Hey so I'm sure you guys probably these kinds of questions a lot but any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm a greenhorn messenger/delivery in NYC (Postmates and Caviar) who's been riding his friend's SE Draft for the last couple of months. Said friend is coming back from traveling in a couple weeks so I need to buy my own bike.

I have about $500 to spend and have been looking at getting an SE Draft or Draft Lite, Fuji Feather or Kilo TT. They all seem to have pluses and minuses. I'm starting to think that I'm in it for the long haul and hope to continue doing this, maybe looking into more legitimate messenger companies in the fall. I'd love to get something that'll last me for a good long time and works well for messenger work.

I'm also not totally sold on needing a fixie/single speed. I liked that it's easier to clean/maintenance, enjoyed not worrying about gears (while riding the Draft) and overall just liked the simplicity of it. I do know that I want brakes on whatever I get as I spent one evening on a braked, geared bike and I liked how much more aggressively I could bike just because I knew I had the ability to stop. But, all that being said, if you think there are other options out there that I haven't considered yet, I'd love to hear them.

And, while I'm at it, any advice on the NYC messenger game would be appreciated.

I've been slowly falling in love with the work and want to get the best tool for the job.