Need help two vintage road bikes
 

Hi, I'm a college student, sort of new to cycling. I'm looking for a good bike to ride a few miles to school and for fun ofcourse. Budget is tight and Bike theft is pretty common in my school so if it does get stolen, it is not a disastrous lost. anyways I saw these two bikes:

NISHIKI 54cm Road racing Bike NISHIKI 54cm Road racing Bike - 12 Speed
Wondering if the price is right and any info in this type of bike and why the front stem is setup higher than usual (is that a good thing?)

and the other Raleigh USA Grand Prix Road Bike Raleigh USA Grand Prix Road Bike

Those are both good values. The Nishiki has a Tange 900 chromoly frame and the Raleigh's frame is Reynolds 531 with chromoly stays. It boils down to which one fits you best and which is in the best condition.

The stem on the Nishiki is a high rise replacement, probably installed because the previous owner has flexibility issues or just wants a more upright riding position than the original stem offered.

Hello! First off welcome :)

Now the bikes. The Nishiki has a CRAZY quill stem on it. I'm assuming someone put that on for "comfort" so they could be upright when riding. Personally I would feel very awkward on that one. Toe cages are scary- I'd take them off.

The Raleigh has a better geometry. Looks like you would need to rewrap the bars though. Not a huge deal, that is an inexpensive fix. The Raleigh has a decent Selle Italia seat too.

My money would be on the Raleigh.

The raleigh is larger so a lot depends on which bike fits the OP better. Both are fine bikes and the stem can be swapped out on the Nishiki; bit of a pain but a doable job and won't cost a bomb.

Agreed.

Most bike shops have a parts bin in the back, you might be able to find a stem for a couple of bucks.