I'm looking for a singlespeed bike for around $400. It has to be a freewheel, have hoods, and a gear ratio around 70in.

The Fantom Uno is appealing and I wanted to try a cyclocross but it's the most expensive, has a slightly short gear ratio, and cross levers. There's not much discussion on this, so I don't know how the build quality compares to the other bikes.

The Messenger is very nice out of the box, but the ratio is too high for my tastes. I'd have to get a smaller chainring (would I need a new chain if I went down to 42t?). The Windsor Hour won't save me any money by the time I add brakes and a freewheel.

The Kilo TT is the same situation as the Hour for $50 more, but people on here seem to like them a lot. I'm not sure if the track geometry is a good thing or not. I usually take ~15 mile leisurely trips. The Dawes SST has more lax geometry, looks the most comfortable, and is the cheapest.

I don't think the bikes are all that different, but I want to make sure before buying my first 'real' bike. Also, I didn't think I could get a decent geared bike in my price range, but the Wellington 3.0 looks pretty good. I don't have a strong preference either way, but the Wellington has a carbon fork. Is it made better than the singlespeeds I'm looking at? This probably isn't the best place to ask, but the answers will be just as biased anywhere else.