Wanted: Bike for my partner - first fixed gear commuter bike

I'm hoping to get my partner a fixed gear bike for Christmas, but don't know what I'm looking for. He's a hair under 6 foot, about 200/210lbs. Basically skilled on a bike, but hasn't ever had a fixed gear. It's time.

I'm hoping to get him a bike to start commuting with for 200 or less, not ready to buy a slick new one until we prove he takes to single speed and gets into secure lockup habits.

Anybody have low-jargon advice, a bike they want to offload, or suggestions for shops in London (I'm in N1) that deal in used bikes?

Thanks!

Here's the thread of shops, plus a map of where each is located, if that helps?

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread11623.html

On a cold winter's evenin', on a thread bound for nowhere
I met up with a numpty; he wouldn't use the fucking search.
"I want a bike for my partner", was all I heard him sayin'
My response was quick and angry, and knocked him off his perch.

I said, "Son, I've spent a lifetime answerin' inane questions
From attention-seeking newbies, too lazy or thick to care
That spending half a minute reading other folks' opinions
Would give them all their answers, and answer Hippy's prayer:

You got to know when to read' em, know when to post 'em
Know when to start a thread, and know when to keep schtum
You never ask some dumb question, if you ain't done no searching
Or Hippy and his midgets gonna kill you in the bum.

^^My hats off to you sir. Quality post.

Enabler - search, look at, test, haggle etc. Basically everything you'd do with any other purchase in that price range.

You make a helluva welcoming committee, sharkster.

If you need me I'll be slumped in the corner trying to avoid further abuse.

Just another note to the hecklers, I will continue to search, as I have been doing, but as someone who had to look up what "shimano" meant, I was just hoping for a zealot who might enjoy breaking it down for me. There is a ton of jargon out here that is not obvious to the newbie.

You make a helluva welcoming committee, sharkster.

If you need me I'll be slumped in the corner trying to avoid further abuse.

Nothing personal, my friend ;-)

Keep an eye out for 'polo bike' or 'beater' in the classifieds section, you might find something suitable, and suitably cheap. Getting the correct frame size is always a bit of an issue - if your partner has a road bike, use the frame size on that; if not, I would have thought 58-60cm would suit someone his size.

http://www.gumtree.com/london/07/50037107.html

Lemond Fillmore on gumtree at the moment for £250 ONO

If you need parts , mainly bars and stems, then I may be able to help

I've got a Katana [full build] for sale if you want to double your budget to £500 ...