After stating in another thread I couldn't really justify the cost of a Sutherland's handbook, I figured I might be able to find an old copy somewhere for a reasonable amount. Any reviews of the handbook for a guy primarily interested in pre-85 data? Mostly interested in 70's stuff and earlier. Thanks.

I have the third and 5th ed and find the 3rd to be the best for vintage 70's & 80's bikes and gear especially Suntour stuff. It has break downs for hubs in it & the 5th doesn't.

I have the fourth, sixth and seventh editions. For what you stated
as the stuff you're interested in, I think the fourth would be of most use.

I have never seen the third edition, but there used to be an online link
for the sixth edition to a downloadable PDF.......I don't know how Howard
Sutherland feels about that one way or the other, but it's the 7th that he
is now selling.

I've never managed to find a reasonably priced copy of the third or fifth
editions for sale online. They seem for some reason to command
rather exorbitant prices from used book dealers.

They are all pretty different in contents and layout....the sixth has
a huge section on spoke lengths that has been outmoded by online
spoke calculators.

Yeah, I found a pdf version online somewhere: search for that... free! I refer to it sometimes.

I guess the best version is the one that covers the time period you're working with.

I downloaded the 6th edition (1995), and since then I've acquired a print copy of the 4th (1985). Using Acrobat, I OCRed the 6th, so that I could do keyword searches, and bookmarked it fully. I also scanned, PDFed, OCRed and bookmarked the 4th; a better job because I controlled everything. I find that when I want to look something up, I invariably start with the 6th though -- its reach extends back to the 70s and 80s equipment that I'm most interested in, and I find it somewhat easier to use. I'd like to find a print copy, though the PDF is so darn easy to use that I probably wouldn't actually thumb through the book. I'd like to have a copy of the 5th (1990), too. N+1 is the right number of Sutherland'ses to have, mos' def'. I also pieced together a Barnett's, but I find it preachy and nowhere as easy to find relevant info as Sutherland's.

The Fifth (green binder) is awfully useful.

It's the one I keep right at my desk, and refer to daily.

I actually took the hub sections from the red one (I forget the version...) and added them to my Fifth.

Just tons of good stuff in the Fifth Edition.

Red = 4th.

Merci.

So can somebody who owns one check and see if there is a bearing size listed for TD Cross or TDC "Italia" headset. This would be an early 60's part. I can do trial & error, but If it is listed that would save me some time.

You can take your pdf on a CD to Kinko's andthey will print
and spiral bind it for about thirty bucks (I think that's what I paid.)

Well worth it to me, because I'm used to working from printed
media for both car and bike repair.

https://used.addall.com/SuperRare/sub...Wbm&store=ZVAB

I haven't been able to find the 6th ed on line that would down load, I searched ever since someone one here said you could but it never worked for me. The 3rd ed is almost twice as thick as the 5th and to me the 5th almost acts like a supplement to the 3rd ( I never saw the 4th ed though ) there is way more useful info for components and exploded views with part numbers that the 5th doesn't have plus the info that it has on freewheels that the 5th copy doesn't have is outstanding. It would be nice to get every copy that is printed as someone else stated but for what you want I still think the 3rd is the best choice IMHO. I use it more then the 5th myself and I have both right here at my desk.

I have been using my flat bed scanner to copy the 3rd ed to my computer but don't think I will for the 5th as I don't use it as much, though I still wouldn't throw it away lol.

I own a Sutherlands 6th edition with all the updates. Very usefull information. I think a paid $75.00 for it, and it's in perfect conditon.

Thanks all. Greatly appreciated. Anyone who has various editions care to post the publication dates? 3rd and fourth editions? Seem to be having trouble finding that info online and note many sellers of older copies don't list the dates published. Thanks.

I have second edition 1977 and the fourth 1985.

Copyright notice in the front of 6th: 1974, 1976, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1995. I assume that those are the dates of 1st through 6th editions.

This thread has caused me to spend more money: I just found and ordered what I believe to be the 5th edition (1990-07) on Biblio.com. So I'll probably PDF that as well. I work on bikes right next to my bed/computer (hey, that's urban living, for better or worse), and it's easier for me than leafing through the book.

Thank you Charles. Now I'm a bit confused. Thought I read somewhere , online? that first edition was 1970, or that a subsequent edition went back to 1970. Maybe not. My apologies for inspiring you to buy another one. Curious, when you have them on PDF do you find things as easily as flipping through a hard copy?

Though I don't work on bikes all that much, I gotta get one. No doubt about it.

I dunno about that; I end up kicking myself if I bother with version 1 of anything ;-)
I prefer the PDF to the print version, simply because it's more accessible. I just bookmark all the chapters, and the most useful subheadings, and I find that easier to pick up and use when I want some info.

"1974" copy reasonably cheap:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Book...6x%3D0%26y%3D0

I have had problems with booksellers on here putting down the first year of publication instead of the last, which is a headache when you're looking for a specific edition.

https://www.sutherlandsbicycle.com/SBSApricing.html

The 7th edition is on sale at about half price from Sutherland's.

I have a fourth edition, purchased at a bike swap for $20