The average person would be surprised at how many people buy unicycles during Christmastime, University Cyclery owner Jim Fox said.

"They are really quite popular," he said with a laugh.

An insight into people's unicycle purchasing habits is among the wisdom Fox said he has gained while running University Cyclery. The business, which Fox said is Austin's oldest bicycle store that has stayed at the same location, sells everything from high-end road and mountain bikes to affordable unicycles.

Given the large amount of one- and two-wheel options, Fox said it can be overwhelming for a person looking for a new bike.

"There are so many more choices than there used to be," he said. "It can be a puzzle trying to figure it out."

Fox said his favorite part of the job is helping people navigate that puzzle and finding the bicycle that is right for them. He estimates that he has helped people choose tens of thousands of bikes while working at the store.

"Each individual person has a different reason for getting a bike," Fox said. "It's all about finding the bike that is right for that specific person."

Family history

Fox was 13 years old when his family moved from Chicago to Austin to take over two bicycle stores in the '70s.

"My brothers and sisters might have thought differently, but the move sounded like fun to me," he said. "I've always been the more mechanically oriented one, so working at a bike store sounded like fun."

In 2003, Fox and his wife bought University Cyclery from his parents. The shop sells bicycles from Fiction, Giant, Jamis, Redline, Stolen, Surly and Yeti.

Fox said University Cyclery's central location on Lamar Boulevard and longevity has helped the store stay in business.

"People knowing that we've been here forever and will continue to be here forever helps us out a lot," he said.

University Cyclery customer Chris Mosser, who lives five blocks away from the store, has bought several bikes and accessories from the store. He said having a centrally located bike store is a benefit to the community.

"It has cool people, fast service and the prices aren't bad," he said. "It's great. I love it here."

Bike-friendly town

Austin is a "big little town" where bicyclists can ride "all over the place," University Cyclery owner Jim Fox said.

The city's weather also means that cyclists can ride for most of the year, he said.

As traffic gets worse, Fox said it will be interesting to see if Austin caters more to cyclists.

The city of Austin in 2013 has completed or is working on bicycle improvement projects to create about 13 miles of physically separated bike lanes, according to an Austin Public Works Department report.

In 2012, the public works department added 23.5 miles of new bicycle lanes, the report said.

Know the law

Austin resident John Allen was biking three blocks from his house when he went through an intersection without fully stopping at a stop sign.

A police officer pulled Allen over for the offense and gave him a ticket.

"It was a wake-up call," he said. "I didn't know cops actually cared."

Some bicycle laws are Austin-specific, and others are statewide. In Austin, riding on sidewalks is illegal in some parts of town.

Texas enforces a bicycle light law that makes it illegal to ride at night without a solid white headlight. A rear light is not required by law.

University Cyclery owner Jim Fox said he often has to tell people about the light law.

"I find that a lot of people are not aware of that," he said. "We try to communicate that as much as possible."

For a full list of Austin and Texas bicycle laws, visit https://bicycleaustin.info/laws.

Accessories, rentals and service

In addition to selling bikes, University Cyclery offers apparel from gloves and helmets to cycling shirts and shoes.

The business also has a bicycle repair shop that works on all brands.

Shoppers can also rent mountain bikes from University Cyclery. The cost is $20 for three hours or $30 for a day.

University Cyclery owner Jim Fox said his goal is to make the business a one-stop shop for biking.

University Cyclery, 2901 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-474-6696, www.universitycyclery.com

Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–7 p.m.,

Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m.,

Sun. Noon–5 p.m.