Originally Posted by
roughrider504
Personally if I was looking for a bike to ride all day through traffic and the elements, it would be an old mountain bike. Fixed gears can be re-sold for so much right now, I'd go for something less hip.
If you go the MTB route I would pick a hardtail or rigid-fork and mount some thinner tires on it. The MTB has the advantage of being able to take meatier tires which are nice for winter riding.
The fixed-SS road conversion is nice because it offers a faster ride. Also old road frames with relaxed geometry can take large tires too (700x28). It's pretty easy to make your "hip" conversion bike look unattractive. An MTB with shifters and derailleurs might look comparatively more enticing to a thief.