non-optimal operational paradigm

W"hilst I'm pleased that newoldbike's spacious fork should allow the hitherto only-dreamed-of combination of cobble-and-rain-snook-cocking 38 tyres (existing ones will do for the next month or so) with mudguards (ordered) it's irritating that it means I'll have to continue using these weird cantilever things until I chance upon some extremely wide and extremely deep calipers. After extracting the stuck head of the old cable from the lever (which really shouldn't have to have taken upwards of ten minutes) and replacing the main cable (dithering with the routing, eventually going over the handlebar and stem) I got round to fiddling with the positioning and alignment, discovering that the large range of movement available puts the brakes simultaneously at risk of both diving into the spokes and rubbing on the tyre, neither of which was ever a problem with any other brake I've ever adjusted. The front now seems to be OK, clearing the rim when released and locking when fully-squeezed but when fully-squeezed the lever feels like it's bending a great deal and that there isn't much more squeezing-room left in it, should it be damp and the rims get slippy, adding levers to the list of things to keep an eye out for.