Are v-brakes universal in size (kids vs adults)?

Question

Took my 5-year-old out for a ride today and the front brake pipe / noodle (?) popped out of the folded steel retainer. The retainer (not sure of the correct name) was splayed open and definitely needs replacing. Had to do a temporary fix.
I would like to avoid a cheap / low quality replacement and purchase brakes of a standard I'd expect to see on my own bike, and in any case it's getting plenty of use as he can now easily do 15+ miles. As it's only a small bike (Frog 43 with tyres labelled 14 x 1.5") I'm unsure whether I should be looking for v-brakes specifically made for a kids bike. The same question would apply to the brake pads they may come with.
I'm guessing Shimano may have something suitable. I'm UK-based if anyone has a direct suggestion.
Update: measured arm length at 108 mm centre-to-centre.

Nathan Knutson · Accepted Answer

They are universal except for a very few models called mini V brakes, which use short pull brake levers as opposed to long pull. These stand out as having very short arms compared to most.
Shimano and Tektro make a lot of the good economical repair v-brakes. The model numbers change over time.
Reworking splayed out noodle cradles is a pretty common repair. It usually happens more from people getting frustrated and being rough with them than any kind of material weakness, so it's not likely to do the same thing again. I do it using either a slip joint plier or a Knipex plier-wrench. Of course I could imagine it being mangled enough that replacement is more prudent.

juhist · Answer

Your V brakes are called normal length V brakes based on the measurement you showed. They have mechanical advantage of bit over three.
There are also short "road" V brakes having mechanical advantage of bit less than three. If you install such "road" V brakes, you will note that braking force is slightly adversely affected so you need to grip the levers with higher force to obtain the desired braking force. You will also note that with these "road" V brakes, fender and tire clearance will be somewhat less.
I suggest replacing these with normal length V brakes of high quality such as Shimano. Most V brakes sold are normal length so they need not be advertised as such. How to identify road brake that you would ideally avoid is that its model number after the dash has "R". So like BR-R353. Ideally you would avoid these "road" V brakes but as their mechanical advantage and tire clearance are not catastrophically worse, it is not a disaster to use a "road" V brake.

Are v-brakes universal in size (kids vs adults)?

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