@computersandblues @bicycles Sidepulls got a lot better in the late 1990s with the advent of dual-pivot brakes. You can also get beefier brakes so that less of your braking force goes into bending the brake arms.
Your brake levers are not screwed onto the handlebar. They have a band clamp holding them in place. Levers are interchangeable.
You couldn’t put disc brakes on this bike even if you wanted to, short of breaking out a welding torch to modify the frame.
These brakes aren’t cheap, but they’d probably work for you. https://velo-orange.com/collections/brakes/products/grand-cru-long-reach-brakes
@MrAndrewD @bicycling I carry RideNows as emergency spares, but my tires are set up tubeless. I’ve had to press one into service once. It was fine.
They’re delicate in some ways. I carry my spares inside a latex glove (which I’ll want anyhow), and you can’t let them get pinched when mounting them.
Note that if you use an electrical inflator, you need to use a tube with a metal valve (RideNow does offer these) or a hose between the air and valve, because the heat is bad for plastic valves.