Originally Posted by pinnah
Another strong thumbs up for the Wienmann/Dia-Compes. They are really excellent brakes despite their association with suicide levers. The calipers themselves are just great.
Two suggestions...
1) If you are running tires fatter than a true 1 1/4, consider using both QR cable hangers AND levers with QR mechanisms built in. This allows the calipers to open up for a 1 3/8 tire or even a knobbie. I can't picture how to do this on a mixte for the rear brake, but if you need to car rack the bike and need to take the FW on and off a lot, having the double QR system on the front makes life easier.
2) Consider using the Koolstop MTB pads. They allow you to adjust for rim width and toe-in. The latter is a really big deal as it's the difference between silent stopping and raise-the-dead squeeling. They also have a longer braking surface than the older Mathauser pads (or the KoolStop Continental knock offs).
Agreed, that's what I use with mine, and they do make life a lot easier because of the adjustable washers. The ones that give you the most clearance for wheel removal are called Kool Stop "Thinline" pads for v-brakes. Like most folks, I prefer them in the salmon color, which is the same compound as the old Scott-Mathauser pads. Another option is to get the cartridge-type shoes for v-brakes from Nashbar ($4.95 a pair, I think), and replace the cruddy black Nashbar cartridge pads with Kool Stop salmon cartridge refill pads. This way, brake pad changes in the future are as simple as removing the retaining pin from the old pad, slide the old pad out, slide new pad in, put new retaining pin in place. The Nashbar cartridge-holding shoes are chrome-colored, so they don't look bad on a vintage bike, IMHO.