I had one of those old double-ended front brake cables snap at the lever while I was bombing down a path on my '49 Raleigh Clubman. The rear brake didn't offer enough stopping power, and I ended up in a pile of leaves. Fortunately, I missed the nearby tree stump or anything else sharp and was good to go after straightening the handlebars. It was a bit challenging not having the front brake for the remainder of the ride--another 40 miles through Boston, but I made do. And I fortunately had another double-ended replacement cable in the parts bin at home.

Neal