Rear wheels are a PITA and where you'll get 99% of your flats (after all, that's where most of the weight is). I got tired of a string of flats, so I put a tire liner in my rear wheel. I carry a pair of nitrile gloves and a bandana (bandanas are mini towels and, as we all know, towels are the most massively useful things in the universe) because the process is unbelievably messy.

I'd practice taking wheels off and on, starting with flipping your bike; you may have a stand at home but not on the side of the road. After shifting into the smallest ring in the back and the biggest in the front, move or remove anything on the handlebars that could get mashed, bend over the bike and grab the seat stay and a fork blade, and flip it upside down. It does get easier with practice. Put something between your saddle and the ground to prevent scuffs, like your bandana. See? Already useful. I'm very lucky, in that my Maxxis DTH tires are supple enough that I can get them off and on with my hands.

This is only my opinion, but keep the HardRock. It's simple enough that you can learn to do pretty much any repair (and cheaper if you have a mechanic do it), and if you take care of it it will never fail you. You can mix and match parts, too, unlike modern bikes where everything is proprietary.