A bit of a rarity this one... in fact as far as is known this is the only example of a GanWell Pro in the UK. There are a few in the US, but not many - most of the output of the GanWell workshop in Kyoto stayed within Japan for the Keirin scene. It looks 'old school' being beautifully built from lugged Columbus Genius tubing but within the strict NJS Keirin rules it's pretty much state of the art. The rarity of the frame is likely to remain unchanged now, this particular frame is one of the last 4 ever built by the hand of Mr Doi, the founder of GanWell bikes, who sadly died recently just shy of 60 years of age. I owe a big debt of thanks to Will Meister over at Hubjub for helping me get my hands on it!

My build is not a pukka NJS certified build but is still one that I feel does justice to this fine frame, being a little more friendly to use on the road rather than velodrome and using some of the finest componentry I have been able to lay my hands on. That’s not to say it may not change in future (stand by for polished sprint rims in the near future). It’s very much a useable machine, within the limits of having no brakes other than the fixed wheel, and I’ve built it to ride rather than hang on the wall, this I think is the best way to honour the memory of Mr Doi.

As for riding brakeless… well, yes I know strictly speaking the law requires me to have two brakes, the fixed wheel counts as one hence my other fixies also carry a front rim brake. In this case though it would have been plain ‘wrong’ to fit a fork drilled for a brake so I’m happy to accept certain limitations that require me to avoid particularly steep descents, especially those with junctions and sharp bends at the bottom, and turn round and ride the other way should I bump into the Old Bill. The rest of the time my fixie riding skills and general spatial awareness are good enough to enjoy a variety of local rides (dry weather only for this machine), especially those involving a stop at a beach cafe, where she invariably turns heads {insert smug grin here}. I suppose it is riskier but right now I have no-one to answer to but myself and adrenalin always did feel good….. ;o)

Just in case you really want to know the details here is the build list (I know the bike geeks are watching..):

• Frame and Fork: Gan Well Pro, Columbus Genius tubing
• Headset: Hatta (it has one of those weird 27mm crown race diameters)
• Hubs: Phil Wood High Flange Track
• Rims: Ambrosio Excellence
• Tyres: Veloflex Pave
• Sprocket: Phil Wood
• Crankset: Campagnolo Record Pista, 170mmx49T
• Bottom Bracket: Campagnolo Record Pista
• Seatpin: Nitto S83
• Saddle: Fi’zi:k Arione
• Stem: Nitto Pearl, 110mm
• Bars: Nitto B123

and that’s it, refreshingly short once you lose gears and brakes!

I make no apologies for the large number of photos below.....