Evening all,
This was meant to wait until Christmas but little miss loves heading out on the bike and she's getting a bit hefty for longer periods in the rucksack. Looking for either a kids ride shotgun, or a Macride. Any experiences to share? Likely to use it for blue/red trails as well as pootles along the canal, so don't want it to inflict a knees-out pedaling style hence not considering weeride or Yepp Mini.
Argos were selling a Shotgun ripoff for a while - anyone compared the two?
MacRide - because of how it attaches to the bike.
Just a better design - including saddle and stirrups.
Shotgun – because of how it attaches to the bike.
Just a better design – including saddle and stirrups.
In all seriousness they are both good, each is better for slightly different circumstances. We went for a shotgun as it swaps between lots of bikes without needing extra parts, and one of the bikes doesn't have spacers under the stem and another doesn't have much seat post to clamp without being at a steep angle.
And unless your local reds are very smooth and your wee one has a good grasp of leg shock absorption I'd forget about riding red trails at first! Remember that unweighting the front wheel will have just becom significantly harder!
Love our shotgun. Once they get a bit bigger and stronger singletrack and stuff like lady cannings are great fun. Had ours on both cotic rocket and surly karate monkey (both size S) without any real issues. We went shotgun as it seemed the better solution for smaller folk (5’6”) - wasn’t sure if the Macride bar would raise the stand over too much.
We’ve got Shotguns for our 2 1/2 yr twins and they love it. We got it because it seemed easier to use than the MacRide, both got similar reviews and we found 2 new ones on eBay for £50 each (£110 for both posted) whereas the MacRide was £££.
We’ve added a mini handle bar to the bikes for them to hold (cheap off ebay, meant to be an extra bar to mount all your lights, GPS, crap, etc) with some bar tape as they found our bars a bit too chilly.
And the Ride shotgun bars were £25-30 whereas these cheap crap Chinese things were £5.
Does the macride work ok on bike with dropper posts?
I have a shotgun for my bike and the dropper post comes in useful quite a lot for me.
I suppose someone owning both would be a bit rarer, so it's hard to directly compare!
We've had a Macride for 3 years now. It's taken our eldest from just over 2 and she's still on it for trips now at nearly 5. This will be the last summer for her though, and it has lasted this long because I'm tall otherwise her head woul be in my face! No issues, still simple to fit and use and folds up into a backpack. Fine on a dropper, mine has been on a Reverb and an XFusion no issue - requires about 15mm ish of post showing.
But yeah, assuming you are starting out with a 2/3 year old most red runs would be ambitious. Not just for technicality/risk, but duration. Once they decide they've had enough of it, you don't want a 45 minute bumpy ride to get back! Both seats require a certain amount of willing participation from the kid.
Does the macride work ok on bike with dropper posts?
Yes, no problem as long as you have enough post showing to attach the clamp.
Just to add, whichever you go for you will need to overdress the child by several layers. They aren't pedalling so won't generate heat and will get "windchill' from moving along.
Cheers all - looks like both are good options, will keep my eyes peeled on marketplace/eBay and see what crops up.
We've had the Shotgun for the past few years. Currently used for the 4yo upfront, with the 18mo out back. Absolutely love it. That feeling of taking them on their maiden voyage is amazing! Obvs kids/parents confidence differs as to when you start but I was surprised how intuitive it is for the kids.
I stuck a spare Fizik saddle on ours as it is narrower than the stock saddle to avoid catching my knees (it also looks better!).
As has been said, wrap them up. When chilly I'll put them in one of my jackets which comes down to their ankles. Also I've applied bartape for comfort/warmth.
I didn't go for the add-on bars due to $$$ and the fact that it's another semi-permanent fixture. Original setup had the bars at approx Shotgun saddle height but they seemed to cope fine. Now got moto riser bars which gives a bit more comfort plus confidence when we go down steeps.
Kind of regret not going for the Macride for the ease of removal. Shotgun seems a bit unrefined in that regard. However, all the pros far outweigh the cons. When they're older you can get the tow rope...!
PS. Good luck second hand with Covid tax and summer looming :p
I bought before Shotguns or Macrides were available and got a LOCT. The Macride design roughly follows the LOCT design.
