Wow, Mark's story just changed my view on dark frames.

Man, your comment about the magnifier just reminded me of when I almost rode my bike with a hairline crack in the frame. I was doing a quick clean and totally missed it. My buddy spotted it later when we were about to head out on a long trail. It was right near the weld, super hard to see without good light. That could have ended really badly on a bumpy descent. It just shows how easy it is to overlook something tiny when you're not looking for it. Now I do a full check with a bright light before every big ride.

Showing him photos of fried gear worked for me.

Consider that maybe your body just needed a break from the constant focus on the problem. I had a shoulder thing that got better when I stopped stressing over perfect form at the gym and just lived my life. Sometimes the fix itself, all the poking and exercises, keeps the area irritated. Your brain might have been stuck in a pain loop that breaking the routine reset.

Really? I always thought that was just nonsense.