Brennan,
I thought the same thing when I took the bike that I am now planning to buy, for a few test drives.
The brakes seemed pretty weak and were actually worse than the v brakes on my current bike.
It takes a few rides with some good braking to break the in and you will start to notice that they get better with each ride. I have. I have taken the same bike out several times now and each time, the brakes are feeling much more responsive and sharp.
Justen