I was able to ride the Chavannes red in Les Gets when they were 3.
Climbing is the hardest thing due to the extra weight and position of the child interfering with your knees as to pedal.
Drops (even steep rollable ones) are interesting due to the additional nose weight. Jumps are a bad idea safety-wise.
Worked really well and recently sold on at 12 years old having been lent out in the meantime.
The Macride looks similar and I’d be happy with it.
The Shotgun puts significant weight and loading in a bit of frame not designed for it. I’m sure it’s fine for towpaths. I wouldn’t have take it to Les Gets.
The Shotgun puts significant weight and loading in a bit of frame not designed for it. I’m sure it’s fine for towpaths. I wouldn’t have take it to Les Gets.
And yet there are no reports of frame failures or damage, despite having sold loads of them for enough time that long term use frame issues would have come up, been heavily reviewed and tested in the cycling press and sponsored riders publicly ride with them on proper off-road attached, to their sponsored frames with approval from their sponsors. So I'm afraid, as good as an armchair engineer as you may be, it doesn't appear to be the problem that you think it is. And, even if the frame isn't explicitly designed to take it, it doesn't mean that it can't! Empirical testing, after all, suggests that they can.
In my sample size of one, we have used ours for 2 years, every week, on trails up to red equivalent, going over everything that is rollable and my frame hasn't even been scratched.
Just an FYI I know it’s not in your short list but avoid the weeride version.
It’s not great in design / execution and if you have issues the company takes weeks to respond. Spare parts take a loooong time to arrive too.
Shotgun seat is great, simple to fit - takes about 30 seconds when you get the hang of it. Also doesn’t require anything to be permanently bolted to the bike and is half the price of the MacRide which is a bonus.
Only downside I’ve found is if you’ve got an invisiframed bike it can crease it if clamped too hard, though a bit of heat will sort this.
I’m not saying it would break your frame in Les Gets, I’m just saying I wouldn’t try it. If you have I stand corrected.
So I’m afraid, as good as an armchair engineer as you may be, it doesn’t appear to be the problem that you think it is.
Armchair engineers will always manage to get more performance from something than the real engineers designed in. That’s life and sensible safety margins.
For the record, I’m not a good armchair engineer.
I’m a blinkin’ excellent real one. 😜
Not a mechanical one to be fair though.
Shotgun seat is great, simple to fit – takes about 30 seconds when you get the hang of it. Also doesn’t require anything to be permanently bolted to the bike and is half the price of the MacRide which is a bonus.
but the flip side is that it can be a massive pain in the balls to switch between bikes if the width of the tubes isn’t similar. I’ve got 3 bikes here that it didn’t like playing with, ended up punting it for a Mac-Ride. There’s also nothing permanently bolted to the frame - it’s a replacement headset spacer
Goes without saying, but... Anyone with either for sale, drop me a message 😅
You get 2 spacers with the Mac ride, I got a spare too so regularly move seat between the full sus, fat bike or road bike for nursery runs in a few seconds. They are pricey but definitely worth it
PS - this may be obvious to everyone else, but a mid-mounted child seat is the reason I first got a dropper post.
A lot easier to sit on the saddle with feet on the ground and then lift your little one into the seat.
Dropping the saddle so you can put feet down when you stop is also useful.
Dropper posts were rubbish 12 years ago but still worth it in this situation.
With a modern post, mount the lever so small fiddle fingers can’t drop you at an inopportune moment.
Very much agree with this about droppers.
A lot easier to sit on the saddle with feet on the ground and then lift your little one into the seat.
Dropping the saddle so you can put feet down when you stop is also useful .
I've had a WeeRide and now have a Mac Ride.
Mac Ride is definitely better than the WeeRide, but I still find it a very uncomfortable pedalling position. Going up hill is very tricky.
Dropper post almost essential.
Ebike makes it LOADS easier too. In fact without motor assistance I think I'd have sold the seat due to the pedalling issue. Some people find this far worse than others though.
This thread just cost me some cash.
