I ride the smallest size bikes, so my experience may not be typical. I rode a Surly Pacer with the steel fork for a few years and it was a very nice riding bike. Not light and fast, but very comfortable. I did a bit of gravel roads with it and it was fine. Then I found a Gunnar Sport in my size on ebay and moved everything off the Pacer on to it (including the steel fork), and it's a wonderful ride too. Luxo sport tourer. I did 4 centuries on it last year, some over huge mtn passes.

Both are nice bikes. I think the Pacer is a great frame for the price! It's bombproof and you don't have to worry about it much, easy to replace.
Gunnars are ~$800 retail, dent easily, paint jobs chip, but they go for about half that on ebay.