The principle of safe cycling is: "Unconditional Threat Assumption."
That means you should consider all moving or potentially moving objects as threats to you, and be fully prepared for any possible danger they may pose.
Specific methods:
1: No matter what, dress professionally. A helmet, cycling jersey, and cycling shorts are essential. The primary goal is to stand out among cyclists so people don’t lump you in with kids speeding to school. Before Old Qin got into road biking, he always thought cycling had a poor public image. It was because he often saw so-called "road bikes" or "mountain bikes" ridden by kids with dyed hair, backpacks, zipping through cities at high speeds, causing trouble and drawing curses. So no matter what, we cyclists must differentiate ourselves from these people—under no circumstances should others think, "Here come those kids causing chaos again."
Additionally, a full set of professional gear earns you a lot of courtesy. Traffic police will stop motor vehicles and gesture for you to go first, and even truck drivers often voluntarily slow down and friendly make way for you.
2: Red flashing taillight: When it gets dark, the taillight must be on. On roads without dedicated non-motorized lanes, keep the taillight on even during the day. When you’re riding in a mixed-use lane, drivers might completely fail to see you. That’s because when people are focused on phone calls or conversations, their brains filter out what they deem non-critical information. Only certain “attention-grabbing” signals get noticed. That’s why a flashing taillight is necessary.
3: On mixed motorist-cyclist lanes, if you plan to change lanes by more than half a meter or overtake from the outside, you must first look back to check the situation behind you. Moreover, the head turn must be significant—ideally, you should exaggerate the motion by twisting your entire upper body. This not only helps you see more clearly behind but, more importantly, allows motorists behind you to clearly notice your action and prepare in advance. If you intend to turn, not only should you look back, but also follow traffic rules by using a hand signal. However, turning to look back is conditional on your first confirming that no object will suddenly appear or brake in front of you as you turn.
4: Whenever passing a stopped vehicle, maintain a safety distance of at least 1.5 meters. Otherwise, someone might open their door... If the road is too narrow to allow for sufficient safety space, reduce your speed to below 15 km/h, and also observe the movements of the vehicle’s occupants in advance through windows and side mirrors.
5: When approaching an intersection, first check to your left rear to see if there are any motor vehicles preparing to turn right. Motorists often underestimate how much faster you are compared to regular bicycles and will try to cut in front of you to turn right. Also, many drivers do not use their turn signals.
6: Entrances to residential compounds, office buildings, and alleyways on the right side of the road are far more dangerous than intersections. Vehicles, pedestrians, and others emerging suddenly from these spots are hard to spot in advance due to the narrowness of the openings. When going through these areas, assume that a vehicle or pedestrian could emerge at any moment, and prepare yourself fully in advance.
7: Oncoming cyclists and electric scooters going against traffic are your true enemies—they are the biggest threat to cycling safety. During the day, there’s no special solution except being vigilant and avoiding them. At night, a headlight is the best defense against oncoming traffic. The most effective option is a high-brightness LED strobe mode—it’s uncomfortable for oncoming riders to look at, but won’t blind them completely. With this light, they’ll be more likely to steer clear.