The Elusive YelloWolleY Look-Alike: 2015 Trek Chelsea 9

[LeRoy]

    There has been a bit of chatter about the Trek Chelsea 9 "woman's bicycle" as Trek put it. The resemblance of the Chelsea to the YelloWolleY is more than just similar. The Chelsea even has a Lift-It bar! And it was available in yellow! (as well as a white gold). But up to now I don't believe anyone has unearthed this decade-old precursor.

    Now the time has come. Check out Facebook Marketplace at the link noted below.

    I'd like think that I have first dibs on this one. Perhaps not, though. The seller never replied to my inquiry about his willingness/ability to ship the bike. Oh, well. Better luck to someone closer to the seller. At least I have a YWY on the way.

LeRoy from Rochester, MI

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1303969678265303?ref=saved&referral_code=null

[Dwain W]

The Yellowooley looks like the Bridgestone XO-3 mixte

https://bikeindex.org/bikes/708211

[Tom Powell Davies]

I think the clue linking the YWY and Trek Chelsea, beyond the colour and shape, was the the portage handle. Both initially had it, but the YWY lost it after the prototype stage.

Tom in Sydney

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[Kim H.]

I recently was able to purchase an elusive YelloWolleY Look-Alike, a 53cm (Medium) 2015 Trek Chelsea 9-speed bicycle. It showed up on Facebook Marketplace in my neck of the woods, where I live here in the PNW. It fits my PBH range. There was no stock front basket available. However, it came with a fairly new Topeak MTX trunk bag with a matching Topeak Explorer rack. The bike was not a canary yellow. It is a white gold color. 

Here are the spec's:

https://www.bikeroar.com/products/trek/chelsea-9-2015/specs

It needs a complete overhaul; a complete tear down, cleaning and replacing worn parts, new cables and housing and treating the internal frame and fork with Fluid Film. The tires need replacing. 

I am looking to replace the headbadge. The lower part of it  has been worn by a brake cable.

I find it interesting that the weight of this Chelsea is roughly the same weight as my Clem, around 30 lbs. stock. 

Kim Hetzel.

[Kim H.]

[Bill Lindsay]

I stumbled upon another lookalike candidate and it's currently available!  The Tokyo Bikes Bisou.  

Bisou

It's a far more downscale bike, but for putting around town I'd totally ride one.  I saw it at the shop "Miner" in San Sebastián/Donostia in Spain.  It's got 559 wheels and side pull brakes and a 1x drivetrain but the frame silhouette and yellow color make it an obvious lookalike.  I have no justification for the skinny stock tires, given the huge capacity of the side pull brakes.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

On Monday, July 20, 2026 at 8:24:58 PM UTC-7 LeRoy wrote:

[Dan]

It certainly does have the vibes in its yellow colour!

I know multiple people with Tokyobikes, most notably my wife, who has had her Bisou for 10+ years. 

It’s beautiful, practical, light-ish and the parts are unpretentious but good. She runs hers with metal fenders. I often see older Tokyobikes around - they look even better with age! 

Photo at the top of the post is my wife’s Tokyobike Bisou next to my Appaloosa. It’s a great bike and she loves it…. But she’s very keen on a tiny Platypus from the next batch 🦦