Thank you all for your replies. They really do help with my decision making. For now, I've had my Hard Rock repaired. Just the rear tire. I had a "regular" one put on to get it back in riding condition.
I'm now starting to look for a new bike. I'd like something not too flashy. So, I also don't mind a used one at all.
A couple of general (possibly dumb) questions to start are:
Would an upright style bike be less safe? It seems that a rider would have more control in a hunched over position.
I see many road bikes out there that seem to go pretty quickly. I'd like to go faster, but I am not sure if it's me just not capable of biking faster now or if it really is the bike. The road bikes look nice, but I feel that they are more vulnerable to wear and tear...especially on roads with potholes, road obstacles (rocks, bottles, etc). Also, the tires are thinner. Would thinner tires mean that they are more vulnerable to flats?
Thanks in advance for any assistance,