In the 1979 movie "Breaking Away," a determined 19-year-old "townie" competes against snotty college kids in a bike race and wins, despite a bad crash, by having his feet taped to his pedals.

If that seems extreme, consider this: A new study in the journal Injury Prevention reported an astounding 3.8 million nonfatal adult bicycle injuries and about 9,800 deaths from 1997 to 2013.

That added up to $237 billion in medical costs; in 2013 alone, the price tag was more than $24.4 billion.

What's fueling this bumpy ride? An enormous increase in the number of folks on bikes — especially among the 45-and-older crowd.

Around 66 million Americans got on a bike last year. When that's combined with a lack of good bike-riding infrastructure, you've got a formula for a lot of injuries.

The health benefits of cycling are many: good aerobic conditioning with minimal impact on joints, increased cardiovascular fitness, more muscle strength, increased flexibility, improved posture, bone strength and coordination, less body fat, and reduced stress, depression, and anxiety (if you ride safely).

To take advantage of the benefits and avoid becoming part of the statistics on the hazards, remember:

1. Wear a helmet. Never use earbuds.

2. Observe traffic laws; assume cars may not.

3. Ride in bike lanes or on the safest roadways.

4. Wear high-visibility clothing; use flashing head- and taillights 24/7.

5. And never ever text and pedal .