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This things been around for a while but there are still few reviews. With the secondhand market dead and nice steel monstercross frames a rarity anyway, I just ordered one.
They actually look awesome, from what I can tell they're one of the very few monstercross frames with a dropper friendly (30.9mm) seattube (perhaps the only steel one?) And they're a decent price given the current situation. The forks are actually a bargain at £99.
Guess I'll post some pics when built, but it'd nice to see some other builds if anyone's riding one?
Pipedream Instagram account is full of them at the moment.
I’ve got one and built it up around a short stem and Jones bars on 650B carbon rims/Pro4 hubs - I run it in one of two ways:
1: WTB Horizon tyres with Velo-Orange Zepplin mudguards, frame bag and saddle bag for year-round commuting.
2: 2.8in Continental Mountain King front and rear for off road exploring, blue trails with the kids etc.
If I could only have one, it’d be the Alice. PM me your email address and I’ll send you some pics (of the bike, obviously...)
In fact, mine’s the one here: https://www.pipedreamcycles.com/eigg-scotland/?v=79cba1185463 although that was before I bought it and built it up differently.
guys!
post some pics! they sound awesome 😁
Build 1: 
Build 2 (apologies for potato quality): 
Current cranks are the Hope ones, the XT set went to the eldest's full suss lockdown build.
Sweet, that looks great, especially with the plus tyres.
I'll hopefully build mine this weekend (if it's arrived). And hopefully it won't look weird: I went frame only and ordered some of these very niche Thorn forks (650b+ steel boost gravel forks from touring company??) as I didn't want to replace my current boost front wheel:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/forks/48-offset-a-700c-650b-26-inch-thorn-mk3-steel-disc-fork-gunmetal-imron/
Still really surprised these things aren't more popular, given that nowadays (somehow) £500 is a relative bargain for a nice steel frame, and dropper-post friendly dropbar 29ers are almost none-existent.
Bloody love mine. A bit porky but seems to take absolutely everything I throw at it with aplomb. I’ve done road centuries on it, commuted circa 150km a week and even rode it around ‘The Wall’ (red trail) in Afan and around Bikepark Wales too the other week.
Wonderful bit of gear. What are your plans for the build? Got a kit list in mind?
It'll be inheriting most of the parts from my bodged Ramin monstercross; this, but with 1x10 speed, I may return to the weird dingle speed for winter.
Edit: that pic is actually totally uninformative... It's have those Maxxis Pace tyres plus Hope/DT wheels, Junebug bars, a KS Dropzone post hopefully (the one in the pic is too large). 1x10 Sram GX with the mtb shifter mounted on the flats
Sounds rad, looking forward to seeing some pics when the frame and forks arrive!
Recently built mine up - done a few rides on it now.
Not light but it feels 'planted' / comfortable and when loaded up won't be such an issue!
It's complimentary to my other 'fast' gravel bike.
The build is a bit of a parts bin special with:
3x10 SLX/XT 40/30/22 and 11-36 using Microshift BS-M10 bar end shifters
MTN BB7's with Tektro RL520 levers (comfy!)
Holdsworth silver post/stem, Charge Spoon
Selcof Serrato bars with Cinelli Camo tape
Alex/Novatec/Chosen wheels
WTB Venture 700 x 50c tyres
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Nice! If you were interested I’m probably going to sell the Straightcut Designs full frame bag for mine (medium frame) as I don’t really use it any more. Let me know if you fancy it - kind of a niche market being a bespoke bag for a fairly uncommon bike!
Cool. I am one step closer with the Thorn forks arriving today.
They have just the clearance I was hoping for... That's a 29 x 2.1" and a 410mm a-c fork, and I even managed to fit a full length guard via a messy but seemingly secure bodge.
Those Thorn forks are lovely, I considered them for a similar build. After considering the A.L.I.C.E. I had my heart set on a Surly Bridge Club but I'm beginning to come back to it.
Finally built, I'll get a better picture tomorrow out in the outdoors, but here's one for now.
squirrelking: I'm biased, of course, but is there any reason you'd go for the Bridge Club over the A.L.I.C.E? The Pipedream seems a better deal all around to me: better clearance, thru axles, nice sliding dropouts, dropper friendly 30.9 seattube.
I had it in my head that the ALICE was boost, was that last year?
Bridge Club has clearance in the other direction, can take a 27.5+ or 26+, has Gnot Boost and I'm really not bothered by a dropper. Oh and it takes QR which is compatible with everything I have.
The ALICE has that split stay, bigger 29" clearance
I dunno, to be honest there isn't much between them, they both have their advantages.
The Alice is 15mm/12mm none-boost front and rear, but you can get QR rear dropouts (I just don't know where from). You can also do frame only like I did and get whatever forks you want. Also looks like you can fit 27.5+ looking at Abingham's build above
Oh, looking at mine though, you'd not get a 650b+ in the rear
Finally finished the build completely, after getting rid of the stupid idea of mounting an mtb shifter on the flat of the drops, and getting new drops (Ritchey Beacon, which are by far the best offroad drops I've ridden).
Tried an artsy pic
looking at mine though, you’d not get a 650b+ in the rear
My medium frame clears a 2.8 Mountain King. Not loads of room left but enough.
Build looks sweet though!
Thanks 🙂
How much clearance did you have at the rear with the 2.8?
I wonder if they've made a mk1 and mk2 ALICE? Mine def has different decals to yours, and may be they reduced the clearance as well. I measure about 73-75mm clearance at the widest part of the seat and chainstays; that'd be very tight with a true-to-size 2.8 tyre.
@legometeorology What fork is that on yours? I like it.
Like the bars also... but does it make riding on the hoods uncomfortable?
The forks are some very niche Thorn boost things with a short axle-crown and a massive offset and tyre clearance (I sprayed them black):
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/forks/48-offset-a-700c-650b-26-inch-thorn-mk3-steel-disc-fork-gunmetal-imron/
The best thing about the bars for me is that the hoods are comfortable. Normally with dirt drops I find the hoods too high or the drops too low, but the minimal drop on these sorts the problem.
How much clearance did you have at the rear with the 2.8?
Just been out to the garage with a tape measure and comes up to about 4mm each side at the chainstays with a bit more at the seatstays. My rear is set a little way back in the dropouts though so I’d have a little more clearance on both if I slammed it forward.
Afraid I don’t have a set of verniers to measure the true width, but my tape measure puts the tyres at more like 2.7in at their widest on my Gigantex carbon rims (not sure on internal width).
Very much enjoying A.L.I.C.E.
Primarily bought as a commuter, but today stuck some bigger tyres on and went for a fun mucky bridleway explore, then road on the way back. Great for both!
