Oh girlfriend, you've gotta get disc brakes! Once you try them you'll wonder why on earth you didn't switch sooner! With all the muck and wetness around here, v-brakes should be banned as a safety hazard! Just kidding of course. But, the improvement is drastic.

I get what you're saying about the setup. I moved my levers closer in and they seem to be working pretty well. Although, I might be interested in trying Razor Rock Levers. I've heard they're great for small hands.

The Zaskar is a nice ride. Got to peddle around on single-speed version and was impressed with the stiffness.

Happy Trails!