It doesn’t sound like it might work for you, but have you considered a single speed set up? I recently did this myself and it took some getting use to. However with the right gearing this is a great hassle free setup. Tires are another story; however I run Armadillos and haven’t had any problems yet. Hope this helps. There are a lot of very experienced people here that might have other ideas. I only know what works for me.