i am 5 foot 7 and have a 55cm frame. i starting to think that its slightly too tall for me.

im thinking of picking up something smaller but just needed a bit of wise words before i do it

thanks guys~!

What are your measurements? Height does not help hugely.
standover? torso? etc?

What are the bike's measurements?
standover? top tube length? etc?

You can't (fully) tell by dimensions; you tell by comfort. If the bike is comfy to ride, you're probably OK. People can actually fit a decent range of sizes.

yeah well im a newbie to the fixed/ss world.

it feels fine when riding. i just don know if im too small for it.

when standing over the frame, it is pretty much touching my crotch on my jeans.

is that too big?

try playing with stem extension and height first, and maybe the position of your saddle on the rails. If neither of those will fix the problem, then it might be time to look into a new frame.

Correction: when standing over the frame, the top tube is touching the crotch of my jeans. is that too big?

lift your feet up at the same time and check again

55cm frame measured how?
if you have crippling pain after a few days, it is not sized correctly. otherwise - follow your shoulders, back, neck, wrists, etc - or just get a frame that is better recommended for your comfort/size. 55cm square with c-t-c measurements seems a bit big for someone of your height, but that is a very generic standard. you could be a total goon and have ape-arms and a short torso. you may have the legs of Manute Bol, but the torso and arms of Tiny Tim.

good luck

Its really how it feels to you. If its comfortable then you should be fine.

I'm 5'4" and ride a 54TT/54ST. While I'm riding, it fits just fine and I notice no discomfort. But if I try to stand with both feet on the ground, I have to lift my heels by like a centimeter for the top tube not to touch.

Basically, if it's comfy when you ride it (after adjusting everything), then don't worry about it.

And really, the only issue with a "large" frame is that your saddle-bar drop is limited, but I prefer a small drop.

ah thanks. yeah im just a noob trying to learn. thanks guys!

if you are in Chicago, go over to Yojimbos (go over during the weekday when it is slower) and chat about sizing options, what you have, etc. the guys there are topnotch

Sounds like it's prob too tall for you.

don't wear jeans?
you should be able to pick the bike up an inch or so before it hits pubic bone (not soft bits). can you?

^^ yeah hrmm its pretty much touching my tenders.

You don't know how comfortable it is until you've tried a range of bikes and fits.

don't base your bike fit on the stand over height, are you gonna stand over your bike or ride it? Stand over is more important on a mountain bike because the terrain isn't as predictable as riding on paved roads, if you have to bail from your saddle you want to have more room between the top tube and the jewels. Riding a road bike on the streets the only time that comes into play is when you stop at a light or you're getting off the bike so its hardly the basis for figuring out if your bike fits or not.

Fit is not as simple as "I'm 5' something so I ride a 50 something cm bike" there's too many variables but the most important is comfort. Does your bike give you back pain, wrist pain, neck pain, knee pain? All of these will let a fitter know what needs to be adjusted. It also depends on what bike you ride and your body dimensions, I can comfortably fit bikes from 54cm to 58cm depending on many adjustments so don't give up on what you have now until you have exhausted all adjustments possible.

My rule of thumb is at least an inch from my balls to the top tube. That's usually my quick determinant.

Your frame size sounds ballpark for your height; close enough that you can fine tune your fitting through getting the appropriate stem/seatpost adjustment. Standover height is generally not that important, unless your bike is so tall that you need to stand on your toes for your crotch to clear the top tube. So long as you have the proper distance between your seat and the bottom bracket, as well as a comfortable distance between the seat and bars, you should be okay.

here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk he will explain much better than me regurgitating what he says

for the most part as long as your not over extending your legs your fine, meaning when your foot is at the bottom theres a 30 degree angle between your hip, knee, and ankle.