There is a philosophy of cycling that sees the best way for cyclists to deal with car traffic is to fully embrace the idea of vehicular cycling. In order to be successful at vehicular cycling one has to be traffic, that is, one has to “take the lane” and not be timid, not break the law, and “drive” one’s bike just as though it has the same rights as a car – which it does. I agree this is often the best way to ride one’s bike in traffic. I also like the idea of bicycling specific infrastructure. I think the ideal is a combination of both – good cycling skills and good cycling infrastructure.

Here is a classic video from the League of American Bicyclists on good cycling technique: