autopi wrote:
(http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html) and the shoes i have
right now resemble the kool stop continental (about 1/3 of the way down
the page.) but the "mountain salmon", "supra" and "eagle" all look way
niftier--can i use those on my brake? they don't have the metal holder
thingies like the shoes i have right now, but then neither does the
continental.

The V-brake pads are larger to compensate for the different mechanical
advantage of that brake/lever system. This could result in excessive,
less controllable braking when used with conventional road levers and
calipers. There is also a risk of longer pads interfering with the
fork. Ultimately, you don't need pads any larger than what the brakes
were designed for. I would recommend either getting the Continentals or
going for the refillable Dura holders if you want some shiny bling.