At a crossroads?

I've been pondering things bike related lately. I thought I'd write some of my thinking down, mainly for my own reference although being a blog post these thoughts are out there for all to see.

Here's the current state of affairs:

1. My hands still hurt. Badly. I can't sleep at night. I've been taking tylenol which doesn't really do it for me in general as a pain reliever but it's easier on the stomach than ibuprofen, naproxen, etc., and my upper GI is fairly sensitive.
2. As noted earlier, I'm using aerobars on the DF and have bought and installed a set on the trainer since I've been using it more than riding outside (the weather sucks!).
3. My lower back muscles are initially sore after a ride using the aerobars but are OK after a few hours. I've been mixing up positions (hoods, drops, aerobars) to allow myself to become accustomed to the aerobars. As I might have noted, I used aerobars with good success on the Natchez Trace 1500K so I am able to use them once acclimated. The only time I've ever had trouble with them (back and neck) was when I put them on and then did a long ride where I used them a lot. This was the case most recently at the Hound Dog 1200K.
4. As I might have said elsewhere, I'm in the queue for a new bike. The idea is to combine the attributes of my S-Works Roubaix (light weight), Roubaix disc (disc brakes) and Calfee Adventure (650b or 700c wheels) in a single bike.
5. I bought a new recumbent, a Cruzbike S40 (more on that elsewhere) and am learning to ride it.
6. I've had recurring back problems but believe I have learned the things I do on a DF that cause them and how to avoid doing those things. Avoiding injuries due to off the bike stupidity is another story.

Given all that, how to move forward? I've said it several times but for completeness I'll restate the options here:

1. Continue doing long rides on the DF using aerobars and hope my hands improve.
2. Use both the DF or recumbent depending on terrain and whim. Alternate my regular rides between the two so either is a viable option.
3. Go all in on the recumbent.

Stream of consciousness on the various options:

1. I'm heavily invested in DF's and perhaps about to become moreso. This investment is both financial and emotional.
2. Riding the recumbent doesn't "do" it for me on an emotional level. Historically, I've only ridden the Bacchetta when I'm injured or out of a sense of obligation.
3. At this point, the Cruzbike does kind of do it for me but it might just be that it's new and different (and boy, is it different!).
4. Regardless of whether the recumbent is a Bacchetta, Cruzbike or something else, riding a 'bent has its own set of issues:
1. Packing it for travel. I've got a couple of solutions for the DF: an S&S Hampsten and associated bike cases and a BikeND Helium for non-S&S bikes. I've used both extensively in the past and can pack/unpack in less than an hour. I have no similar solution for either recumbent.
2. Riding with others. The fact is recumbents have different characteristics than conventional bikes. They don't climb as well, they descend like rockets and they roll on the flat better (aerodynamic advantage). These things combine to make riding with others difficult to impossible. I've ridden with a friend that rides a fixed gear. He's a very strong rider but it's basically impossible to ride together for any length of time. I'd expect the same to be true on a recumbent.
3. From what I've read, there's not a lot of crossover between the DF and the recumbent from a training point of view. You either have "bent legs" or you don't and it's difficult or perhaps impossible to be near your best for both. Longer brevets, especially the ones I enjoy, are hard enough that I need to be firing on all cylinders to ride them well which to me means I'm getting adequate sleep. So the bottom line (I think) is that I need to do the majority of my riding on one or the other.
5. I'm not ready to give up doing longer rides, in fact I've got my usual ridiculously over ambitious ride plan for next year.
6. If it really is the case that I'd need to commit to either a DF or recumbent in order to be able to finish a 1200K and I'm not forced into riding the recumbent due to my hands/back then it's a certainty I won't do a 1200K on a recumbent in 2020. There just isn't room in my planned calendar for me to come up to speed on the recumbent, do a 1200K then come back up to speed on a DF. For example, I'm planning on riding the Cracker Swamp 1200K pre-ride in late October (assuming the RO let's me in) and the Great Southern in early November. No way I could "optimize" for both a DF and a recumbent given the short time between both rides.
7. If I make a list of the reasons I enjoy doing longer brevets, "the bike I ride" isn't even on it or if it is it's way down the list. The only time where what I'm riding matters is on local rides and there I do enjoy the nuanced differences between the various bikes I own. For brevets it's really more a matter of the tool that'll best get the job done.
8. If it turns out that for me "recumbents can't climb" then this would eliminate hillier brevets and those are the kind I enjoy most. If my only goal were to rack up 1200K completions I'd find the flattest ones available since they're generally easier (modulo bad weather/wind) but grinding along on the flat for hours on end is mind numbing.
9. I will not, under any circumstances, have surgery on my hands.

Those who know me know that I always have a plan. It might change as I learn more but I always have a plan. Here's my current thinking:

1. My current plan is to continue doing longer rides on the DF with aerobars and use the recumbent as an adjunct.
2. I'm planning on doing a 600K early in December, possibly followed by an SR600K. If I do both, I'll only do the first day of the 600K then go to the SR600K. If I decide I'm not ready for an SR600K I'll do both days of the 600K. I'm planning on riding the S-Works Roubaix with 30mm tubeless set at fairly low pressure and with aerobars. 
3. Depending on how my hands are after the rides in (2), I'll make a decision on which direction I'm going to go DF or recumbent. This still might not be an "all in" decision. Whether or not it is depends on my experience with training on both.
4. I have postponed the custom bike I have on order until February. Based on the current uncertain state of the world adding another bike that I might not be able to ride seems foolish. 
5. I have an appointment with a "hand specialist" in January. Although I'm not in the slightest bit optimistic that the medical profession will be of any use whatsoever (based on a combined 120 years of experience between my wife and I), what the hell, I'll give it a shot and see if there's anything revelatory.

That's it for now.