Kevin:

Indeed you where lucky. Problem with rubber bands (and we all use them in one way or another) is they will dry rot. They may look like brand new, but stretch them out and they break or fall apart in a few places. Simply rubbing on something can cause one to break. Best to make 'rubber band' checking part of the maintenance ritual. I've stopped using rubber bands and even (some uses) of tie wraps for the Velcro straps. (You can get them at Home Depot, etc...) They hold up much better and are very strong. Much stronger than you think...