I weigh 150lbs. I am a very "light" rider as far as the abuse suffered by my road bike components. I don't normally just slam into things and stay light in the saddle all the time. I don't put much weight on the saddle, esp on rough surfaces and usually pedal a very tall gear to help keep my arse safe from the hammering saddle.

Vredestein Fortezza Tri-Comp tires. 700x23. No (undeserved) pinch flats. I run between 120 and 130psi on some very old Mavic Reflex 36 spoke conventional wheels. Not all that light, but bombproof - and not total slugs by any means.

The tires are not "Race Day" tires, but one step heavier. The "Tri" stands for Three elements - 1. Hard center strip for speed going straight, 2. Gooey side strips for a-m-a-z-i-n-g cornering even on wet roads. The tires are billed as All-Weather tires. 3. A strip of "kevlar" type flat prevention that works well at holding the tread together even after a nasty gouge.

I have three flats since August, two of them last week. Rare otherwise. The August was a pinch flat on the front tire from hitting the gate track at my old apartment complex waaaaay to fast. I shot a gap in traffic and wacked the sharp edge at 19-20mph. Went flat overnight. The next two flats were glass bits and both on the front tire! (hence, my new sig line). Never had three front flats in a row before. Got the last two flats on wet streets, so probably some broken glass that I continue to not see and run through.

I try to stay in the auto tracks. Too much broken glass and building materials on the road in New Orleans to ride in the "gutter".

I almost never use the lower gears. But when I do, it's nice to have them. There are some sweet short cuts around town that require a bit of off road riding through mostly mowed grass, but it varies. Probably could make due without the 26.

BTW...no snow and ice down here pretty much EVER. If the streets where a mess with frozen precipitation tomorrow morning I would ride my Pugsley to work and ditch the 23s big time.