I also like the spring adjustment and feel of U-brakes. I've found if you get the cabling done when their is no spring tension that it is easier. I back out the lever barrel adjuster, set the yoke position, and then set the straddle position so that the pads are lightly contacting the rim. You can then compress the housing/adjust the lever barrel adjuster to get the proper pad clearance and tighten down/adjust the springs. Other than the fact that they are in a tough position on the bike, I've had good luck using that method.