that is my favorite gear ratio for commuting/street riding.

as for your potential bikes, i own an '84 bianchi pista. i love it. it's by far my favorite bike to ride. i ride it frequently on the steet, as well as on the track. from someone new to fixed riding, you might find it "twitchy". being said, i commute every day on my iro jamie roy. i also love this bike dearly. it's light, agile, and a bit more comfortable than the pista. especially on the cold mornings when i don't feel capable of getting out of my warm bed, let alone riding to work.

having also ridden a steamroller, i think they also have great geometry. a bit less aggressive, but that can be better for commuting. i'm sure you would love either bike. this year's pista seems to come with better parts then they have in the last few years.

however, i think you should give iro a serious look. tony is a great guy who stands behind his products. you could buy one complete for about the cost of a pista, or have the satisfaction of building it up from the frame as you would with the steamroller.

or buy a wheelset, try it out on a old road frame, and if you like riding fixed, use those wheels on your new frame.