There are sections of the media that seem to revel in giving cyclists a bad name. That’s not cool. But on the flip side, there are sections of the cycling community that seem to frequently engage in the sort of behaviour that fans those flames.

First of all, don’t jump red lights. Why? Because it’s just plain stupid. If you want to be treated as a road user, then act like a road user. In fact, the basic rule of thumb for riding around motorists is to pretend they’re all extremely stupid. Behave around them as you would behave around someone totally witless. So no flitting from road to pavement and back again, and definitely no riding the wrong way up one-way roads.

Make life easy for drivers to predict what you’re going to do, and you’ll find it easier to stay safe. But if you do something stupid and unpredictable, then the chances are it’s going to be your fault if it ends badly.

Similarly, on the group ride, stick to two abreast at the most. There’ll always be drivers that give you grief no matter what you do when riding in a group, but if you’re swarming out all over the place and taking up the whole carriageway, then it’s hardly surprising they’re getting annoyed, is it? Also, be courteous and single out on narrow roads if you’re causing a hold-up.

We’re not saying that cyclists should defer to motorists, far from it. You should always ride assertively and make sure everyone knows it’s your right to be on the road. But remember that when a bicycle and a car get into an altercation, there’s only going to be one winner.