If your size allows running 26" go for the Surly.

The cheaper Canondale is pretty good.

Raleigh used to make great bikes?

Specialized used to be a serious bike company, nowadays it's all these gizmos piled one on top of another. An integrated headset? Look at the rear wheel position relative to the seatpost, then look at the bikes you pictured above. I can just hear it at the bike store "I would never ride a bike without those carbon seatstays, now that I have tried them..." Not to say it might not be just the ticket for credit card touring Paris to Roubait if you were into that kind of thing.