Likewise, although I've been hit (car and a bus, in separate incidents), had a fair few serious near misses. I don't know how you ride so people don't try to enter roundabouts through your backwheel, or decide that they can beat you around illegally parked DHL vans when they have neither the room or the speed. Or how you stop people deciding to "punishment pass" you just because they're having a bad day.
We can't really stop them, but I can be a stroppy so-and-so sometimes and if I think someone is about to put me in danger, I tell them so and basically start trying to direct the traffic near me in a minor way (oi! You! Stop! that sort of thing). Usually it works. White-on-dark-blue or black-and-white coats/hats and social compliance is a wonderful thing!
I agree that many road users have a bad attitude - I suspect it's as common amongst cyclists but they're less dangerous to me than most motorists.
Ice is more worrying though. I think my last fall off the bike was on ice last year. It made a change for it not to be my fault, although I don't crash much and fall off even less. I fixed enough of the bent bits (with some help) and continued the ride, returning home after another 60 miles or so, although I was wary of any more icy bits. Just keep reminding yourself, cycling is safe and you can reduce most of the risks by taking care.
I do have a rather atypical commute now though, where I can remain off-carriageway if I like (thank you Norfolk!), although I do usually use the left lane of some multi-lane sections because they're much faster. So at least I get to choose whether to deal with possibly some drivers on the carriageway or some bad surfaces and junctions on the cycleway, depending on my mood.
Sadly, off-carriageway cycleways here are ungritted (damn you Norfolk!
and this is part of why the surfaces are bad, as the repeated freeze/melt breaks them up) but I've just been out on the ancient MTB with new spiked tyres and those tyres are a revelation. I wasn't even sure it was icy until I turned to put the sun in front of me and saw it shining off the solid puddle surfaces!
Any time the bike started to slide, the spikes on the edge bit and the bike corrected, which does make the steering feel very strange (at first I thought it was just an MTB/tourer difference, but once I saw the ice, I realised what was going on). I heartily recommend them to anyone who can stomach the £30 cost and 20% slow-down... and think how much faster the road bikes will seem when conditions are better!
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