I bought an Hour from bikesdirect several months ago too, also having no experience with fixies and being new to biking. I wish I would have discovered this forum first, and in retrospect based on everything I have learned in a short time, I think it would have been better to splurge the extra cash for better components and gone with a Kilo or even an IRO. However, my Hour hasn't given me any problems so far, and I ride it every day. The horror stories scare me too, but as far as I am concerned, if you maintain it properly, you minimize errors. However, just ride the hell out of the bike and have fun. That is what biking is all about anyway!