Love Like a Bike – Series Review

Sailom is a Thai university student studying in the United States. He's back home on break, ready to hang out with his friends James and Lemon. Sailom is on his way to meet them when a cyclist suddenly crashes into him. As both men go tumbling down, they land on top of each other and accidentally kiss. The cyclist is worried about whether Sailom got hurt. Sailom is fine physically, but the kiss has him really flustered. He quickly leaves before the other guy can even talk to him. Sailom also doesn't notice that he dropped his necklace.

The cyclist is Nabnueng, a psychiatrist at Term Suk Mental Health Clinic. Nabnueng has been dating his girlfriend since their student days and decides it's time to propose. He pops the big question at a restaurant, only for Yanin to tell him she's moving to Vietnam for work. She's choosing her career over their relationship. Nabnueng can't even process his heartbreak in peace, because Sailom happens to be at the same restaurant with his friends. Sailom recognizes him as the cyclist from earlier and accuses him of stealing his necklace. Nabnueng defends himself. Yes, he picked up the necklace, but he fully intended to return it.

When Nabnueng tries to return the necklace, his hand brushes against Sailom's. Such a tiny moment, but it sets off Sailom's full-blown panic attack. He causes such a commotion that the staff are scared. Thankfully, Nabnueng knows what to do, guiding Sailom through breathing exercises until he settles down. Sailom is grateful for his help. Nabnueng introduces himself properly as a psychiatrist who has helped people cope with public anxiety. Even though Sailom won't open up about why he's afraid of being touched, Nabnueng encourages him to come visit.

The next day, Sailom orders coffee and gets a surprise when Nabnueng shows up to deliver it. It turns out, this is actually the family business. Love Like a Bike is run by Nabnueng's mom and little sister. The bike repair shop next door is managed by his younger brother, Tawan. Nabnueng helps out with deliveries on the side. Sailom and Nabneung have a more relaxed conversation this time. Nabnueng even invites him to visit the cafe. Later, Sailom's friends tease him for his obvious crush on the handsome doctor.

Nabnueng is the eldest of four siblings, and they're all really close. His brother, Tawan, is the second-oldest. He used to be a pilot before an accident left him with psychological trauma. These days, he just works at the family bike repair shop. Recently, Tawan met the victim's parents, and the encounter sent him spiralling. He ends up drinking alone one night and gets into a loud argument with DinDin, a musician. One minute, they're fighting… But suddenly, they're making out! Later, Tawan is shocked when DinDin shows up at the family cafe as the new baker. The new hire is the guy he just hooked up with. Awkward!

Sky is the youngest brother and works at a host club. Customers bid on how many drinks they'll buy to spend the night drinking with him. One evening, the highest bidder is Nava, who admits it's his first time at a host bar and his first time drinking. Things get flirty enough that they almost sleep together, but Nava pumps the brakes at the last second. He just wants to cuddle. Nava comes back the next night wanting more time with Sky, but another customer outbids him. Both end up spending the night apart, but they're still thinking about each other anyway.

Love Like a Bike sounds great on paper. A BL drama that takes mental health support seriously? We love to see it! We even get scenes of Sailom going to therapy and opening up about his anxiety. Sadly, the storyline never goes any deeper. There's no proper arc digging into the complexity of his healing journey. Instead, Sailom is just magically cured. Years of childhood trauma, sorted out in two counselling sessions! Despite the interesting topic, it's disappointing that Love Like a Bike only offers the pamphlet version of therapy.

Another problem with Love Like a Bike is that the story just doesn't flow smoothly. The writing can be so damn clunky. Major plot events will drop out of nowhere with zero build-up. One moment, the characters are arguing! A second later, they're randomly hooking up!? One moment, it's an ordinary night… A second later, everyone is suddenly being held at gunpoint by debt collectors!? The drama jumps from 0 to 100, which is a symptom of poor storytelling. As a viewer, I wanna follow the narrative and understand what is happening. I shouldn't be blindsided by these bizarre plot twists that came out of left field.

I like Dr. Nabnueng because of his compassion. Whenever Sailom struggles with his mental health, Nabnueng stays calm and respectful. He puts Sailom at ease, making their scenes feel so comforting to watch. It's important to note that Nabnueng is NOT Sailom's therapist, avoiding the ickiness of a psychiatrist-patient romance. However, I still have doubts about their relationship. Is Sailom mentally ready to start dating? Does Nabnueng slip into "therapist mode" when they're together? These reservations keep me from being fully invested in the couple's love story.

My favourite scene is the Episode 2 fantasy where Sailom imagines hooking up with Nabnueng. Oh, it's filmed exquisitely! They're kissing in a bedroom, but the moment unfolds like a slow, sultry seduction. Every longing glance has my heart beating faster. The lighting… The music… All of it just builds this incredibly intimate atmosphere. And the best part? Nabnueng's necklace swinging like a little pendulum right before he leans in for another kiss. Ahhh! While the rest of the kissing scenes aren't as impressive, that one performance in Episode 2 will always be iconic.

The other couples do nothing for me. Tawan & DinDin's enemies-to-lovers arc seems so bizarre. These two fight for the whole series, yet the story insists they have hidden romantic feelings. By the finale, they're still arguing about dumb nonsense. Ugh, I was over them! Sky & Nava also have an off-putting relationship. Nava is a drunk customer who pays money and almost sleeps with Sky. Their icky introduction left a bad taste, and they never won me over. It doesn't help that the acting is amateurish. The weaker performances pull me outta the story at the worst moments.

I was on the fence for most of Love of a Bike. My opinion hovered somewhere between "an okay series" and "a badly written mess". Those last few episodes made the story's flaws difficult to ignore. So many annoying cliches! So much needless angst and melodrama! The worst part is when the little girl gets kidnapped and rescued within the same five minutes. This soap-opera nonsense was the last straw, pushing me to write a harsh review. Love Like a Bike could have been a meaningful drama about therapy and emotional healing. Instead, it turns out to be a mediocre flop.