I’ve been on the look out for a second hand version of some sort for a while but hadn’t looked recently. A quick check of eBay and there’s a seller with ~8 Shotgun seats, brand new at £80 posted. Uk seller with 1000+ reviews so I’ve given it a punt. 👍🏻
I chose a shotgun and handlebars because of the mounting method. Only used for a short time until my child was 5. She loved it, but it's too cramped now. The bars are a nice addition but TBH they're a bit crap as they're difficult to fit on 35mm bars even with the correct adapter, I'd probably look at the cheap Chinese ones mentioned above. Whatever you choose will end with a happy child. Also take not of what someone mentioned above, they'll need warm clothes, especially legs!
As well as a cheap, small bar for their hands,I also think a dropper is pretty much invaluable. And I also bought some pedal extenders which helped with leg angle as well
The bars are a nice addition but TBH they’re a bit crap as they’re difficult to fit on 35mm bars even with the correct adapter,
This is a fair criticism, although mine worked fine on 31.8mm bars. They work much better, and are faster to fit, now that I have drilled the threaded holes out and just use an m4 bolt, nuts and washers...... If I'd known what they were like in advance, with fairly soft threads and needing lots of tightening not to slip, I'd have tapered the end of the bolt to make getting it started easier and keep the threads in better condition.
So glad decent front child seats are available! I had to search eBay for a LOCT.
Loved the days out with the LOCT.
Thanks, there is one less on eBay now 🙂 my wee one doesn't turn two until December, I suspect it might get some use toward the end of the summer.
Would it be ok for a big under 2 year old?
@tall_martin My girl was 22 months when she first went on our shotgun and is a bit of a muscly midget. She was happy on her balance bike so knew what to do, biggest worries were her strength to resist being thrown around (I was terrified of snapping her neck off road, but on tarmac no issues) and keeping her warm. We did comrie and glentress blues at ~29 months with lots of giggling and shouting of "more faster".
Old sealskins with a wooly sock inside, both with the toes cut off and cable tied to the bars, make good elbow length pogies for little beggars who won't keep on/wear gloves!
Mac-Ride user here. Fantastic bit of kit and my daughter loves it. The clamp will fit on the dropper bush too (Reverb and Brand-X).
This is from last summer, Whinlatter blue...
We’ve got a shotgun and it’s by far the best bit of kiddy paraphernalia I’ve ever bought. My daughter loves it and we head out most weeks.
I did worry about it applying pressure to the top tube but it kind of grips the sides of both the top and down tubes so I think that takes some of the load to some degree and I couldn’t find any snapped frame horror stories so figured it would be fine.
We make sure she’s wrapped up warm and generally pick routes that are fairly mellow without too much technical climbing or really rocky / steppy descents. If it does get bumpy my daughter now knows to take some of the weight off her bum and stand a bit on the foot pegs, she leans round the corners, tucks for speed and shouts to go faster if I’m pottering up a climb!
Shotgun here. About a minute to install. Little one loves it. Seems madly expensive as it is, so not sure what the advantage of the Macride is at twice the price. To be honest there's very little to say negatively about it in my experience. Slightly knees out pedalling style but perfectly comfortable. Dropper post isn't a bad idea, worst part is getting on, getting going and stopping, and dropping the height of the saddle will help hugely. Was slightly concerned about carbon frame at first but it grips really tightly without a lot of pressure applied.
Got 2 mac rides. Love them and it was instrumental in getting my mrs into cycling for family adventure.
My oldest is a huge 4 and is probably too big now so will likely have one for sale.
Mate has a shotgun and loves it but it doesnt quite have the refinement of the mac ride and doesnt swap bikes as easily.
Nb Longer the top tube the better for peddling, on my big bike I can get my knees behind my kid and have done most of the red at glentress coupled with some techy local with a kid on board 🙂
on the shan doing local
Getting some air at the Endura Trust
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hmBHfl6Dv/?igshid=69lfbxu57s5p
Local pootling
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Ozk16lwCa/?igshid=tm6our02t56g overtaking lots of people at Carron Valley (brill game, kid loves that one)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-aOL2ElXqN/?igshid=154zn832qlute mac ride on the nomad. All my nikes have a headset adaptor and you can swap in seconds...
but the flip side is that it can be a massive pain in the balls to switch between bikes if the width of the tubes isn’t similar. I’ve got 3 bikes here that it didn’t like playing with, ended up punting it for a Mac-Ride. There’s also nothing permanently bolted to the frame – it’s a replacement headset spacer
Maybe I’ve been lucky but have swapped it between a Nukeproof Scout, Airdrop Edit, old school Trek hardtail, Whyte Gisburn gravel bike and an SC Megatower without adjusting it at all.
