Do I need a longtail?
 

After looking at all the info out there about the Sun, I'm really getting tempted. Here's my scenario:

Married, 6 cats, house
own car/truck, don't particularly need to drive either
currently doing 70-95% of weekly errands via bike plus:
bi-weekly runs to the salvage grocery, 10-30lb loads
bi-weekly runs for either litter or cat food. Via normal bike, limited to ~45lbs spread out f/r or 70-140 lbs in converted kid trailer.
occasional large package trip to post office via trailer
I do own a kayak that I've investigated the possilbility of bike portage for. The waterway is a mile downhill.

Part of what is drawing me to buying a new bike is the possibility of installing disc brakes. After the last couple of rainy trips with a fully loaded trailer, I'm ready for discs. I already have an extra set of calipers and just bought a disc-able front wheel.
I haven't seen any close up enough of pics to see about fender eyelets on the frame of the Sun longbike, other than that I'm sorely tempted to sell off a couple of bikes and pick one up.

I did a lot of shopping around before I purchased mine. I am quite anal when it comes to any bike purchase so I ask a ton of questions and do a lot of research before I drop that amount of money down. I looked at many models ranging from Sun, Extracycle, Big Dummy and many others, including Trek. I decided to go with the Trek Transport for a lot of reasons. It comes with a Disc brake on the front as standard, and it has racks on the rear that can fold up and out of the way for "regular" riding.

It really all comes down to what YOU want to do with the bike. If the Sun is good for you then that's what you'll be happy with. But I strongly suggest that you ride as many as you can and then make a decision.

Big Dummy owner here -- couldn't be happier. I started with the stock build.

What I really like is that it's always ready for a big load if you happen to make an unexpected stop. The reviews on the Sun aren't all that positive so make sure that it will work for you. You'll also need to factor in extra cost for some kind of bags.

Typically, having disc up front is sufficient but I've found with all the weight loaded on the rear with the BD, I can actually get a lot of braking force out of the rear as well. I'd be concerned about braking hard only in the front with wet/slick roads.

Another Big Dummy rider here.

Take storage space into consideration. I just park my bikes in the house and have room to do so. Where will you park a long bike? Can you easily get it out to the road? Can you get it back in when it's loaded with groceries or other cargo?

My old house was ideal for bike storage as I just rode right into the garage. My new house requires me to climb three stairs. Not a big deal, but something to consider.

You do mention you have a car and a truck and a bike trailer. It doesn't sound like you NEED a cargo bike, you just WANT one. That's okay too. I WANTED the Big Dummy. :)

maybe read through the homemade extracycle thread and try making one with an extra bike? the initial effort is more time than money. if you like it go for something better. if not put the bike back together as it was and you're not out much.

for me it's not a serious want so i'm just making one to see if i can. the cost has been pretty minimal. it's looking like i'm going to top out at about $150. if i get more serious about wanting a better one, the thing i spent the most on (the bag idea) hopefully i can transfer over to a more serious effort.

All, it's XTRAcycle, not extracycle. Please.

OP, I have an Xtra, it's great. If your normal bike doesn't have vbrakes, then that might be a cheaper solution if they mount.

Depending on how long your kayak is, you might be better off with a trailer like those sold here: http://www.bikesatwork.com/