Always ride with your head up looking ahead. Its amazing how often cyclists ride into the back of stationary objects.
A helmet is a must and will save most cyclists from a nasty bang to the head at some time during their cycle career.
Wearing bright or reflective clothing is recommended at anytime but especially during the winter months when daylight hours are shorter.
HiViz green has been scientifically proven to be the most visible to other road users. If you can’t bring yourself to wear bright clothing then LED cycle lights are now cheap and readily available.
Learn the “Life Saver”. When moving off or changing direction/position on the road, take a quick glance behind you in order to check all is clear and it is safe. The skill is to be able to do this while still cycling forward in a straight line. This takes practise, but after time will become second nature.
Don’t ride in the gutter / through potholes, keep at least a third of the lane width out from the side of the road, but be prepared to move in to allow traffic to pass.
If riding in a group, you are allowed to ride two abreast but be prepared to go single file to allow traffic to pass. It is a simple courtesy and keeps everyone happy.
When approaching horses, slow down and shout so that the horses and riders are aware. Horses are very easily spooked causing danger to their riders and any traffic and you.