Thanks for all the advice, I live in NYC and I earned my money from working at summer camps and afterschools so I have enough to buy a decent used bike. My parents are sometimes over protective and usually really strict (Asian parents right?) My dad was a taxicab driver for 20 years before he started investing in medallions so he always says that "I was on the road daily for 20 years, Do you know how many bike accidents I've seen?" I guess hes worried that I might get injured and I appreciate that. He says its fine to rent a Citi-bike (Bike rental in NYC) and ride it around in the city, but there is a 30 min exchange period which is a big hassle and the stations are mostly in the city. I have a group of friends that are also really interested in biking and I plan on joining them in their adventures. My neighborhood is pretty residential with a few mom and pop shops here and there, I'm 10 minutes walking away from a larger area where there are more franchises. I told him that since he is worried, I could take the bike onto subways and ride the subway all the way to the city. As some of you said, vehicle drivers are unpredictable and nobody wants an accident, and I agree but it just the same with crossing streets. I know for sure that when I turn 18 my parents still wont allow me to buy a bike unless I go to college in another country. Anyways thanks again for all the advice as I'm going to pitch it at them again, wish me luck!