Well i just got my first job at Nathan's (I'm 16 btw). I start working tomorrow but i don't have any mode of transportation except a bicycle. My dad uses the car for his work so i can't use it and i don't have anyone that can give me rides to work which is 8.3 miles from my house but even if i do get the occasional ride, i feel like i'm being a pushover and have to pay them back for gas. I decided to ride my bicycle to work,yes all 8.3 miles and i have done a couple test runs which include an 8.3 mile bike trip to see if i can take the ride and i was able to travel the FULL distance to and from work in only 44 minutes to go to work and 46 to comeback from work. I plan on wearing a full face helmet,carry essential bike tools (patch kit,pump,tools, etc.) and riding in the appropriate bike lanes but my dad is not letting me ride my bike to work. I explained to him how the bicycle is the only form of transpiration for me since he cannot take me there,there are no buses that go there,and there is not one else to offer me a ride. I don't understand why he won't let me ride my bike to work, i mean its my first job and i really don't want to get fired for not having a ride to work and i know i am fully capable of going to and from work and the route i take is pretty safe and within safe times as well, (8 am to 4 pm) so it doesn't get dark. I plan to take all safety measures but he won't let me and this could easily cost me my first job.

He is probably worried about your safety. Can you get him to ride the route with you one day? That may convince him it is safe (or not though).

I actually did and he still won't let me ride to work and its not the my first time commuting long distances either.

Did he tell you why? I can understand his concern being a dad myself but sometime you have to let go.

No actually, he knows i'm fully capable of riding there but i honestly don't know his reason

So how does he expect you to get to work?

Call up the new boss, explain that your dad won't let you bike to work as you planned, thank him for the job, and move on - to try to make dad buy you a car. Or keep living at home for free as long as they will let you. That's not so bad either.

If pops does not offer any solutions, just keep being a kid until you can go off to school or move out of the parent's house. Things could be worse.

You know that this really isn't about bikes, right?

what? I recommend the Surly Cross Check for sure. cool colors, very versatile, hip with the hipsters and a very safe bicycle.

Sure it is. OP wants to commute to work on his bike. He even posted to the right sub-forum!

RBP, since you are still a minor, you have no choice but to obey Dad's rules... for your own good. Having said that, I'll tell you what I would do if I were you. Since it sounds like his concern is your safety, start studying up on bike safety and let him know how serious you are about this. Show him the books and websites you found that teach you how to keep from becoming road pizza. There's lots out there.

My first job was at a bike shop when I was 17, and yes I rode my bike there. It's where I saved enough money for my first car, which was a hot little '67 Fastback Mustang I bought from the BS manager!

Don't give up.

Nah, I'd say he needs a Breezer Uptown 8 or at the very least something imported from Germany....

"Dad, can I get your advice? I really want to keep this job but I don't know how to get there every day except for riding my bike. If you were 16 and in my shoes, what would you do?"

+1 I'm pretty sure that Dad's concern is with the OPs safety. But I do think he owes the OP a clear explanation, and to work with the OP on other solutions. It seems like the bicycle is the reasonable alternative here. And I think the OP needs to make the Dad realize that no bicycle means that he must give up the job.

And I have to give my empathy to the OP. I've been riding bikes to work since I was in my teens. And even at 48, I had my Dad expressing much hesitation at me doing a similar length commute. He even urged me to ride a motorcycle instead. Obviously, this didn't stop me. And all in all, it was a very safe route.

But I suspect that the OP needs to start looking for a job closer to home.

this!!

As the Father of a Son who commutes in the Philly area, I think about it daily from 800 miles away. I cringe accordingly.
Sometimes people feel irrational stuff but that doesnt negate that feeling. I agree with Joeybike. Find a job closer to home . . .
Cut lawns or something. That'll pay more anyway. Be a kid as long as you can, the dull, angry adult world will be always
be there for you when you are ready. When you are a parent, you will have better understanding of what you dont
understand now

If the kid has ridden great distances before and dad has ridden the route with the kid then I'd say there's another reason. Forget it kid. Sponge off the dude as long as you can. I actually am going to encourage my kids not to get a job when that time comes. (13, 11, 6) I didn't with my oldest (he's 30 now) and he'd probably thank me now. It's true, you work your whole life why start now? Get a job closer to home, mow grass, lift stuff, walk dogs, babysit, shovel, paint, etc, etc... Make an "odd jobs" flyer and post it, push it, hand it out. Make a sandwich board (google it kid) and stand around wearing it. How much money does a 16 y/o need? If you got a girlfriend or some dame doesn't want to be your girl because your broke, consider it the best lesson you ever received. Don't work any more than have to just yet kid. There's plenty of time for that.

