i need your thoughts on a bicycle. now i will use this bike
mostly for bad weather messengering in a big cities (nyc, philly) etc...
(i already have a fixie and a gear beater roadbike)

1. hardtail mountain bike with thinner tires.
2. cyclocross type bike
3. another fixie capable of fatter tires
4. touring frame?

i really prefer building another fixie but i want your opinion especially if you're
a working messenger in one of the bigger city.

another question: steel or aluminum...i don't want to start a flame but
with the percepective of riding in the rain/wet weather. how will the steel
holdup if i don't want to dry it everytime after riding in the rain?

practicality and functionality are my priority. something around $600 to $900.

thanks!

Single speed mountian(Surly 1x1). Steel, with lots of frame saver sprayed inside. Rigid fork. Cartridge BB and headset. Bearing hubs(easy to rebuild, saves money) Ceramic rims(This is why you saved money on the hubs) Simple non parrallel linear pull brakes (Avid) Some fat semislicks.

How about the Karate Monkey, you can make the ultimate bike it will fit anything from 26" to 700C tires.. cantilever brakes or discs.. you name it.. here is Sheldon browns frankenstein.
Even has spacing for gears if you want

heinous.

my friend is setting up a titanium merlin road bike for his winter messengering bike. he already has a merlin set up with full record. i don't really see why he needs TWO ti bikes, because he has like, three track bikes already...oh well. to each his own.

I'd make a beater. Get a garbage road frame, spray hella frame-saver into it, then put on a pair of Suzue/Mavic MA3 wheels, beaten up crank-set with some pedals/toe-clips, new chain, new bb, new head-set, front linear-pull brakes, and some crap bars.

My thinking is that you are BOUND to eat it in the winter, so you might as well have a piece of crap that you are willing to sacrifice. I'd spend the money for new parts that you need to function well (and are bound to break down in salty winter riding, so you might as well start with new ones so they last a bit longer). I dunno though, that's just how I would set up a bike if I were a messenger.

I'm with dumpster. Roadframe (you'll be riding on roads), beater (gonna be parked all over God's creation, sometimes freelocked, why tempt theives with fancy racer-boy parts?). Rain wont hurt steel, salt will, just wipe down in winter.