So, seems I have a bulged / shifted disc. Again. At least, "had" - after a week of physio, doctor, and lots of rest, things are starting to feel normal again, with a little stiffness and discomfort reminding me of last week's torture. On physio's orders though, I am to stay OFF the bumpy and bouncy trails I so love and enjoy, for at least 6 weeks. But, I do need to get, and stay, fit in that time. Since I won't set foot in a gym, the answer is to do as many road rides a week as possible, with some gentle jeep track on weekends (this is all permissable). Thing is, I want to stretch this for longer than 6 weeks - more like 3-4 months. I want to get really strong before I start putting myself and my bike through abuse again. I do NOT want to go back to this sort of injury again. (I'm also starting Pilates this week to help). The problem is, my Commencal Meta 5.5 is allergic to tar. With a 150mm fork up front, bombproof wheels and a slack head angle, it's like riding a wheelbarrow on anything paved or flat. Luckily my Mongoose Tyax hardtail frame is still hanging in the garage, so I have options: 1. Build up the Mongoose frame using the Commencal as a donor bike. The fork's travel is adjustable down to 110mm so it can work (measured it at 110mm and axle-to-crown it's almost identical to the 100mm Rock Shox Tora). Sure it'll be heavy duty, but it'll do the job. Rebuild the Commencal later when I am fit for fun riding again 2. Buy a 2nd bike. Something like the 2nd hand Mongoose Tyax I saw here on the hub for sub-3k the other day. When I am fit again, sell it again, or keep it as a 2nd bike (for riding with the family - something that's looking to be a real possibility in the near future). 3. Sell the Commencal complete. Satisfy my "29er trail bike hardtail" curiosity and buy something like the GT Karakoram (which I've been eyeing for a while and comes in at a good price). Ride it until I feel ready for a change again, then cross the "buy and sell?" bridge later again. Option 1 seems the most logical, but since I am not a good enough bike mechanic it involves forking out money (twice) for labour and misc items like cables and possibly tyres (unless I want to slaughter the current tyres on tar, which I don't). Option 2 is appealing - at worst I lose LESS money reselling a second hand bike a couple of months later, at best I can afford to keep the bike and I have something to putter around with my wife and son (and number 2 can ride in a baby seat). Problem is I don't really have spare cash to finance this option. Option 3 is a bit more extreme, but could be cool in the sense that, should I change my riding for an extended period of time, I could have a lot of fun with a different type of bike and see if it helps my riding evolve. Problem is, buying and selling in this market is a pain, and on a "trail" bike like the Meta I will loose a heap of dosh. Any advice?
