I bought a Surly 16 years ago, and they were decent at the time. Now all their models feel weird or dated, so I would skip that Preamble.
Curve is Australian and has great bikes, but maybe out of your range.
Wide tires can be pretty quick, too! They certainly add comfort since you can run them at lower pressures, very useful if you have some gravel to traverse, too.
I bought a Surly 16 years ago, and they were decent at the time. Now all their models feel weird or dated, so I would skip that Preamble.
Curve is Australian and has great bikes, but maybe out of your range.
Wide tires can be pretty quick, too! They certainly add comfort since you can run them at lower pressures, very useful if you have some gravel to traverse, too.