First off, all of these responses are extremely helpful. Thank you very much. This forum community seems wonderful compared to other forums (not bicycles) I've been around.

In order to convert this to a fixed gear, how much am I looking at as far as price? Is it just the cog and lockring?

@jstewse: I've tried craigslist around here, and it seems overpriced and I feel my knowledge of bikes isn't good enough to make an informed purchase.

I like the dawes and clockwork and from what you guys are saying, they seem like the best for my pricerange, no? I guess I need to make a decision on the handlebars. Which cost more, drop bars, or the bull horns if I wanted to swap them out? Maybe I'll get the one with the more expensive handlebars so that its cheaper to swap out. I'll keep thinking!

Anyways, if there is anymore input, I'd love to see it. Thanks again for the advice.

-John