Originally Posted by
danmc
My suggestion for the $100 is to get Gatorskins tires. That might not be a popular choice amongst others, but prior to the Gatorskins I was getting flats just about every other ride. Lots of small shale stones around here that cut right into the tire. I was becoming very proficient at changing tires! But since the switch to Gatorskins only 1 flat in several thousand miles on them (I know, I just jinxed myself, but I need the practice in changing a flat again anyway.) It's no fun taking 10-15 minutes out of a ride to pull to the side of the road and fix a flat, possibly getting stuck and needing an emergency pickup.
Of course, saddle is really important too. It's not going to be fun putting lots of miles on the bike if your butt is sore all the time.
Good call on flat protection. After trying every known major brand of tire however, I decided to go with the liners. I have tried Slime, Mr. Tuffy and finally landed on Stops Flats. The latter is so much easier to keep inside the tire while changing a tube, and with this being a major hub for the Goathead Thorn Express, so far so good.
Nothing aside from a crash kills a ride faster than stopping to change a flat.