We Turned Up for a Wheelie School… But Nobody Was There

What was supposed to be a brilliant birthday present turned into one of the strangest motorcycle days I’ve had in a long time.

Emma had booked me a day with Max Up Wheelie School as a birthday present. I’d been looking forward to it for ages — a full day learning how to wheelie properly, in a controlled environment, with people who actually know what they’re doing.

At least, that was the plan.

We Arrived… And Something Wasn’t Right

When we arrived at the venue, there were already a number of other riders waiting around.

No instructors.

No bikes being prepared.

No obvious sign that a wheelie school was about to start.

Before long, it became clear that we weren’t the only people wondering what was going on.

Around 16 customers had turned up for the session, with many saying they had paid around £225 each to attend.

People had travelled from different parts of the country expecting exactly the same thing we were expecting — a booked and paid-for motorcycle training day.

Instead, everyone was standing around trying to work out what had happened.

Customers Said Others Had Been Turning Up Too

While I was there, I spoke to several of the people who had booked the course.

Some said they had heard that customers had been arriving for previous sessions and finding themselves in a similar situation.

Naturally, people were angry and frustrated.

For some, it wasn’t simply the cost of the course.

There was fuel, travel, potentially accommodation, time booked off work and the disappointment of making the journey only to find there was apparently no training taking place.

I decided to get the camera out and speak to some of the people who were there.

Their reactions are included in the video, and I think it’s important that people hear those experiences directly from the customers involved.

The Website Was Still Available

One of the things that concerned people on the day was that the Max Up Wheelie School website still appeared to be online and offering bookings.

We also attempted to make contact, but the telephone number we had was not connecting and we had not received a response to emails at the time of filming.

To be clear, I can only report what we personally experienced on the day and what the other customers who attended told me.

I have deliberately avoided speculating about the legal or financial position of the business.

If Max Up Wheelie School or anyone representing the company would like to provide an explanation or response, I would be happy to include their side of the story.

Thankfully, Emma Got the Money Back

After we realised the course wasn’t going ahead, Emma contacted her bank about the payment.

Thankfully, the money was refunded.

That was obviously a relief, but not everyone standing there necessarily had the same immediate outcome.

If you have paid for a service that has not been provided, it may be worth contacting your card provider or bank to discuss what options are available to you.

Not Quite the Birthday Present We Expected!

It certainly wasn't how I expected the day to go.

I went there thinking the video would be about me learning to wheelie.

Instead, it became a completely different story.

Sometimes YouTube works like that.

You head out with one video planned and come home with something you could never have scripted.

The full video is now live on the Mid Bike Crisis YouTube channel, including interviews with several of the riders who turned up on the day.

If you've booked with Max Up Wheelie School, attended one of their events, or had a similar experience, you're welcome to share your experience in the comments.

As always, please keep comments factual and respectful.

Watch the full video on Mid Bike Crisis YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/@Mid.Bike.Crisis

Ride safe,

Jim
Mid Bike Crisis