iro is a great choice-- very good bang for your buck, fantastic customer service. harbor no doubts. that said, which IRO? if you plan to use it for commuting, you may want fenders, and the mark v and angus have no room for fenders. the Redline 925 is the same price, comes with moustachebars, fr and r brakes, and full fenders.

a drop lever is the road bike kind of lever that can be reached while you're in the drops of drop handlebars. a cross lever sits on the flat part of the bars.

and yes, get a brake, since it's your first fixedgear. after a while you may find yourself able to ride without it, but do start with one.