Follow up - went old school, back to some old dia compe bridges I had and bought a couple bridge cables. After fiddling around with the adjustment ala Sheldon Brown and everyone's advice the brakes are excellent. Much crisper, less pressure needed, and while they're still not as snappy as the old 105 side pulls on my road bike, it's a real improvement. I'm amazed how much better this setup is than the shimano cantilever. Just more evidence that old school still works!

I'm intrigued by the problem solvers and will likely order some from amazon. Gonna ride the bike to work tomorrow for a real test. Thanks for all the help!

Aaron