mev

For what it is worth, replacing in the field is actually not real high on my list. I'll put more emphasis on getting good bombproof wheels in the first place.

The problem I've had with replacing in the field is the most remote places, one encounters bikes that look more like this one (from Siberia in 2007):

Where those type of wheels wouldn't last long with my weight and load.
In the larger cities one will find more fully stocked alternatives. For example in Yakusk (and definitely a place like Irkutsk) I wouldn't find things very different from larger cities in the US. I have replaced a few occasions on tour;
- at mile 500 of the Alaska Highway, I ended up with a replacement 32-spoke wheel that lasted long enough to get to Edmonton where I replaced it
- in New Zealand, replaced a wheel from Wellington that lasted rest of my trip (six weeks overall)
So it happens, but I'm likely to be looking at larger towns as needed and not those sparsely populated remote areas.

As far as more general update goes, still working through my options. My friend's trip starts in late Spring 2020 (hopefully after the worst cold temperatures but before the peak of the biting bug season) from Magadan. Some of the worst roads are the old (abandoned) summer road and he may be sticking to more of the general highway. Still occasionally rough and potential for ugly mud - but not quite as bad at the original "road of bones" I might anticipate. So also mulling over updating some things on existing bike (e.g. new wheels on my 2007 Trek 520 which had already gone across Russia once). Other alternatives highest on my interest are either starting with a frame like a Troll or just taking better look at current mid-range mountain bikes...

Thanks for ideas and things to think about so far.