Very hard to mount/remove tires from rim
 

I bought these rims a few years ago but do not use them because it is SO HARD to mount or remove tires from them. They are 26" rims that use shrader tubes. I drilled them out from presta, IIRC. They are Hawk Racing rims with sealed bearings.

Anyway, I'd like to use this front rim. Can anyone recommend a tire that would be easy to mount/remove on this rim? I prefer large tires with a smooth tread. The kind that give low rolling resistance. The bike is mainly an urban commuter.
Or anything else that would make it easier to change a flat.
Thanks in advance.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...208ce2011b.jpg

Tube-specific, not tubeless tires are probably going to be easier. On the other hand commuter tires are usually pretty stout. You need to rely on technique, get the beads both down into the groove

How urban? Like zero maintenance, or like freestyle BMX?

I've had the same problem with some tire/rim combos. AIR, WTB tires are ones that usually are easier & Kevlar-bonded tires are more compliant. Important to remember; you might wrestle a tire on at home, but how about if you get a flat far away? I saw two or three guys once way out in the woods who had spent an hour trying to remove a flat tire; fortunately, it finally succumbed.

I usually do a 15 mile route that includes streets and curbs, bike trails, a little dirt, and some very rough roads.

The guy at the LBS told me they might be metric and they might be meant for 37 x 597 tires instead of the American standard 37 x 590 tires (26")
I have some of those gum wall 37 x 597 R7 tires, meant for old Schwinns. I'm wondering if those would work. I tried them once on a 26" rim and they wouldn't stay on the rim. Maybe this rim is a different size.
Guess I could try it and be real careful. Making sure the tire doesn't blow off the rim while inflating or come off while I'm riding.

The correct size should be printed on them somewhere. I find it really difficult to believe that a rim marked with "dot com" with a brake rotor and hubs styled like that is going to be either of those ancient sizes. Neither of those are something normally used now. Anything close to that made in the last ten or fifteen years is very likely to be 650B / 27.5-inch size / ETRTO 584.

I don't know Hawk Racing but they have a website with a phone number