I know I'm a bit late to the party, but here's my two cents:

Riv makes great frames, but like all other limited-production builders they aren't a very good value. While Surly frames might not be built with absolute attention to every detail, does that really matter as far as riding experience goes? No one has been able to convince me that the Atlantis or other gourmet frame is worth the $2K you'll pay for it vs the $400 you'll be for a LHT frame. In practical terms the latter will work just as well as the former, and for about $1500 you can put together a complete LHT with nice, durable components that will take you around the world just as well as a complete Atlantis that will set you back at least $3500

And I know I'll catch lots of s**t for those, but I'll say it anyway... To me paying more than about $2K+ for a complete bike is just an extravagant waste. To me one of the most appealing things about cycling is that it's an efficient, healthy, and inexpensive form of transportation. When you're getting to the point of spending as much for a bike as you would for a decent used car you've completely lost sight of what cycling is all about. $3-4K+ for a bike just seems silly to me.