I cycled to work in Central London in 2009-2011 and again in 2018. The infrastructure wasn't great, but I always kept to the road (you aren't allowed to cycle o

I cycled to work in Central London in 2009-2011 and again in 2018. The infrastructure wasn't great, but I always kept to the road (you aren't allowed to cycle on standard pavements in the UK) and never had any major incidents or altercations. Car drivers do stupid stuff, but it's also somewhat predictable compared to pedestrians - especially kids. If there is a junction, there's a good chance a car will pull in or out and not see you, so you know to be cautious and triple check your surroundings when cycling past in that situation. If there is a kid running who knows which way they are going to go next. I had co-workers who regularly got into incidents while cycling, however they all appeared to have some deep seeded anger issues. I think the "holier-than-thou" view a lot of cyclists have is because of this, the sport attracts people with this personality. It's the same way most people who buy a sports motorcycle don't do it to drive behind other cars sticking to speed limits, they drive because they want to feel the adrenaline of swerving between cars.