What Bike Size Frame (Fixie road bike) Do I Need?

Technically, a fixed gear bicycle isn't a road bike. It's a track bike for an indoor Velodrome track. Why & how this type of bike every became popular on the streets is beyond me. More on this later. If you're not sure on how tall you are, how can you possibly pick out the correct frame size? And I'm speculating this is an Internet sale too. There is no way to pick out the correct frame size over the Internet & be 100% sure. No two bicycle companies are the same. The stand-over height will change slightly one to the next. Top tube length may also change slightly one to the next. And top tube length can be very important. See link from Sheldon Brown on frame sizing. If you're thinking about an Internet sale...don't. Get the idea out of your head now & see a nearby bicycle shop instead. And fixed gear bicycles can be downright dangerous because you will pedal all the time. How can you come to a quick stop (if needed) and still pedal all the time? You can't. Basically, you're in high gear all the time compared to a road bike with gears. You can't start quickly & you can't stop quickly. You may struggle to get up a hill or ride into a strong headwind. Fixed gear bikes are great, on a Velodrome track for racing indoors, where there is no need to start or stop quickly. There is no need to climb a hill or ride into the wind. And most of all, there is no motorized traffic to contend with. I would strongly advise rethinking the whole idea behind a fixed gear bicycle.

The 480 mm frame will be too small the 530 may be too big. You want to go to the local bike shop and get fitted for a bike. Bikes direct has a wider range of sizes and much better bikes then what you are looking at. You want to measure your actual inseam with shoes on and get a frame with the standover height that is 1-2 inches less then your stand over height. http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/trackbikes.htm

First to your question. Neither bike will be the proper height. 48 cm is for a person around 5'2" or less. 53 cm will be barely big enough. Longer seat posts are available but getting the bars high enough can be impossible. As to your choice of bike, STRONGLY suggest not buying a fixed gear or single speed bike. About the most useless limiting bike you can buy. Take for instance gearing. With a 44t front and 16t rear gearing you will be able to achieve 19 mph pedaling at a proper 90 rpms. Can you ride that fast all the time? Can you ride that fast up hills or into a screaming headwind? I can't. Nor will you. These bikes are hard on the knees. See link below. fixed gear bike with a three speed hub. Three speeds beats one speed every day of the year. see second link. Eight speed bike. Lastly, a three speed with with a coaster brake. Don't make the mistake of buying a fixed gear bicycle. You have better choices available.

Well, every brand of bike is different. I have to ride 14" and I'm about 5'1-5'2. Any more than that I can't even stop properly. Anyway, I agree with the other person about the single-speed road bike. It's not safe. I know it seems simpler and easier, but it really is not. When you are riding with cars or other bikes, you have to be able to keep pace... just like with driving a car, you have to keep up with traffic at least to some degree, correct? Same with a bike. I've seen a lot of people riding fixies in the bike lane and end up cruising through 4-way stops because they couldn't stop in time, or I would see people riding fixies too aggressively in the road... in fact some of them just flat out try and exceed the bike's capacity altogether. If those same people got a geared bike instead of a "cool" one, they would be able to do those things without risking serious injury to themselves or other people. If you do end up getting a fixie, please for the love of all things great do NOT get a brakeless one. There is a whole subculture of people who ride fixies who believe that stopping the wheel with their shoe is more reliable than a brake. It's not reliable, it's reckless. You only do that if your brakes aren't working. I hope those things become illegal in the very near future if it isn't already