Originally Posted by
sueb2b
My second issue is tires. I have whatever came on the thing stock. They're 26x1.5. I ride mostly city streets and want to change to something more durable for the urban experience -- already had my first flat, which was from broken glass.
Your problems come from the type of tires you're running and not the size.
My wife was getting more flats on whatever 38mm tires (about 1.5") came with her comfort bike than I do with my 25mm (about 1") Continental Gatorskins in spite of riding less. I added a set of Mr Tuffy tire liners which stopped the problem but have been meaning to order a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Supremes for her which come in relatively large sizes for 700C (and 26") rims and have a good ride with flat protection. The Mr Tuffys are a lot less expensive (< $20 vs. < $100 for a pair of nice Schwalbes shipped from Europe and much much more in the states).