A $550 longtail and other interesting bikes from Sun Bicycles

Sun bikes at Interbike

These two bikes show the range of
bikes made by Sun Bicycles.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Day Two here at Interbike and I’ve got lots of new product information and photos to share. I’ll start with Sun Bicycles, which was one of the more memorable booths I visited today in part because of their $550 (estimated retail) longtail “Atlas” cargo bike. In addition to that low-priced longtail, they’ve also got a sand bike and some interesting tadpole trikes and a handcycle.

At a show filled with lots of carbon fiber race machines, it’s great to see a company serving folks who want to ride but have special needs (the City of Portland purchased trikes from Sun for their Senior Cycling program).

Sun bikes at Interbike

Sun bikes at Interbike

Sun is a Miami-based brand that is owned and distributed by JB Importers whose headquarters are in Kent, Washington. They’ve made a niche out of making bikes for underserved niches. Brand new this year is their Atlas Cargo longtail bike. At just $550 retail, it seems like an amazing bargain for a lot of bike (I say it “seems” because I did not ride it and can’t fully attest to the quality). The Atlas is a steel beast with 21-speeds thanks to Shimavo Revo twist shifters and an Xtracycle compatible rear end (meaning it will work with all Xtracycle accessories).

Sun bikes at Interbike

The ht-3 handcycle trike.

Sun also debuted a new “Spider” model which the rep called a sand bike. It’s a basic single speed with a coaster brake and immense tires for rolling over anything. It retails for $675.

Their tadpole trike (with two wheels in front) is still just a concept but it’s easy to dream up myriad uses. Their “ht-3” model is a conventional tricycle that’s powered with a hand crank. It’s designed for people who use wheelchairs.

You can find Sun Bicycles in shops throughout Portland, although I’ve specifically seen them at Coventry Cycle Works (2025 SE Hawthorne). See more photos from the Sun booth in our photo gallery.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Dan
13 years ago

Cool stuff, especially digging that yellow low-rider.

A.K.
A.K.
13 years ago

Yeah, that yellow bike would be a great errand-runner, especially with a basket mounted in the middle.

Patrick McMahon
Patrick McMahon
13 years ago

Are those quick releases on the back of the Sun Atlas Cargo long-tail? It’s tough to tell from the photos. Would the metal plate on the rear rack prohibit comparability with the Peapod?

Anonymous
Anonymous
13 years ago

Basket? Keg!

It took me a sec, but now I understand that the “sand bike” has a coaster brake because it’s being targeted at beach community rental fleets. The last time I renteda bike from such a place I wished for a pugsly, and this is it.

jimmythefly
jimmythefly
13 years ago

Basket? Keg!

It took me a sec, but now I understand that the “sand bike” has a coaster brake because it’s being targeted at beach community rental fleets. The last time I renteda bike from such a place I wished for a pugsly, and this is it.

Aaron Goss
13 years ago

The Atlas Cargo should be a very well riding bike. I had input in the front end geometry. Here is a comparison http://tinyurl.com/2dh8s76
It will ride very easy at slow speeds making easy to turn for the typical “moms with kids”. Using Xtracycle’s open-source was very wise as was adding a Yuba Mundo style removable rear rack. (yes it is QR mounted, easily replaceable with bolts)