Thought it might be helpful to have a dedicated thread to street-riding/commuting survival skills. With the recent Newb ride, and the thread about shorter, more frequent rides being more beneficial than longer, yet less frequent rides, odds are this thread can soon be full of useful information to new and experienced riders alike.

I'm going to start by copying what I wrote in another thread, and add on some things I thought of while riding in today. Feel free to add your own tips.
  • Dont' ride in somebody's blind spot - either be behind them, or in front of them (and only briefly beside them as you pass them). As I'm passing them, I try to see if I can read the drivers body language to make sure they're not going to come into my lane.
  • Look for a way out of potential situations - eg: what will I do if the guy in front of me (or in front of him) does "this"? What's my best/safest option?
  • Adjust your position within your lane to be in the safest possible place in relation to cars around you, this is specific to riding alone and somewhat related to the above point
  • Be aware of the traffic around you - check your mirrors frequently. Check your blindspots (moreso when in traffic). This also ties back to and helps with having a way out of potential situations.
  • Be aware of tire temperature when first starting out for the day, and/or after a long break - although street tires heat up relatively quickly, they can still be slickery when cool. Take extra care (read: go extra slow) in corners when this is the situation (and even moreso when the pavement is cold too).
  • Take road conditions into consideration and adjust your riding accordingly. If the road is wet, it's pretty obvious that you should slow down. If it just started raining, remember, this is when the road is at its slipperiest (before the oils that just got brought to the surface have been washed away). Similarly, a dry, yet cold road can be something to watch out for, as it usually goes hand-in-hand with cold tires.
  • Sunrise/Sunset - when your shadow is long and in front of you (the sun is rising/setting behind you), oncoming motorists will likely be blinded, or at least have difficulty seeing you - take extra care.
  • Don't take your eyes off the road for more than 2 seconds, whether you're looking at the landscape, staring at the hottie in the car you're passing, or trying to focus on the blur in your vibrating mirror to check for red & blue flashing lights. Of course, this assumes that you're not tailgaiting to begin with.
  • Give truckers some credit - although the rigs are big, and can cause massive amounts of damage compared to a car, truckers have much more training that most cage drivers. This doesn't mean you can go ahead and pass them blindfolded, but trust that, the odds are in your favor that they're going to stay in their lane as you do.
The bottom line (and you've heard it before):
Ride like you're invisible, not like you're invincible.