I have cycled for the better part of 2 years through a busy city going to and from work during rush hour. There are very few cycle lanes so most of my cycling i

I have cycled for the better part of 2 years through a busy city going to and from work during rush hour. There are very few cycle lanes so most of my cycling is done on the road with cars. The first thing to pick up on is being aware of the cars around you. You can look around and look into cars so you can easily notice people scrolling on their smartphones - it's one of the first types of people you need to keep a lookout for as they are most of the time oblivious to other people on the road (including you). The other big advice is taking the lane. Especially in intersections, it is essential to be the middle of the lane and making yourself as visible as possible. Its a few dollars for a high visibility jacket that's water and windproof and it will make a huge difference in other drivers noticing you. The general rule is that you need to be a bit more brave and you should take extra care because while helmets help, most of your organs are kept in a bag of skin which won't do much if a car runs into you...