Originally Posted by
mattblast
Brake adjustment: For setting v brakes and u brakes without a third hand tool use a woodworking clamp to lock the brake pads against the rim. Insert thin cardboard scraps as shims between the brake pad and the rim if you want to create a perfect fit the first time. The $3 clamp/spreaders with the nylon covers that Harbor Freight often gives away work really great for this.
Brilliant. I have several woodworking clamps at home (used mostly to glue stuff together, sometimes shoes) but never thought of using them for V brake adjustment. It's true that I have almost no rim brakes in use, nowadays, but I'll certainly use this method for my friends' brakes.