I don't have a tutorial for you, but I can try to explain:
it's normal to have to re-adjust the brakes to get new brake pads to fit. As they wear down the pad gets thinner, and you (or the shop) tighten the cables a little to keep the braking tight and responsive. New pads will be thicker, and will usually need for you to loosen the cables a bit again.
First check if you have a barrel adjuster at the brake handle. If so, turn it until it's as small as possible, flush against the brake. That loosens the cable a little bit. You may also have other ways of doing minor tension adjustments to the cable, I have a small lever next to the brake itself and one higher up on the frame. Check if you have anything like that, and move it to the loosest position. You can see or feel the brake pads tightening or loosening.
If that isn't enough you may have to loosen the cable completely from the screw attaching it to the brake, and re-attach it. Try just loosening it a little, a few mm. Be sure to attach it firmly again.
One final thing, probably not relevant: many brakes come with different spacers, to allow them to fit different frames and rims. If you look at the brake levers you'll probably see one spacer between the brake and the rim, and one on the outside, with a different thickness. If you have the thickest one on the inside, you can switch it with the one on the outside. But this is usually just if you're moving brakes from one bike to another.
eta: by "levers" I mean down by the wheel, by "handle" I mean up by the bars. Sorry, a bit wobbly on the terminology and in a hurry
Last edited by lph; 05-04-2012 at 01:16 AM.
Winter riding is much less about badassery and much more about bundle-uppery. - malkin
1995 Kona Cinder Cone commuterFrankenbike/Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow
2008 white Nakamura Summit Custom mtb/Terry Falcon X
2000 Schwinn Fastback Comp road bike/Specialized Jett