Originally Posted by HandsomeRyan

You wouldn't die. Riding fixed feels a lot different than riding a freewheel but it isn't really "harder". Nothing wrong with riding the freewheel though.

I've actually never ridden the freewheel side of my hub because when I first got the bike I wanted to try riding fixed. Once I started I was having so much fun that I never wanted to flip the wheel around. I think my next bike will be a [freewheeling] SS so I can put in a little more distance on it. (completing a metric century is cool. completing a metric century with only one gear is hardcore.)

As for new bars- if you have a local bike co-op you might go see if they have some MTB risers taken off an department store mountain bikes they could put you into or cheap. Otherwise, I'd watch Nashbar, Pricepoint, and JensonUSA for a good deal on some risers/grips.