Pipedream Cycles – A.L.I.C.E in Adventureland
Pipedream Cycles, founded in 2005 and hailing from the rugged terrains of Scotland, have announced their new model which is somewhat of a departure from their usual mountain dominating frames. Catering to the recent trend in highly versatile and rugged road going bikes, we would like to introduce you to A.L.I.C.E!
The girl next door name has somewhat more of a technical purpose, describing the many characteristics this new frame is capable of adopting. A.L.I.C.E is an All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment. It certainly sounds like it will be capable of this title, sporting features such as space to take up to a 50mm 700c tyre (or 29×2.1”), a variety of mounts littering the frame to hold your bottle cages, panniers and mudguards, bolt through axles front and rear, and a more slack geometry as standard with a 432mm long fork.
It certainly sounds like it’s suitable for spending all day in the saddle, regardless of the terrain. The triple butted, heat treated 4130 CrMo tubing should help dampen the bumps while its internal reinforcing and oval top tube are designed to make it still perform well and handle being shouldered comfortably. The option of a shorter 395mm CX fork will allow you to make the ride more aggressive if you prefer, and a sliding rear drop-out gives you the option to run it as single speed again adding up to a very versatile sounding bike.
Pipedream Cycles A.L.I.C.E is available in either a frame and fork only option (£625) or as a complete (£1,795) which is complemented with an array of FUNN and SRAM components. By any standard, this is incredibly good value! Sizes range from 470 to 545mm ST but you’ll need to take into account the longer than average top tube.
It’s exciting to see so much variety emerging in the Adventure/gravel bike market. While some manufacturers adopt a more modern styling closer to road bikes, others like Pipedream Cycles retain a classic design with details such as metal head badges and classic paint schemes which echo a sense of heritage. With such a competitive price, we can see the A.L.I.C.E being massively appealing to those wanting a no frills adventure bike. Fingers crossed we’ll be able to cook up an adventuring challenge later this year to really test out some of the new offerings.
For more information head to pipedreamcycles.com
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Words: Photos: Pipedream PR
