I'm going to bite the bullet and buy some Wheelez

What exactly is it that makes the new tires crappy?
I bought the new style from Bill ( w/ tread ) and they seem to work fine

Sent from my HTC Aria

Eric I believe the problem was that the "new" wheels were PVC and not as robust(popped easier) as the "old" polyurethane wheels. The polyurethane wheels can also be repaired with heat and a bit of spare poly, most users have had them for years.

I got mine at REI, it was 200 minus 20% off sale, I am happy with my purchase, the wide wheels work very good on rocks and sand.
I purchased some other ones about 2 yrs ago on ebay and those broke the 1st time I used them. what a rip off.

Wheellez may not be cheap but they work.