Originally Posted by
mozad655
There is easy acces to internet. Courier delivery to head offices exists, but bicycle online retailers might not be willing to bother send with DHL as this would mean special arrangements.
Start working on a support network before you leave. Parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, old neighbors, home office coworkers, etc. Perhaps setup a shared access bank account for your helper. That way, you can have small items shipped to your helper, then consolidated, and shipped to you.
I think some of the big European retailers ship globally. Ribble? Also many of the Chinese-direct retailers will also ship globally.
Originally Posted by
mozad655
I don't expect any off roading. The area is pretty much all paved but I don't expect the roads to be in their best shape either. MTB's all seem to come with front suspension, disc brakes and I'm not sure if these parts will be prone to repairs and attention. It just seems like extra parts to me.
Lots of good used bikes, or frames with Cantis, and no suspension. Or you can swap forks.
If I was you, decide what you want, then build a nice bike to your specs... without breaking the budget. Start with a good used frame, but upgrade to good wheels, tires, hubs, derailleurs, shifters, & etc.
Lots of formerly thousand dollar MTBs available for around a hundred.
Perhaps plan on donating it to a kid or something rather than bringing it back home with you.
Originally Posted by
mozad655
Heading to northern iraq for some work. I can probably find a spare bike somewhere over there.
It is hard to imagine it being completely isolated. What contacts do you have with the US Military? If you developed a friend in the military, it is possible you could ship some items to a military base for you to pick up.