It's perfectly OK to be male! We like them! Especially when they thoughtfully help research for their wives' health and happiness.

Look for a short reach brake lever - Shimano Ultegra and 105 levers have a shim to adjust the reach. It is also the specific bar/lever combo and where the lever is set on the curve of the bar.

Are you also asking our opinion on the crankset? It highly depends on the terrain and the rider. Is Eileen riding a double crankset and doesn't use the small chainring? If so, you must live on completely flat land and Eileen is either an incredibly strong rider or cross-gearing. Most normal folks need a small chain ring for any kind of climbing or strong headwinds. Age, weight, fitness, knees, a bunch of stuff go into deciding chainring and cassette choices.

Volumes can be written on all of this but we're not sure what your level of knowledge about bicycles is. You can search all through this forum for lots of info. www.sheldonbrown.com has lots more. We can also answer specific questions.