Paging Catrin...

My only input is on the brake realignment. Having learned the hard way that it really is possible to do an endo from a road bike under braking, I'd recommend against swapping the brake sides unless you also do a MASSIVE amount of practice afterward to drill your new braking procedure into muscle memory. But what about putting on hydraulic brakes? That should reduce the grip strength required.

Hope you find a workable solution.