Fifty Plus (50+) - Sure glad I got Gatorskins

The OEM tires are supposed to have puncture resistance, but I decided to have the LBS put on Gatorskins--glad I did.

Yesterday I rode the new bike on my normal route. At the bottom of a hill was broken glass--like from a broken beer bottle or two. There was no way to avoid the hazard unless I had seen it far earlier and had slammed on the brakes. The bike and tires didn't skip a beat. I tried to avoid what I could, but I definitely went through a glass minefield. I checked the tires thoroughly and found maybe one tiny splinter that I plucked out, but the tires looked great. I didn't see cuts or anything. I checked this morning and the inflation hasn't diminished.

I still get the occasional flat but on the order of every 3000-4000 miles but nothing like the monthly (or worse) flats with the OEM's.

I still get the occasional flat but on the order of every 3000-4000 miles but nothing like the monthly (or worse) flats with the OEM's.
It's not unusual for OEM tires to be anywhere so-so to terrible. When I started getting flats once a week a couple of weeks in a row it was time to toss them and get new tires. I got about 1800 miles out of mine before I replaced them with Conti Grand Prix 4000's. Still plenty of rubber on the old ones but they seemed to have gotten softer and more prone to punctures at that point.

I would say to the OP that you were just real lucky. Gatorskins are a great tire but not bullet proof. Glass will cut through them too.

Oh, I know that they aren't bulletproof, and I do feel fortunate. I'm sure glad I had these on when I really couldn't avoid the hazard. It would've been a real bummer to have had to deal with a flat or major tire failure on my first real ride on my brand new N+1 . It is likely I would've had a flat with the OEM tires.

I would say to the OP that you were just real lucky. Gatorskins are a great tire but not bullet proof. Glass will cut through them too.

True...the wrong kind of glass will puncture most anything.

One flat in 5,600 miles in 2011 between our tandem and my racing bike.
No, don't have Gatorskins.
We use the Maxxis ReFuse.

My default tire is normally Gatorskins. They roll better than Armadillos even if they give up just a bit in flat protection, in my experance only. I have thought of giving the Gatorskin hard shell a try.

I just got 700x28 Specialized All Condition Armadillo Elites and Airlock Road Tubes. Two flats in two days on almost new Vittoria Zaffiros did it for me. I know there are no guarantees, but they should be pretty good. The All Condition Armadillo Elites are lighter (340g vs. 440g) and roll alot better than the All Condition Armadillos. Cost more too.

People having flats are well advised to get tires like those discussed here. Folks should also pay great attention to the road, ride LESS far to the right when they can and wear biking gloves with which they can inspect and brush off any sharp junk that might get in a tire. If you roll over glass, stop and inspect your tire and remove any bits of glass that might be starting to embed themselves. It's amazing how many people don't bother doing this. Also check your tire after each ride if you live in an area with a lot of junk in the road. BTW I use gatorskins when I am concerned about junk and Conti 4000S when I'm not.

People having flats are well advised to get tires like those discussed here. Folks should also pay great attention to the road, ride LESS far to the right when they can and wear biking gloves with which they can inspect and brush off any sharp junk that might get in a tire. If you roll over glass, stop and inspect your tire and remove any bits of glass that might be starting to embed themselves. It's amazing how many people don't bother doing this. Also check your tire after each ride if you live in an area with a lot of junk in the road. BTW I use gatorskins when I am concerned about junk and Conti 4000S when I'm not.
Exactly ! +1