I got so many flats on my old tire that I paid more than normal for a heavy but more flat-proof tire (Schwalbe Marathon Plus). My bike is noticeably heavier now and a little harder to carry. But hopefully I'll spend less time frustrated repairing flats.
Q7. How do you navigate trade-offs between performance, cost, convenience, and reliability? When do you prioritize one over the other? Has that changed over time?
Are there magical products that satisfy all your criteria?