Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Question about fixed gear bike size

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to introduce myself and pose a question or two. I just recently became interested in riding a fixed gear as I feel it will make my boston commute even more efficient. However I am switching over from a hybrid by Giant. Currently I am having a hard time making it out to a bike store to check what size fixed gear I should purchase and I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice.

I am 5'11'' and have a 30" inseam. I am currently riding a 19" Giant which seems to fit. I saw a motobecane on ebay for about 300 bucks, I figured that was pretty good compared to some of the outrageous prices I have seen lately. I believe it's "the messenger." Anyone have any experience with this bike? I know the other option is to strip down a road bike and build my own fixie, however I have very little bike knowledge so therefore for my first bike I would like to buy pre-assembled.

Thank you for all of you help!

Its really hard to know what size of bike will fit you without actually trying it out. You should try to get to a shop (or your friends bikes) and try out a few different sizes and a few different brands. all the different companies design to different geometries. different down tube/head tube angles. different down/top tube ratios. different fork rakes. You might like the "56cm" from one company, but hate it from another. It is sort of like buying shoes. If you wanted to buy shoes online, the best thing would be to go to a store that has them, find the right size, then buy them online. Same with bikes in my opinion.

If you do this, you'll be happy you did. There is nothing worse than owning a bike you want to ride that is not the right fit. adjusting the stem, seat, and crank length can only get you so far.

Suck it up and go to Boston/Cambridge bikes. They've got plenty of ready-to-ride fixed gear bikes that you can test out and get a perfect fit. You can also get deals by buying the previous year's model.

Contrary to what most people will say, most people can fit a range of sizes comfortably. A start is to find your inseam in cm's and multiply it by .67 to find the frame size. Thats a START. If you really cant go ride some (your best option) you can look at top tube measurements and compare those to the top tube measurement on your giant to get a similar fit. Being that it is your first fixed gear, I would say its a pretty safe bet you will replace it in the near-ish future with something else, so I wouldnt stress too hard, but by getting close you will do yourself a big favor.