we don’t think it is a good option for your child to sleep on. Rather, it’s intended for them to enjoy mountain biking on their own. There are better bike seat options (and bike trailers) for your child to nap in—this isn’t one of them. When we wanted to take long rides on paved surfaces where our child could nap, we skipped the bike seat altogether and opted for a trailer instead.
Everyday convenience
This bike seat is fairly easy to put on and take off, and it can easily be left on the bike without taking up much extra space, especially if you’re using the bike seat configuration. We were able to easily hang the bike in the garage with the Shotgun installed, and often transported the bikes on a hitch bike rack (like the Yakima StepUp Swing, Kuat Piston Pro, or 1UP USA Heavy Duty) with the Shotgun installed.
Durability
After a year of regular testing, we have not encountered a single durability issue with the Shotgun Pro EVO or its parts. It’s a well-made, durable bike seat designed to withstand the rigors of mountain biking on dirt trails.
Features
No-frame-contact front-mounting system
The Kids Ride Shotgun Shotgun Pro EVO uses a mounting system with no frame contact. Rather, it attaches to the bike's headset and seatpost. This preserves the bike frame and makes the seat usable on carbon frames as well.
2-in-1 convertible design
The Shotgun Pro EVO comes with two seat options to use as your child grows—one harnessed seat with a backrest for younger, smaller children, and one bike seat for older children.
Harnessed seat for younger children
The harnessed seat is designed for children from 9 months to 2 years old and features a back for stability, as well as footrests with stirrups. It has a 5-point harness system with two buckles, including a childproof Fidlock magnetic buckle for ease of use and security. This seat also comes with upright handles for the child to grip.
Bike seat for older children
The bike seat is designed for children ages 2-5. It does not have a backrest but does have footrests with stirrups. This seat option puts the child in a more mountain-biking position.
Child handlebars
Child handlebars are included and mount directly on top of the main bike handlebars. These are for use with the bike seat, so the child has somewhere to grip the bars without interfering with the adult’s grip.
Universal fit that’s MTB specific
The Shotgun Pro EVO is designed to fit most mountain bikes and e-MTBs. This seat works with the vast majority of mountain bikes, provided they have front suspension. (Note that the Shotgun Pro EVO is not intended for cruiser, road, or gravel bikes without suspension.)
FAQ
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The Shotgun Pro EVO is compatible with most standard mountain bikes and e-MTBs. Your bike must have front suspension and a stem and seatpost that are compatible with the mounting system. Bikes with headset cable routing need an ICR adapter kit (sold separately).
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Yes, the Shotgun Pro EVO is compatible with e-MTBs. It must be a mountain bike with front suspension.
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You can start using the harnessed seat at around nine months of age. It’s recommended to use the bike seat from 2-5 years old.
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Yes, you can swap the Shotgun Pro EVO between bikes as long as they are both mountain bikes compatible with the mounting system.
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Yes, the Shotgun Pro EVO has a mounting system that makes no contact with the frame and is safe to use on mountain bikes with carbon frames.
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No, a dropper post is not required. However, we’ve found that it is much easier to install and remove it with a dropper post.
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The Shotgun Pro EVO does not recline, so it isn’t a good option for napping or sleeping.
Care and maintenance
Store the Shotgun Pro EVO out of direct sunlight and in a cool, dry place whenever possible to best preserve the parts. Check harness straps, buckles, and stirrups regularly for wear to ensure they are working properly.
Storing the Shotgun Pro EVO on your bike won’t cause damage because there is no frame contact. It does add weight and bulk to the bike, though, so it may be easier to store bikes without the Shotgun seat attached.
There is a 12-month limited warranty for the original owner on the Shotgun Pro EVO.
Similar child bike seats
Shotgun Pro EVO vs. Thule Yepp 2 Maxi Rack-Mount
Mounting method: Rear
Max weight capacity: 40 lb
Intended age range: 9 months-6 years
Bike compatibility: Frame and rack mounting options available
The Thule Yepp 2 Maxi is a great bike seat option for folks on commuter bikes, cruiser bikes, and e-bikes who plan to stay on paved or smooth surfaces. The rear-mounted version, unlike the Shotgun, is not designed for mountain biking and can be used on bikes without suspension.
In testing, we did notice the difference between having the weight in the back of the bike versus having it up front, closer to our center of gravity and the bike’s bottom bracket. That took a little getting used to, but it is not really an issue, especially on smooth surfaces. If you want to ride trails and singletrack with your child, choose the Shotgun. But if you just plan to cruise paved surfaces, the Yepp 2 Maxi is a great option.
Thule Yepp 2 Maxi
Rack-mount
Frame-mount
Shotgun Pro EVO vs. Thule Yepp 2 Mini
Mounting method: Front
Max weight capacity: 33 lb
Intended age range: 9 months - 3 years
Bike compatibility: Standard circular handlebar stems (20-28 mm diameter)
The Thule Yepp 2 Mini is very similar in design and materials to the Yepp 2 Maxi, except that it’s a front-mounted seat. The seat style and harness system are similar to the harnessed seat on the Shotgun, but it mounts differently. While the Shotgun is designed to mount to mountain bikes specifically, the Yepp 2 Mini is made for cruiser bikes, e-bikes, and bikes that don’t have integrated cables in the stems.
This seat also does not come with a bike-seat style option like the Shotgun Pro EVO. So, like the Yepp 2 Maxi, if you’re planning to cruise on smooth surfaces, this is a good option for smaller children. But if you want something that mounts to a mountain bike and you want to hit the trails with your kid, the Shotgun is the best option.
Thule Yepp 2 Mini
Should you buy the Kids Ride Shotgun Pro EVO?
Buy if
You want a front-mounted child seat for your mountain bike
You want a fun way to introduce your child to riding trails
You want a convertible seat that grows with your child for many years of use
Skip if
You don’t have a mountain bike with front suspension
You want a seat your child can nap in for long rides
Where to buy the Kids Ride Shotgun Pro EVO
The Kids Ride Shotgun Shotgun Pro EVO 2-in-1 child bike seat is popular, so you have options when it comes to retailers. Here are the pros of each retailer.
REI Co-op
Pros: 100% satisfaction policy for 1 year; 10% dividend for members.
Amazon
Pros: Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime membership (can be same-day delivery in major metropolitan cities)
Advice on where to buy
In general for gear, we recommend purchasing from a place with easy or free returns, like REI.
Why you should trust us / About the author
A true mountain dweller, Stasia feels far more at home on a high alpine ridge than on a busy city street. She’s worked as a backpacking guide in Southeast Alaska, has held a WFR, AIARE 1, AIARE 2, and avalanche rescue certifications, and is working to become an avalanche education instructor. She’s now a full-time writer and editor in the outdoor space and has been testing and writing about gear for over a decade.
Stasia learned to mountain bike as a kid in Utah, and rekindled her love for the sport after moving to Summit County, Colorado over a decade ago. She now spends most of her summer days out on the singletrack or logging miles on her gravel bike. Now as a mom, she’s found the joy of introducing her little ones to the trails, both on their own bikes and in tow in a bike seat on her own bike. Stasia and her husband have tested multiple child bike seats on their various bikes, on both paved rec paths and flowy singletrack.
Find more of Stasia’s reviews on her Treeline Review author page.
