Do CHANGE bikes require custom MTB racks?

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the best racks for the CHANGE 702 commuter bike, finally settling on the M-Wave Arrow, available from Amazon.com for under $30. 

We already include a rack adapter with every bike shipment.

This rack adapter goes under the seat clamp. Or, if you don’t want a rack, it goes nowhere on the bike.

For CHANGE bikes with disc brakes, you’ll need a different rack.

What’s unique a rack on a disc-brake bike?

Rear racks for disc-brake bikes need to be slightly wider and are usually notated as disc-brake compatible if they are. 

Changebike does make a custom rack for mountain frames. It comes fully disassembled (in 38 parts?) and includes a set of spacers designed to move the lower rack rods away from obstacles like the rear disc brake.

This spacer moves the supporting rod out and away from the brake.

That makes the bike wider to fold, so we’re going in a different direction.

Testing the Axiom Uni-fit bike rack.

The Axiom Uni-fit MK3 ALU is a good candidate for testing because it is set back on the bike. This simultaneously moves the lower support rods behind the disc brake while providing more room for large panniers without kicking them on each pedal revolution. But does it fit?

Absolutely. And it’s perfect for panniers.The lack of spacers also pulls the legs in a couple of centimeters, which is good news for folding. Let’s try it.

It folds perfectly, just as if the rack weren’t there.

So as long as you have the custom CHANGE bike rack adapter, this rack from Amazon is a good option.

At $66, it’s pricier than than the CHANGE MTB rack, but more widely available.

And the final decision is…

If you want a more elegant solution, think you might be using large panniers, or simply want to add a rack later, then you can’t go wrong with the Axiom Uni-fit. We’ll eventually become an Axiom dealer, once we get around to the paperwork. In the meantime, there are a lot of Axiom dealers out there…

Happy riding!

Bob Forgrave is president of Flatbike, an
ecommerce company offering full-size folding bikes
and kits to make any bike take up half the space.

425-985-6219