The whispers on the cycle lanes were about the cycling-promotion talks by Jared Spiers, who heads up the training section at Oxford Cycle Workshop.

I secured an invitation to his safe cycling seminar at the Pitt Rivers Museum last week.

The session was just for university staff, but it really should be rolled out to every cyclist in the county, no matter how veteran.

Any company can, and should, book this lunchtime session for their staff.

Those new-ish to cycling had their eyes opened to principles and techniques that may feel uncomfortable at first but which, ultimately, put you in the safest position on the road.

I was impressed by how the presentation is relevant to experienced cyclists as well, and I was pleased to have certain habits or assumptions confirmed, and to glean a few handy tips.

Jared is a charismatic Canadian whose relationship with the road began as a driving instructor in Winnipeg.

Gradually his allegiances switched to two wheels, and he joined the Winnipeggian equivalent of Cyclox, doing cycling advocacy.

There must be something in the air, as he is the third Winnipeggian cyclist I’ve met in the past month. The other two were 20-year-old chefs on a three-month UK tour. They’d landed at Heathrow on the Thursday, and on Friday afternoon they were astride their rented bikes on the guided ride to Wood Festival.

The seminar began by recommending the Cyclists’ section of the Highway Code, the salient points being: (1) bicycles are vehicles; (2) lights are required at night; and (3) cycle lanes are for convenience, they aren’t mandatory.

Most importantly, cyclists should always be visible and predictable. ‘Visible’ means in a safe position on the road, not dressed in flashing and luminous clothing.

Unpredictable turns and unsignalled changes in direction annoy a driver and can put a cyclist in danger. It makes drivers less inclined to treat you as a proper vehicle, more inclined to squeeze past too close.

We discussed passing cars safely to avoid car-dooring, and not weaving in and out around parked cars but holding a steady line.

I felt vindicated by Jared’s endorsement of cycling a good metre from the kerb, not the half-metre recommended by the council’s road safety department.

This means you are visible, you are a part of the traffic and you avoid cobbled gutters and manhole covers.

There was a plethora of sage advice about turning and negotiating roundabouts.

I often pass stationary and slow traffic on Cowley Road by cycling along the median white-dotted line. I’d assumed this motorcyclists’ habit would be a no-no on a bike, but Jared says it’s okay so long as you are ready to jam your brakes on.

It’s called filtering and, done slowly with vigilance, it’s an accepted form of passing traffic – although I must remember “never go faster than you can stop”.

The seminar closes with the message that you’ll have fewer problems by always being courteous and never engaging in road rage – stay above it.

I am surprised how relaxing and effective it is actually communicating with drivers.

Try it. Wave, smile and say thank you. It really works.