Agree with the comments about the bars, expensive for what they are and a pain to swap between 31.8 and 35mm bars - only ever bother if we’re going for a particularly long and gnarly ride.
Has anyone tried the Urban Iki front seat? Fairly cheap £50 + £25 for MTB adapter?
Nobtwidler for £75 you might as well pay the extra 10-15 and get a Shotgun seat. There were a load on eBay for £80-90 but just offer them a bit less. Like I said earlier, I managed to get 2 new ones from and eBay seller for £110 including postage.
Zero cool- good idea cheers
We love our MacRide. It was a gift, which makes the price less of an issue - I'd have struggled to pay £100 for one until I'd tried one - it really is game changing and my wee ones love it.
I put some left over bar tap on my handlebars for the little ones to hold on to and provide more grip. Careful as it has taken the laquer off when I moved it 😫
@gotama and @stevemuzzy
I'm unsure if my PMs are working - I've sent you both a message.
If nothing has come through please let me know!
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I just got a set of these for both our bikes and they work fine for the kids to hold onto with a bit of grip tape.
Kids bars It’s not like they need to be particularly load bearing or anything.
I did similar but got some foam scooter grips from Halfords, cut to size then slid these onto handlebars in-between stem and shifters which work well. Also doubles up as an aerogrip position!
Just to add, whichever you go for you will need to overdress the child by several layers. They aren’t pedalling so won’t generate heat and will get “windchill’ from moving along.
deffo! on a 200miler down/up the coast of the netherlands/Bel (into a headwind both directions!) I was in short sleeves and sweating, but my daughter super wrapped up as she was taking the brunt of the wind - she was happy though and when tired or wanted to do colouring she hopped in the trailer and zipped up the window.
I used a Mac-ride - exellent but of kit, second to swap between bikes and very adjustable - only issue with mine is rubbing of the tubes on the telescopic bit.
Worked well for singletrack as well round local woods.
as for grips - one roll (1/2'd) of road bar cork tape wrapped either side of your stem works fine.
Genius, I’d never thought of using them as a windshield on purpose.
haha! was just to reinforce the comments above that front seats put your little one in quite an exposed position and easy to forget then you are doing all the pedalling work.
When my daughter was smaller had for local trips a Thule mini that has a windscreen that was brill at keeping wind and bugs off.
Just an FYI I know it’s not in your short list but avoid the weeride version.
It’s not great in design / execution
I had a wee ride (for beers, off someone here - thanks!) and it was just fine. It’s not sophisticated, but it worked. Until Jr was too tall. Don’t write it off.
Maybe look at the Thule Yepp if you have steerer enough they seem great.
Ended up with a Macride (thanks Steve!) - it's fantastic and the little'un loves it.
After a couple of shorter test rides, we went out for a longer ride the other day - 1hr each way, with a stop for ice cream and a playpark in the middle. She was beginning to get a little bit fed up towards the end, but to be fair I think she was just knackered and ready for her dinner.
Big fan here! Plenty of scope for chatting and pointing to things - much more inclusive than having her in the trailer/rucksack.
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Big fan here! Plenty of scope for chatting and pointing to things – much more inclusive than having her in the trailer/rucksack.
😊😊😊
I love how much we chatter and look at stuff.. and I can coach the little ones about general riding stuff.. stand up, hold on tight, wheeee!
Had my mac ride about a year now (including borrowing one for the first few months, due to their price I needed convincing.
I went for the mac ride as the leg height can be adjusted as my boys big for his age.
He's just gone 3 and we now do mtb rides that I do on my own, just slower although still faster than some of my roadie friends.
Stairs lane, Haworth
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Don’t know if they still do them, but Superstar used to do extra long lock-on grips so both you and the child got a bit of grip.
As mentioned roadie bar tape etc also works.
Glad to hear she’s enjoying it, they’re brilliant bits of kit.