Okay, so caliper brake levers won't work with V brakes but will V brake levers work with caliper brakes?

Thank you.

Sort of, feel very stiff/wooden and lack leverage. Loads of pad clearance though.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... tAodQx4AKw These are better!

Yes, but they'll be very twitchy. V-brake levers pull more cable in the early part of the stroke then tail off, for fast contact but more modulation. Caliper brake levers are linear-pull (despite the term 'linear pull' being used for V-brake calipers)...

Get them avid speed dial levers so you can tune them?

You can get those Travel Agent things from Problem Solvers that scale up/down leverage ratios.

Try bleeding them.

I have a set of Avid speed dial levers and the corresponding brakes with the funky bracket somewhere. Any use?

If this is the old shopper frame, there may be a 'coaster brake' option if you have those fat sturmey things?

I have a set of Avid speed dial levers and the corresponding brakes with the funky bracket somewhere. Any use?

What is this funky bracket you speak of, does it allow V brakes to be fitted to a canti only frame? ... or is it something else?

If this is the old shopper frame, there may be a 'coaster brake' option if you have those fat sturmey things?

The dull brake question only refers to the front brake