When I ride, some consider me a fucktard… I know people I pass or see me, think I am a jackass, figure they will see me on the ground a head, or maybe even worse thoughts. Those are usually the people who A: don’t ride, B: don’t pay attention and are a risk to me, C: don’t know me and my skill/awareness level personally, or D: 100% correct at that moment. 
I know my bike, my skill, and I am completely aware of the things going on around me, as much as I can be. Risk VS Reward.
These people are who fuck up the image for the rest of us. I don’t ever follow, or sit next to anyone on the road if I have the conditions to do so. If those conditions can be met by me dropping a gear and blowing by, or weaving between a few car to get ahead and be on the road “by my self” I will do it. It may look like a risky move, to some people, but I know how long my bike is, and I have excellent instinct from my racing mindset. I get the fuck away from other people, one way or another.
I rode central ave for 2 years from amsterdam to crossgates/155 every day of the week. Heavy traffic I call grid lock, where nobody is going anywhere. Your idea of heavy traffic is probably when each lane has maybe 2-3 car lengths ahead/behind each other. That is heavy for a car, but for a bike it is nothing. You watch people, my eyes are glued to the rear/side views of the car I am passing, I watch the movement of the car, and anticipate what they are going to do. once I commit to passing them, I am only interacting with that car for 1-2 seconds, and I keep my “get away zone” on the road open at all times. Some call it splitting lanes, reckless driving… i call it survival.