I'd take an entirely different tack from a lot of the posters here. From my perspective, if a 16-year-old has the will, motivation, and desire to take on adult responsibilities, then that's not something to be discouraged. As a father of two, I know it's tempting to want to keep them "kids" as long as possible, but in the long run it doesn't benefit anyone.

As for getting other neighborhood jobs; I think mine is pretty typical ( at least in the 'burbs ) that jobs for teens are a heck of a lot more scarce than they used to be. Most people are using lawn services, and therefore uninterested in having a teen do any yard work. Parents go out a LOT less than the ones in my parents generation, so babysitting jobs are few and far between ( and, realistically, the few that are there are going to girls more than boys ).

In regards to money - considering how absolutely abysmal the money management skills of even many of the college students I encounter are, there's a lot to be said for learning how to allocate your scarce funds instead of just having it handed to you every week. How much money does a 16-year-old need? In an age of expensive cell phone plans, computer games, insurance for a car, etc. it's a heck of a lot more than I had to worry about 25 years ago. :-)

I know this doesn't help the OP but when I was 12 I rode my bike 6 miles to school in a 2M+ populated metropolitan European city in full rush hour traffic. Now that I live in suburbia, TX I can't wait until my 8 year old is ready to roll to school on his own...

What would your commute route be like? Is it all roads, or does it include some bike lanes or paths? Is there a lot of traffic? Are the roads narrow, or do they have wide shoulders? Can you take alternative roads that have less traffic? Will you be riding in the dark, either at night or in the morning. All of these questions have a bearing on how safe your commute would be, and I'm sure that safety is your father's primary concern.

I'm sure you could do your commute safely, but you would need to take proper precautions and convince your father of that. To do it safely, you need to ride the safest possible route, regardless of whether it involves more mileage. You should wear brightly colored clothes, preferably neon yellow, which is most visible. You should get a decent headlight and taillight for your bike. All that would cost money.

I commute 30 miles round trip on a mix of neighborhood streets with a few busy roads. I've been doing this for 6 years and nearly 23,000 miles and never been hit by a car or had a serious mishap. However, I am very safety conscious, wear bright clothes and always run my lights. I am also a defensive rider, meaning that I always assume that drivers don't see me and try to anticipate when they might pull out in front of me or turn into me. That has saved me from getting hit on a number of occasions.

+yet another one!

The bicycle is the ideal way for OP to get to his job. In particular, a folding bike would be excellent, so he can accept a ride when offered and not rely on a ride both ways.

I'm sure Dad thinks he is being rational and is doing this for OP's good. But I (and most of us on this forum, I suspect) think Dad is simply wrong.

OP, perhaps you can point Dad to this forum?

By the way, I have a 16 year old son, and I've told him he isn't getting a driver's license until he can demonstrate that he can get around the area safely on a bicycle.

Thanks for the great advice guys and i basically took up this job for some extra money in order to buy a 5 string bass and other bass equipment because i run a popular channel on YouTube and my growing popularity is requiring me to buy some extra equipment plus i would like to start saving for college and being able to help out my parents with any bills they have trouble with. So that bicycle is more than simple sports equipment to me,its my connection to life itself.

As a father w/ 4 kiddos, DITTO.
Would just want to ride the route with my kiddo a few times to check problem spots and cycling skills.
Because that's what dads do.
Only difference is, I am a cyclist, sounds like he is a driver.
Take him with you on your route.
First by car (his mode), then by bike (your mode).
My $.02.

We don't want to hijack this thread but I have to disagree... Kids need to be kids. Times have not changed. I took my first job as a senior in high school (18) and I missed out on alot of activities as a result. People are being resourceful when they converse with their parents about helping out around the house both for money and for the things they might buy with that money. My kids at home right now will be discouraged emphatically from working outside the home for pay until they have to. They can earn a substantial amount (enough at least) doing chores and scouring the neighborhood and surrounding for other opportunities. That's being resourceful. And as far as learning how to "allocate scarce funds instead of just having it handed to you every week"... Isn't that what we all do with our grown-up jobs? Just my .02.

You mean like Joey bike does? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I agree that making and managing money at the OP's age is a VERY important lesson for his future.

I had a paper route at 14. (delivered on bike, of course) Maybe you could look into doing that. I know newspapers aren't as popular as they once were, but I still see adults in cars delivering them in my neighborhood. No reason you couldn't do it on your bike.

Again I say, Don't give up! If you figure out a way to do this you have started to grow up instead.

You're preaching to the choir here.

P.S. Good luck with your dad.