OK so here's my current set up:
Nicolai Ion ST - a world cup level downhill bike, only bought in August last year and hardly ridden. Built up to the nines with the best kit.
Specialized 2005 Enduro - 137mm of travel, built as light as I can get it but the frame is now four years old although it's been resprayed about a year ago.
Now I love both, but I [i]really[/i] love the Nicolai because of quality, finish etc. Until Jan this year I was riding 70% DH 30% trails but now I have a kid on the way and frankly the financial situation this year has been pants so expensive trips to Wales to ride DH have been canned. I've got my trail Mojo back though and have been loving riding the Spesh around the north downs.
Here's my quandary - I can't see me riding the DH bike all that much, if at all, over the next three years or possibly more but I really pine for it. I love the Spesh dearly and it rides like freaking speed daemon, but part of me really wants it to be a Nicolai (which is completely irrational I know). If I could put a CCDB on the Spesh, I could happily run one bike for the occasional DH trip and still really enjoy riding it around the north downs, but the shock dimensions in its current guise are 8.5" by 2.25", and no one makes a coil shock in that configuration.
So, I was thinking, break the DH bike down, sell everything off, probably loosing 50% on the frame as they're not exactly well known enough to command a better second hand price. Sell the Spesh and with the proceeds, buy a completely custom Nicolai all mountain bike that I can use for everything.
In doing that, I would probably only come out with £500 in my pocket but the benefits would be a bike I can own and love forever and I wouldn't have a DH bike sat in my garage that I pine for every time I go out there.
Help! This is all sounding ridiculous.
Sounds ideal to me.
Yep, you've answered your own question.