Hey all,

I'm new to the forums, and rekindling my love for biking after being away for some years. I grew up riding mountain bikes in the hills of Northeast PA, but now I've just moved to Philadelphia and I'm thinking of picking up a single speed track bike. I wouldn't be doing a TON of riding (say, less than 25 miles per week), and I'd be keeping the bike outside . . . and I'm poor . . . so something cheap, simple, and suitable for light use would be best. I don't have the space, tools, or (frankly) skill to build something from scratch, so I'm looking to find something ready-to-ride or requiring minimal assembly.

The options I've come across so far:
-Alpha Mercury, made in-house at Frankenstein Bike Worx here in Philly. $350
-Pull my 18-speed Fuji Ace out of storage and convert to single speed.
-Buy a second-hander and have it converted at a local shop.

I test-rode the Alpha in a 62cm frame (I think), and I thought it rode nicely. Was my first time riding with bullhorn bars, which made the bike feel quite responsive. I'm 6'1" with 33" inseam, but I like to sit "low" on the frame, so the geometry seemed to fit well. Internet impressions of the Alpha seem to be less-than-stellar, however.

I'm a little hesitant to bring the Fuji down, because I don't want it getting stolen. Also, it would take some time to ship it down and have it converted to single speed -- I'm itching to get riding, and from talking to shops around here it sounds like the single speed conversion could be somewhat expensive. None of the second-handers I saw at shops around town particularly caught my eye, and the cost of purchase + conversion would apparently run pretty close to the cost of the Alpha.

So, what other affordable, ready-to-ride options are there for a first-time single speeder?

(Sorry for the newbie questions guys )