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Derek (Paddy Considine) is an Englishman living in Paris. He's spent years learning the language, and all his little heart desires is to find a French woman willing to speak French with him. Seems every French woman he encounters wants to speak English when they find it's his native tongue. He's been through three French wives, none of whom wanted to grant his linguistic wish.

Model Cecile Laurent (Louise Monot) speaks perfect French and doesn't mind being naked. She's the titular character of "Girl on a Bicycle." Due to an accident—she's a klutz—she's nursing a broken arm and a broken leg. While testing out her new bicycle in her apartment, the stationary platform suddenly comes loose. Cecile goes flying out her window, broken limbs all akimbo. She hits the conveniently placed café awning across the street, and lands in the arms of Derek, who just happens to be sitting there nursing a latte. Sounds like a respectable, dare I say clever, Meet Cute at the beginning of a romantic comedy, n'est-ce pas? Unfortunately, this happens almost an hour into "Girl on a Bike." The movie isn't about this relationship. Derek is merely a secondary character the screenplay trots out whenever it gets stuck. He hooks up with Cecile, but it's just a subplot. The real movie is happening elsewhere.