Velo Orange, a component and frame supplier based outside of Baltimore, MD has quietly been offering robust, adventure worthy bikes out of steel and aluminum for years.  In my mind they are similarly utilitarian as a Surly, but a little more refined in fit and finish.  We’ve built a few over the years and have heard nothing but praise from their owners.  We build these bikes from the frame up to ensure they’ll perform for you and your adventures, but in general we see Velo Orange as offering “all road” at a minimum and “full blown adventure/bikepacking” at a maximum.  Here are a few we’ve built:

Velo Orange Chessie – big tire clearance, mounting options galore, basket in case of souvenirs.

Velo Orange Piolet for adventures of any kind.

Velo Orange Pass Hunter, a most handsome All-Road bike, in this case built for asphalt, hard pack, and light trail use.