nonlinear, what part of Az? I'm an Az native, and still consider Tucson 'home', even though I haven't lived there in a decade now. As frequently as I used to get flats, I would honestly recommend some good tire liners. They really don't add that much to the rolling mass, and they drastically cut down on the flats. The only flat I ever got in almost 6 years of riding with tire liners was from one of those big, copper box staples with the razor sharp points. To me, it was worth it to not have to change/repair the tire every 2 - 3 weeks.

Also, if you haven't, get yourself a mtn bike, there are some phenomenal trails in that area!