notsportygirl (soon to be renamed nowsportygirl) -

for sun/heat sensitivity, you have a few options. i take a medication that makes me sun sensitive - bright light makes me feel like i'm on FIRE! i wear a long sleeve wicking undershirt purchased in the men's section of a bike shop under my jersey. that keeps my skin happy.

as for the heat, make sure you know how to get a water bottle out of and into a cage so you can drink while you ride. that will make all the difference in the world for how you feel in the heat. also, make sure you have some form of wicking clothing to pull the sweat away from your body. a regular bike jersey would be my choice but i also have a few t-shirts that were designed for running/hiking that just look like shirts. wicking shirts really help, especially when it is humid out.

do you take your inhaler preventatively before biking? that used to help me a lot. these days i'm taking advair twice a day (it's a long term preventative/treatment drug) and it's like i don't even have asthma anymore. i didn't want to take an all the time drug because my symptoms are mild, but my doctor talked me into it. i'm so glad!

and you will absolutely make it 35 if you can make it 25. i went from 10-15 miles on a mountain bike to 30 on a road bike without any troubles. it sounds like your'e on the right track!

you can get "short reach" brake levers that mount on the tops of the bars, and some brakes adjust to be easier to squeeze for smaller hands. i'd ask at the bike shop about adjusting the current brakes. you probably can't add the short reach levers to your friend's bike.

so, when are you getting your own bike?