paul davidson,
thanks for the kind words. you're right, fixed gears are not for everyone and definately not for every environment. still, fixed gears and brakeless do not have to go synonymously. you can still have a fixed gear with brakes and you'll get all the fun of riding a fixie plus the advantage of being able to stop.
if i was you and was interested, i would just keep my eyes peeled around the area for abandoned/destroyed/trashed bikes. i'd collect what seems salvagable, and over time, have enough stuff in my basement to build a formidable fixed gear. considering the wealth of old roadbikes and wheelsets that are in the world, the only thing you should really have to buy is a track cog (about 20 bucks). that way you can get into fixed gearing and if you don't like it you can junk the bike with no real monetary loss. but i think, once you try it, you'll be hooked.
hills are another thing to tackle. the only thing i suggest is a high, high gear ratio. something like 48/19 should a formidable climb more doable.
but seriously, BUILD your fixie!!! never buy a brand new track bike. building up your bike is half the fun and you'll learn a lot.
and to answer your question, yes, on the first bike the handlebars are chopped drops. this is a fairly common thing to do among fixers, i feel.
if anyone has more technical questions about fixies you can drop me an email. i built both of my rides from the ground up and know a few ghetto tricks that may save you money/frustration. although, i'm sure there has to be someone here who's a bike mechanic--he'd probably know more. just trying to help,
rwan@umich.edu
lets see some more bikes, people.
