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Here's an idea that I'm thinking of putting into action for myself: Get yourself a Charge Tap commuter bike (Tange infinity tubing, so should be a bit lighter than the Plug), swap out the Nexus hub and wheel for a decent fixed hub/rim combo (and sell the Nexus). Should result in a solid fixie steed.

The Tap is £500, less (say) £40 for the sale of the Nexus hubbed rear wheel, and you've got £140 left in your budget for a decent rear wheel.

The only thing that's confusing me is whether the Tap has horizontal dropouts or not - the Charge web site says yes, all the pictures of it show it with them, but the specs on some online bike stores (like Pearson) say it has vertical. Anyway, I've ordered one for a trial ride from Evans Cycles so I should have the answer some time this week.

Longish-haired chap with a white Ribble fixie with a female friend (didn't get her bike, but was also a fixie) crossing London Bridge after piling down Bishopsgate this afternoon.

I use a Kryptonite New York Lock - not the Fahgeddabout it, but the bigger version designed for 'Powersports', the M-18-WL. It weighs a ton, but I tend to leave it where I lock the bike during the week and take it home at the weekend. It has an 18mm thick bar and says "You might want to consider trying to steal some other cycle nearby" to anyone who cares to listen. Add to that the lightweight Abus Granit Futura I have clipped to my frame, and a Kryptoflex cable to keep the wheels safe. I also have a spare Abus shielded cable that I use when I have left the NY Lock outside work. The chains look the business, but I was put off them when someone posted a video of some guys with a bolt cutter making short work of pretty much all of them on this very forum.

The top of the range Abus square section D locks that d0cA recommends also look pretty good, and they're probably lighter than the NY lock, but they don't look quite as scary.

Totally agree with bobby on the lock-oiling issue, particularly if the weather ain't so good.

I got a new Pista a couple of months ago and I have no complaints whatsoever. I went for a 48:18 ratio, which will probably suit me for a few more months, and upgraded to the OpenPro wheels like Willski. The stock saddle isn't doing me any harm but I may go for a Swift for aesthetic reasons when I can justify it to myself. At some point I'll fit a cross lever front brake because my reactions ain't what they used to be.

The one thing to watch out for with Condor is the build time: mine took about six weeks, which seemed like an eternity. I'd had my last bike (a geared hybrid commuter I'd built on an old mountain bike frame, and which I'd had for years) nicked, and missed a lot of summer commuting, and weekend excursions.

The other thing to watch out for - it may just be me - is paranoia that your new and desirable Condor bike is going to get nicked. I have to leave mine outside work (in Holborn) all day and have invested in this frickin enormous Kryptonite NY U-Lock (even bigger that the Fahgeddaboutit) plus Abus shielded cable plus Abus lightweight D-Lock. AND I have wrapped old inner tubes round most of the decals so it looks to the untrained eye like a piece of old crap (from a distance). It kills me.

Reading this back it looks like it has been written by a borderline Aspergers nervous wreck. But we Condor owners are happy - in a way.