I've read both good and bad things about conti tires on this board. Some people hate them and some love them. I have used the Ultra 2000 on all my tours. They may puncture easier than some other brands, but, in my experience, they last. My best experience with them was on a 4500 mile trip loaded (rear panniers only, about 35 pounds) in 2 months. I rotated the tires at around 2500 miles. I had 5 flats, but I used the same two tires for the entire trip.