-- if i were to go w/the 2000 "V" brake- bike, do you think the brakes would do well in the rain? I mean, would it *easily or unfortunately do you think, wear down or break apart/crack/however it wouldn't work?
It's not that v-brakes don't work in the rain, it's just they don't work as well. With decent v-brakes (Avid brakes have a great reputation, Shimano brakes not so good) and equally importantly good brake pads, v-brakes will stop you in the wet fairly rapidly, just not as rapidly as in the dry. Some brake pads work better in the wet than others (e.g. I've found fibrax pads work superbly in the dry but not wonderfully in the wet). Koolstop pads seem to be generally highly regarded.
If you do go for v-brakes, gently easing your brakes on and off, every so often in the wet, helps prevent too much water build up on the rims. Keeping your rims clean, free of muck/oil and slightly rough helps a lot. Some rims have a better braking surface than others.
Brake wear will vary a lot depending on your own conditions, but generally the rear pads will need replacing more often than the front. Replacement isn't truly difficult (cartridge systems are very easy) but can be a bit fiddly. V-brakes are generally very reliable and once set up don't need that much adjustment, just an occasional lube.
Richard