Yeah, either bike is a great deal. The BMC comes with the Rival crank while the Ridley does not. Both steals for 1699. I don't think you'll find Rival in a bike shop at that price. In an LBS for 1700, you'd be getting 105/Tiagra at the most, or just Tiagra. If the Fuji 55cm was too long and Jamis was just right at 53.8 then either bike in a Small 53cm would probably be best for you. I had to experiment with stem sizes on my Medium Ridley Boreas and the 90mm felt best. Both 100 and 110mm were just too much of a reach. You can't go wrong with either bike.
I purchased some inexpensive Easton stems from closeout from Jenson just to see which lengths felt best. Like $12 bucks each.