Originally Posted by
McBTC
sounds better than a decorator brick tied to a rope. Fortunately, never heard of a brake cable breaking.
I think I've broken a couple of cables, but only with significant fraying.
Also worn out my old Universal brake levers.
Definitely avoid the vintage road bike brake levers with a split cable end (drilled is good, just not split).
If not going fast, I've stopped by just putting a foot down. Going fast??? Grind through the toes of your shoes to save your life.
You might be able to avoid some dangerous descents with mandatory stops at the bottom. But, the truth is, the only time you'll notice a brake failure is WHILE BRAKING.
For an IGH, the pedal brake is a good idea (Shimano Nexus, and a few other brands).
Fixie? 3-speed Fixed (Sturmey Archer SX3).
Typically you can't use a coaster brake with a rear derailleur. But, I suppose in an emergency, you could rip off the derailleur (maybe) to use the coaster brake if you could build a hub with a coaster brake and cassette.
Still, with good maintenance, the situation where all brakes fail would be exceptionally rare.