anyone build up and race a pake c'muter?

I am on the verge of making the leap to a 700c-wheeled 'cross bike for next year. I would continue tor ace Stompy (my 26"-wheeled Redline) at short-track races, but a very strong possibility exists for me to land a new pake c'mute/cross frameset for super-uber-cheap.

Questions of anyone who has one:

--how wide a tire can you run on it? (Don't care about UCI rules, I'm thinking semi-monstercross)

--how's the ride quality with drops? With flat bars?

--how well does it take to the singlespeed treatment? (I'll run a Convert if I must but wonder if there's enough length to the rear drops to skip and go with a pure, straight chainline)

Feel free to offer your opinions. Thanks --beth