Surly's have a notable reputation for basically being bomb-proof. This allows them to price their frames a bit higher. All Surly frames are basic Tiawanese TIGed chromo. They certainly are good strong frames, but there's nothing magic about them. There are lots of other Tiawanese TIGed chromo frames out there that are basically the same thing but are more reasonably priced because they come without the overinflated Surly reputation.